The Sun.
London, England, 1865-03-30 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENIMI, MARCH 30, 1865.

blessings. I feel full confidence that you will con-
cur with me in the conviction that your public
duties will not be ended when you shall have closed
the legislative labours of the session ; but that your
voices will be heard cheering and encouraging the
people to that persistent fortitude which they have
hitherto displayed, and animating them by the
manifestation of that serene confidence which in
moments of public danger is the distinctive charac-
teristic of the patriot who derives courage from his
devotion to his country's destiny, and is thus en-
abled to inspire the like courage in others.
Thus united in a common and holy cause, rising
above all selfish considerations, rendering all our
means and faculties tributary to the country's wel-
fare, let us bow submissively to the Divine will and
reverently invoke the blessing of our Heavenly
Father, that as He protected and guided our sires
when struggling in a similar cause, so he will enable
us to guard safely our altars and our firesides, and
maintain inviolate the political rights which we
inherited. JEFFERSON DAVIS.
Richmond, March 13, 1865.

in about three weeks proceed on her trial cruise
to sea.

It is very much to be wished that among the other
reforms which the ironclads seem to be introducing
the Admiralty would adopt the French system of
fastening on the plates with what are termed wood
screws instead of through bolts. The latter weaken
the plate very considerably and do not hold it on
at all, whereas the trials made with the French
system of fastening at Shoebury showed it to be so
superior to ours as to be literally above any degree
of comparison.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

SCINDE.

The half-yearly general meeting of this company was
held yesterday at the London Tavern—Mr.W. P. Andrew,
the chairman; presided.
The reports of this company's undertakings, namely, the
Scinde, the Punjab, and the Delhi, railways, and the Indus
Steam Flotilla, were taken as read.

The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the report,
expressed the deep regret he and his colleagues felt at the
loss, by death, of their excellent and able agent, Mr. R. W.
Stevens, who had the entire confidence of thelocal Govern-
ment during the construction of the Punjab Railway, and
had performed his duties to the company in the most satis-
factory manner. The traffic on the Scinde Railway had not
come up to the expectations of the directors. In the past
half-year there had been a slight falling off in the receipts
from exceptional circumstances. There had been a combi-
nation among the native merchants not to send their goods
by the railway unless the trucks were placed at their dis-
posal. This had caused some delay in sending the traffic
over the line, but at the same time the native merchants
were too wise to trust their goods to the river craft. The
depressed state of commercial affairs had something to do
with the matter, but otherwise the prospects of the Scinde
Railway were as good as ever. If the line cost more than
was contemplated, he was sure the traffic from the Punjab
would more than compensate for the extra outlay, and that
there was a great future-before them. The flotilla kept up
the communication regularly from the terminus of the Scinde
Railway at Kotree up the Indus to Mooltan, the terminus
of the Punjab Railway. One of their vessels recently brought
down a cargo from Mooltan to Kotree, the freight forwhich
amounted to £3,500. If all their vessels were as complete
and efficient as that vessel the returns from the flotilla
would be very large. It was a very difficult river to navi-
gate, but they found that many of their smaller vessels had
turned out more profitable than some of the larger vessels,
which were considered superior to them. They had also a
number of vessels that were earning nothing, owing to an
unfortunate dispute with the contractors, but that had now
been settled, and he trusted that those vessels would be-
come available, and that the returns would increase. Their
officers managed the flotilla in a very efficient and admir-
able manner, and they had met with no accident to any of
the vessels. The first sod of the Punjab Railway was cut
by Sir J. Lawrence in 1850, and in three years afterwards
the first section from Lahore to Umritsur was opened for
traffic. Sir J. Lawrence opened the first section of the
line between Lahore and Mooltan last year; and he (the
chairman) had no doubt that the whole of the Punjab Rail-
way was now open and working to Mooltan. The estimated
cost of this railway was about £2,500,000, and would be
finished for something less than £lO,OOO per mile. It was
the cheapest railway in India, and owing to the favourable
gradients and the absence of heavy works to keep in repair
the maintenance would be light and the working expenses
very moderate. The great central station at Lahore was a
very handsome and important building, and he expected
that the Delhi line would contribute its share of the ex-
pense of building it. The works on the Delhi Railway were
now occupying great attention in the Punjab, as it would
be a continuation of the Punjab Railway from its junction
near Urnritsur to Delhi, where it would also form a junction
with the East Indian Railway. The inhabitants of Delhi
were most anxious for its completion, and the site of the sta-
tion would be within the walls of that city. It was a lino of
great commercial importance, and the works had been com-
menced on it at both ends. The construction of the line
would be carried on with energy and spirit, and every effort
would be made to complete it as ~.eorly as possible. The
surveys were going on with a view to supply the missing
link between Kotree and Mooltan along the valley of the
Indus. This line had been delayed in the most unaccount-
able manner, its construction was of the utmost import-
ance in a political and commercial point of view, and it
was surprising that it had not been made long ago. It
would, in fact, form the great bulwark to protect the em-
pire, and the great channel of communication from Kur-
rachee to the interior. Three routes were being surveyed
along the valley of the Indus, and ho believed that before
the next rainy season the surveys would be completed so as
to admit of the selection of the best route for the railway.
Sir T. H. MADDOCK seconded the motion for the adop-
tion of the report.
Capt. WOOD, superintendent of the Indus Steam Flotilla,
entered into an explanation as to the working of the
steamers, and showed that the net earnings, after paying
all expmses, making;ample reserves for repairs and insur-
ance, yielded a return of 3j• per cent. upon the capital ex-
pended on them, or 23 per cent. on the entire capital of the
flotilla, including that which had been unproductive. This,
he thought, under the circumstances, was a very fair result.
The success of the boats was duo in a great degree to the
energetic exertions of the officers of the company in work-
ing them, and endeavouring to secure large freights. He
believed that the traffic would become so great that when
the Indus Valley Railway was completed the line of
steamers could not be dispensed with.

Mr. THORNTON adverted to the difficulty of navigating
tho Indus, and the efficient manner in which the steamers
were worked.

Mr. FORSYTH, the commissioner of Lahore, explained
the difficulty of collecting materials for the works in the
Punjab, and the admirable and successful manner in which
the late Mr. Stevens and the other officers of the company
exerted themselveste overcome all difficulties, and to con-
struct the railway. It was very gratifying to see how
happy the officers of the company along a line of 240 miles
in length lived among the pEople, and pulled together to
accomplish the greitt work aey had in hand. They were
all on the best terms with the local Government.

In reply to questions by Mr. SEYMOUR and Mr. HAYMAIkiI
it was stated that the accounts of the company were being
adjusted by the Government authorities, so that it was
impossible to say at present what were the actual net
earnings of the railway since the opening of the line ; but
they had worked at a profit from the commencement. The
length of one route along the right bank of the Indus was
550 miles; by another route, crossing the Indus at Sukkur,
would be 500 miles ; and the third, along the left bank of
the Indus, would be 450 miles, which was the route the
chairman had recommended. By the last mail it appeared
that the officers of the company had traversed the whole
line from Lahore to Mooltan, 220 miles, stopping at various
places to examine stations and works, and accomplished
the distance, including those stoppages, in 12 hours. The
scale of rates for goods and passengers was too low, and
efforts were being made to raise them.
Resolutions were passed adopting the report, re-electing
the retiring directors, Sir T. H. Maddock and Mr. J. E. An-
derdon, and also Mr. E. Thornton, the retiring auditor. Mr.
M'Kinnan was also elected an auditor. A vote of thanks to
the chairman concluded the proceedings.

the last meeting, the works had yeen proceeded with as ra-
pidly as possible, but the severe winter had to some extent
retarded them. The tunnel at Loxley and th 3 cutting at
Hopton were so far advanced as to enable those works to be
completed simultaneously with the other portions of the
line, which were being pushed forward with the utmost
energy. The actual expenditure and present liabilities
amounted to £137,979.

In answer to a shareholder, Mr. FIELD, the contractor,
said he believed the line would be opened about the end
of August or the beginning of September.
The report and statement of accounts were adopted.