The Sun.
London, England, 1863-11-20 00:00:00

THE SUNS LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 20, 1863.

THE SOUTHERN CONFEDERACY.

The following information regarding the price of
provisions in Charleston, South Carolina, has been
furnished through a private letter written from that
city to a friend in England :
Present Average Price
Price. before the War.
dol. c. c. c.
Butter ... . 4 0 per lb .. 12*
Coffee
Tea
Lard
Beef
Brown sugar . . 2 0 „ .. 7to 10
Ham
Eggs
A cord or load of wood dol. dol.
for fuel
One reel of sewing c. c.
cotton
Coloured calicoes for
dresses
Long cloth
Black Alpaca

Wild speculations, unfortunately prevailing to a
dangerous extent, as well as the difficulties attend-
ing the transportation of goods and provisions, keep
up these almost fabulous prices; but in spite of
them, and in spite of Greek fire, we learn that the
" free market" in Charleston receives its usual con-
tributions of home produce, supplied by wealthy
planters in the neighbourhood. The " Wayside"
and the Ladies' Hospital also continue to be sup-
ported by liberal donations in money and provisions,
and those that remain of non-combatant citizens
maintain their wonted courage, and confidence of
ultimate success.

As a proof, some advertisements in the Charleston
Courier may be quoted, announcing " a meeting of
the directors of the High School to appoint a secre-
tary and a treasurer for the winter term ;" an
uand a large number of
a"tcetaincohe:sale o
requirepaintings;'dfor t
heensui
ensuing
session;" which
inform us without any doubt that the Charlesto-
nians look upon the city as their own for some time
to come in spite of the ruined Fort Sumter.

* It is, perhaps unnecessary to remind the reader that the
cent, or hundredth part of the dollar, is about equal to our
halfpenny.

RAILWAY AND OTHER COMPANIES,

CALCUTTA AND SOUTH-EASTERN.

The half-yearly meeting of this company Was held yester-
day at the offices, Gresham-house, Old Broad-street, Mr.
J. Borradaile in the chair.

The report stated that the line was officially opened from
Calcutta to Canning on the 15th of May last. The jetty,
which was of essential imp,rtance for shipping and landing
cargoes, had arrived safely, and arrangements were in pro-
gress for the immediate erection of it. At the date to which
the report extended the traffic, which was expected to fur-
nish the chief returns on this line, by the transport of mer-
chandize to and from vessels visiting the port, had only
begun to be developed. But the receipts for the conveyance
of passengers from Calcutta to Chappahattee was highly
satisfactory. The inadequacy of the receipts to cover the
working expenses, which in this, as in all other cases,
was to be anticipated on the first opening of the line, was
rapidly diminishing,:and during the six months under re-
view has been reduced to about £43. Only ono cargo had
passed over the line, but the traffic in connexion with the
vessels recently arrived, and those which were expected,
would in all probability turn the deficiency into a surplus.
To make suitable provision for this traffic, however,
it was necessary that the line should be placed in
a state of complete efficieecy, more especially in re.
ference to the accommodation of warehouses. Without these
conveniences the risk of a heavy responsibility would be in-
curred for injury to goods intrusted to the charge of the
company. The board had pressed this question on the Go-
vernment in India through their own officers. An estimate
had accordingly been sent home of the works required for
the completion of the works, and the expense of executing
them, which had been submitted to the Secretary of State
for India, who had authorised the raising of a further sum
of £lOO,OOO. It was a matter for deep regret, but one for
which the directors were in no way responsible, that the
steps taken by the local authorities for constructing roads to
the railway stations, and still more for draining and render-
ing habitable the town of Canning, at the terminus of the
line on the Mutlah, should have been so dilatory. The town
was laid out, and a considerable part of the best sites were
sold five years since in accordance with certain plans; but
up to this time little had been done by Government in dis-
charge of their duty to the lotholders, and thus the interest
of all concerned in the railway, whether shareholders or the
Government, had been seriously prejudiced. The Govern-
ment had now established municipal commissioners, and
made over to them all the land included in the site of the
town, as well as lands adjoining it, to the extent of 8,000
acres, with authority to sell or lease them ; and it was hoped
that sufficient funds might be derived from this property to
give the new town all those advantages of roads and tram-
ways, wharfs, tanks, and drainage, which should encou-
rage the resort of settlers. The combined London and Cal-
cutta accounts showed that £429,856 had been received to
June 30, including £26,183 advanced by the Government
treasury, and £426,863 expended, leaving a balance of
£2,993, The amount of guaranteed interest received from
the commencement to 30th June last amounted to £53,866.
The CHAIRMAN. in moving the adoption of the report,
said the line was officially opened throughout on the 15th of
May last. The jetty had arrived, and in the cold season
rapid progress would be made to complete it. With regard
to the traffic receipts he thought they had now turned the
corner as to the receipts exceeding the expenditure. All
the Government had undertaken to do in making roads and
providing facilities to develop the traffic, had yet to be done.
Since the opening the company had conveyed 85,000 pas-
sengers and 2,500 tons of goods, which only yielded £1,900
in consequence of the Government not having constructed
roads and approaches to the stations on the line, The com-
pany had offered to carry out those works for the Gover-
ment, but the offer of the company was declined. About
five years ago the lots in Canning Town were sold by the
Government, but nothing had since been done towards
forming the roads or drainage, which latter required a fall
of 15 feet. Those who purchased the town plots fully ex-
pected that everything would have been done before the
opening of the railway. The railway and works were ori-
ginal ly designed to provide accommodation for the overflow
of shipping in the Hooghly and the gradual silting up of the
sands, which frequently obstructed the navigation. He then
read the report of a Government officer, dated the Ist of
June last, with regard to the difficulty of the navigation of
the Hooghly, owing to the shifting sands, and the gradual
decrease in the depth of the channels in the river. It showed
the danger to the shipping in the Hooghly, and the neces-
sity for providing the facilities for the shipping and the
trade of Calcutta, which the company's undertaking was
intended to afford by making the superior advantages of the
river of Mutlah available to the merchants at Calcutta for
that purpose by means of the company's jetty and railway.
Mr. MA.RSHAII seconded the motion for the adoption of
the report, which, after some personal observation by Mr.
Adams, which he was called upon to retract, was carried
unanimously.
The meeting was then made special, and the resolution
dpiarsecsed torsat the
to
oraisme eaedtigdnitioonfalteahepitla3ltht.
of £lOO,OOO
auth oornisindgebethne.
tures of the company at interest not exceeding 5 per cent.,
and for a term not exceeding seven years, was unanimously
confirmed.

A vote of thanks to the chairnman and directors con.
eluded the proceedings.

NORTH AND SOUTH LONDON.
Notice has been gives of application to Parliament to in-
corporate a company to make railways on a high level from
Moorgate-street and Swan-alley to the South Eastern Rail-
way at Bermondsey, and from the city Branch of the North
London Railway at Nortonfolgate to No. 8, St. Helen's-
place, Bishopsgate, a branch from Bermondsey to the
London, Brighton, and South Coast Railway; and for power
to enable these companies to subscribe and make traffic
arrangements.