The Sun.
London, England, 1865-11-15 00:00:00

port in commission. There only remain the five
large building slips to notice, and these have been
purposely reserved to the last, owing to the fact that
with the exception of the partly set up frame of the
Dance, a vessel of only 1,000 tons, this magnificent
row of workshops, erected at great cost, and since
enlarged and fitted with machinery, regardless of ex-
pezise, are now lying utterly unoccupied, and there-
fore unproductive, in return for the large sums of
money laid out upon them. Surely, with the splendid
steam factory, smithery, and foundries of Portsmouth
Dockyard, iron vessels of moderate tonnage might
be as readily built there as elsewhere, and its vacant
ships thus turned to some useful account.

Lieut.-Col. E. Wray, Royal Artillery, has been
appointed a member of the Ordnance_ Select Com-
mittee.

The brigade field-days on Chatham Lines having
terminated for the season, the troops belonging to
that garrison have commenced their daily march out
into the open country during the winter months,
when the weather will permit. By direction of the
Duke of Cambridge these marches are to be utilised
as much as possible to both soldiers and officers,
the former of whom will occasionally be halted
to perform such movements as can be effected,
while the officers will be required to frame reports of
the particular districts traversed by the troops, and
the advantages or disadvantages they present for
carrying on military operations.
The following appointments have been made at
the Admiralty :—Capt. R. B. Oldfield, to the
Malacca, commissioned ; Percy V. James, master,
to the Malacca ; Thos. Webster, master, additional,
to the Asia for the Cruiser; Sub-Lieut. Robt. H.
Eyre, to the Bristol ; Sub-Lieut. Sam. A. Johnson
and Sub-Lieut. Geo. A. G. Grey, to the Spiteful ;
Hem7A. Dyke, midshipman, to the Spiteful ; Richd.
J. Lucas, nominated to a naval cadetship ; Wm. H.
Cruice, surg., to the Malacca ; Josh. May, assist.-
surg., to the Spiteful ; Dr. G. B. Beale, assist.-surg.,
to the Excellent ; Fredrick Lima, paymaster, to the
Malacca ; G. J. Sparks, assist.-paymaster, to the
Malacca ; Geo. M. Jackson, clerk, to the Malacca ;
Gilbert T. Carter, assist.-clerk, to the Malacca.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

MADRAS.

The report of the directors states that the progress
of the works and traffic had continued satisfactory.
On the Ist of September the section of the North-
west line between Reddipally and Cuddapa, 40 miles
in length, was opened for traffic, completing the
communication from Madras to that important
station. The company had, therefore, 611 miles
of railway open, of which the South-West line and
Bangalore branch formed 492 miles, and the
North-West line 119 miles. A further section of
the latter beyond Cuddapa was expected to be
ready for opening in July next, The aggregate
mileage worked over during the half-year was 571
miles, against 448 in the corresponding half of last
year. The aggregate number of passengers carried
was 861,467, against 707,884, and the goods 131,487
tons against 112,298 tons in the same half of last year.
The traffic receipts had been £179,893 against
£142,932, and the net earnings £87,952 against
£72,690 for the corresponding six months of 1864. The
permanent way and rolling stock had been well
maintained and the traffic had been carried on as
heretofore, without the occurrence of any injury to
passengers. The works and surveys of the remain-

ing portions of the North-West line and Beilary
branch were in active progress, and the necessary
steps had been taken to provide for the completion
of the line to Raichore, the point of junction with
the Bombay line, simultaneously with its comple-
tion by the Great Indian Peninsula Company from
their side. The permanent way materials for the
line as far as Gooty had been provided, and nearly
all sent out. With regard to the South-West line
and Bangalore branch, the way and works were in
good order, and had been maintained with economy,
but the cost of the main line was still kept up by
the progressive replacement of wooden by iron
sleepers. The cost per mile of the Bangalore branch,
which was entirely laid with iron sleepers, was at
the rate of £9B Bs. per annum only. The passenger
traffic amounted for the year half-year to £62,463,
agains‘ £46,468 ending the 00614 Juno, 1861, °bow-
ing an increase of £15,994. The total number of
passengers conveyed was 745,198, of which 688,297
were third class, and the receipts £50,105, against
£38,556 for the corresponding half of last year,
showing an increase of £11,549. The goods traffic
amounted to £83,657 against £70,111, showing an
increase of £13,513. The total receipts for the half
year ending the 30th of June last amounted to
£165,005, and the expenses to £85,334, or 51.72
per cent., showing an increase of £79,671. The
receipts per train mile amounted to ss. 7id. against
ss. 94d., and the expenses to 2s. 11d. per train mile
against 2s. 10d. The gross receipts had exceeded
those of the same period last year by £29,238, or
nearly 22 per cent., and the net earnings by
£10,675, or 15i per cent. The present mileage open
of the North-West line was 119 miles, but of those
only 79 were worked over during the past half-
year. It was entirely laid with iron sleepers,
and the cost of maintaining it was only at the rate
of £63 Gs. Bd. per mile per annum for the past half
year. The result of the six months' working on
the North-West line showed that £14,888 had
been received against £7,166 in the corresponding
half of 1864, and the working expenses amounted
to £5,217, against £2,595. The net receipts
amounted to £8,281, against £3,694, showing an
increase of £4,587. The receipts per train mile
were ss. 31d., against ss. lid., and the expenses
2s. 41d., against 2s. Gd. per train mile. The number
of passengers carried was 116,269, against 88,073
in the corresponding half of last year. The mileage
open was 79 miles, against 41 miles of last year,
being equal to nearly 93 per cent. increase ; the
gross earnings were nearly 108 per cent., and the
net earnings 124 per cent. increase. The directors
intended to call up the remaining portion of the
fifth extended capital, of which the deposit only of
£2 per share had been paid by the holders.