The Sun.
London, England, 1853-04-28 00:00:00

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

GREAT INDIAN PENINSULA RAILWAY.
Yesterday the seventh half-yearly meeting of pro-
prietors was held at the company's office, No. 3, New
Broad-street, City—Lord Wkarncliffe in the chair.
The SECRETARY having read the report,
The CHAIRMAN said, in moving the adoption of the
report, he must commence by congratulating the share-
holders on the opening of the first portion of their un-
dertaking—for there was no reason to doubt that it was
actually opened on the 4th of April. (Cheers.) The
completion of theefirst line of railway in our vast terri-
tories in India was a matter of imperial interest and of
universal moment to the civilised world. (Hear.) He
must also congratulate the meeting upon the board's hav-
ing been enabled to enter into an arrangement with the
Government for the extension of the line originally laid
down as the experimental line from Callian to Shawpoor,
a distance on the Thull Ghaut of 18 miles beyond Cal-
lian. They had no doubt of being enabled to complete
the first section within the estimates. It was natural
that any surplus remaining after paying the expenses of
completing the original experimental line, should be ap-
plied for its prolongation. Under the arrangement entered
into with the East India Company, the surplus which
existed was to be applied towards the completion of the
line from Callian, so as to bring upon their railway the
traffic from the Thull Ghaut, while the remainder of the
capital required was be raised on the same terms as the
original 500,0001. (Cheers.) In October last, he had
the pleasure of informing the shareholders that a report
had just been received from the engineer relative to the
best point for passing the Ghauts ; that this report had
been submitted to the East India Company and the
Board of Control, and that the board expected to be able
to make immediate arrangements for the extension of
the line. He was not then aware of any impediment in
the way of carrying out such a scheme. About that
time, however, a proposal was submitted to the Govern-
ment by a gentleman who, he was informed, had resided
long enough in Bombay to have become intimately
acquainted with the district, that a line should be made
along the coast, without approaching the Ghauts, towards
the Gulf of Surat, and branching off, prior to arriving at
the Gulf, towards the north-eastern portion of the coun-
try. That proposal was made by Major Kennedy, and
submitted to the authorities at home, who thought it
their duty to remit it to the Government in Bombay, fov
their opinion. The board had the means of knowing
that the Government of Bombay took steps for the inves-
tigation of the comparative merits of the two proposals.
The proposition of Major Kennedy was referred to their
official engineer, Captain Crawford, whose report was de-
cidedly adverse to it. Notwithstanding that unfavourable
opinion, sanctioned by the Government of Bombay, the
Government here thought it their duty to refer the ques-
tion to the Supreme Government of India ; and, that
step having been taken, it was of course indispensable to
wait for an answer. The Governor-General having a war
on his hands had written home to say that he had been
obliged to defer the consideration of the matter in con-
sequence of the pressure of other business, but that,
as soon as it was in his power to do so, he would turn
his attention to it. They had reason to expect an an-
swer by the next mail; That-the result would be satis-
factory to the Company, he for one did not entertain a
moment's doubt ; and they would then be in a position
to proceed with the most important part of their un-
dertaking. (Cheers.) Having thus referred to the pro-
posal of Major Kennedy, he must make a few remarks
on- the actual elements of the question at issue between
Major Kennedy and themselves. When they first placed
their undertaking before the world, their object was
partly with the view of improving the communication be-
tween this country and the western side of India. It so
happened that on the western side there existed what
was to be found, he belie-red, at no other part of the ex-
tended coast of the Indian peninsula, namely, a good har-
bour. Such a harbour was found at Bombay, and there
was no other, he believed, from the mouth of the Indus
to that of the Ganges. It occurred to the promoters that
there could not be a more important object than that
of opening a communication between the nearest point
to our European territories and the interior of India, and
Bombay seemed admirably adapted to the accomplish-
ment of the object. In the next place, it must be ob-
served that Bombay lay immediately opposite to what
was universally known as the great valley for thegrowth
of cotton—the cotton field of India ; and what could be
more desirable than to establish easy and rapid commu-
nication with a district which could afford an unlimited
supply of that invaluable staple of our manufactures ?
(Hear.) What were the comparative merits of the two
schemes, as regarded the article of cotton ? Bombay
was, as he had said, not far distant from the great cotton
district, and the obstacles to communication interposed
by nature were surmountable, It was believed, at a
moderate expense. On the other hand, Major Ken-
nedy's line passed northward, not approaching the dis-
trict of which he had spoken, and this for the purpose
of reaching a small district, which, though it certainly
produced cotton, did so to a much inferior ex-
tent. There was a very cheap water carriage, with
which such a line would have to compete ; the district
to be traversed was by no means thickly peopled or pro-
ductive ; and rivers would have to be crossed near their
mouths, and at points where it was impossible to de-
pend on the stream. To show the relative importance
of the two districts he begged to refer to a work of Mr,
Chapman, who might be considered an authority on
such a matter. Spe2l,lrEr of the district which that
had had In vian hone the first, tifis gentleinat.
paid :—"The area may he taken at about 450 miles
from north to 'south, with an average breadth of 300

miles from west to east, the gross surface being there-
fore 135,000 square miles. If one-half of it is occupied
by mountain ranges, sites of towns, beds of rivers, and
unsuitable soils, the other half contains 67,500 square
miles, or 43,200,000 acres, applicable to the growth of
cotton fit for English use. If one-fourth of this were
cropped every year, and the produce were equal to the
average of Guzerat and Candleish, or 1001bs. per acre,
the weight of the whole crop would be 1,080,000,0001b5.
per annum, or two and a quarter times the entire quan-
tity annually consumed by the manufacturers of Great
Britain on the average of the 13 years ending in 1846."
With regard to the district to be accommodated by Major
Kennedy, Mr.- Chapman said the gross area did not
exceed 7,700 square miles, which, after making such
deductions as before, left a cultivable service of 5,040
square miles, of which the annual cropping of cotton
did not exceed one-fifth of 645,120 acres, the result of
which would be 70,963,200 lbs. He added, that as
the greater part of the cotton already exported from
India came from that district, and generally amounted
to from 60,000,000 lbs. to 70,000,000 lbs., they could
not expect much more from it. There were other pro-
ducts besides cotton to be found in the line of the com-
pany's projected communication. At a short distance
from Bombay had been found coal, which appeared from
experiments to be of the most valuable description.
Iron, too, existed ; and in 1830 a suspension-bridge
was built of it, 20 feet span by 12 feet broad, which was
said to be equal to any structure of the kind in Europe.
Timber also might be added to the natural products.
The total traffic of the interior amounted even at pre-
sent to about 180,000 per annum. The only real diffi-
culty had been as to the point they should cross the
mountains. Their engineer, Mr. Berkeley, had, how-
ever, actually accomplished a- survey of 200 miles.
Though they confined their proposal at present to the
execution of about 52 or 53 miles, the survey had been
extended far beyond. Mr. Berkeley estimated that the
line from Callian to Shawpoor—the first fifty miles
of the project—could be executed for about 7,5001.
per mile ; and that the line thence to the fort
of the Ghaut incline, would cost about 10,9001.
per mile. The crossing of the mountains was,
of course, a very difficult operation ; but it was
stated by Mr. Berkeley that if it were accomplished
the gradients would not be worse than some in this coun-
try, and that the expense of constructing about eight
miles would not exceed 34,9001. per mile. Then, from
the eastern foot of the mountains to Nassick would be
291 miles more, which, partaking partly of a mountain-
ous character, would cost about 7,400/. per mile ; while
the remainder of the line, running through the cotton
district, would fall down to 4,5001. per mile. This esti-
mate was, of course, in some degree conjectural ; but it
had been prepared with great care, and if it could
be relied upon, the result would be that these five
sections connecting Bombay with the great cotton dis-
trict of the interior, would be constructed at an ave-
rage cost of 88,000/. per mile; and ii the scheme were
carried out at that expense there could not be a mo-
ment's doubt that a• most important object would have
have been achieved at a very moderate outlay. As had
' been stated in the report, as soon as the necessary ar-
rangements were completed, the shareholders would be
summoned together to authorise the raising of the capi-
tal required to carry out that portion of the undertaking
more immediately contemplated.
The motion having been seconded, was agreed to after
a desultory discussion.
Formal resolutions were also passed in accordance
with the recommendations in the report; and the meet-
ing terminated with a vote of thanks to the chairman.