The Sun.
London, England, 1856-10-30 00:00:00

RECEIPTS.

~ '. i

By pasSitnieils_ -
By Parecakild passengers, luggage, live
stocltS-earriblesi and excess fares
By merchandise . 105,N3 15 2
By mineTale4.„,
114,288 13 7
By rent of Fefreshment rooms, engine-
driters bnngalosis, demurrage, profst
and boss account, and transfer fee '

R. A. P.
257,159 0 8

To al

2,306 1 5

4
Bati,nce

510,128 0 5

303,179 5 GA

That is, the line, if it has cost, according to the
popular estimate, 10,0001. a mile, is returning a
dividend nearly 1 per cent. in excess of the guaran-
teed 5 per gent. It is understood, however, that
•ihe cost will be more than this, or 11,0001. a-mile,
which will reduce` the dividend to 4 per cent.
Even that, however, is sufficient to prove the pay- •
ing poweeof the line, which has only begun to at-
tract traffic. The shareholders, I fear, are still
unaware nf:the-proifirs they will secure when the
line is.open .to Benares, or they would not rest
content with the present tardy system. lam afraid ~
to state my own belief on the subject, but there
at all events, nothing to prevent their obtaining 10,
per cent. The expenses of the line for this half
year have amounted to only 42 per cent. on the:
receipts—a.rate almost without precedent.
Theathief political topic of discussion here is the
expedition to Persia. Your Bombay correspondent
will probably send you ample details, and I content
myself therefore with recording a few facts which I
know
to beeorxect. The expedition is to be aceom-i
panied by .5.,000. troops--not 10,000, as some of the,
papers have stated. The rendezvous is the island,
of Barrack. Some Assistance is to be given—in,
arms, I believe—to Dost Mahomed, and Persia is,
to be compelled to surrender Herat. Beyond this
fact I do not belierve that any human being out of
the secret department • knows for certain any ona
fact conneated with the purpose of the
expedition.
Its future movements must be regulated by
the Schab,• and it is believed here that the those
will yield without hesitation. Ido not indivi-,
dually entertain that impression, but it is that of
all the best-informed officials. It is also considered
that the selection of a General is unfortunate, Bri-
gadier Stalker being a blameless officer, but nothing
more, and a little too old for such work.
The Home
Government has transmitted orders
for a great extensionofthetotelethgerall,
OLoo3aolr°43ead in
miles
of line are to be' added
existence. One line from Mirzapore to Bellary
bisects India, occupying
the position the backbone
doesin the human body. Another, from Bellary to
,
Galle, will connect Ceylon with Calcutta. A third
froth Lahore to Kurrachee connects the Indian
system with the point whenc_elieve, e the b
.ut I do Anglo-Indiannot
subinitriele line will spring. b I
ZioW, that orders have been sent out to prepare
for the arrival of the cables which are to connect
Bivi'sorah and Kurrachee. The project is regarded
here withvery mixed feelings. Everbody is ready
to lend the most active assistance, yet everybody
doubts the result. The fear is lest the excessive
delay which must intervene between the receipt of
news by telegraph and the arrival of letters should
make trade uncertain, and render the action of
Government. still •more dependent upon England.
The internal telegraph will facilitate every kind of
improvement, but it is not vet cheap enough. It
is the cheapest Haeju the world, but we want it to
be cheaper still, and to make it as far as possible
supersede the post.
I underatand that the Government of Bengal
will reject the petition of the missionaries for an
inquiry into- the social condition of the people, but
will refer it to the Government of India. It may
there meet with a different reception. Should it be
:again rejected, it will be submitted to Parliament,
backed, perhaps, by more facts than the home
authorities will at all approve. The missionaries
would probably address the Court first, but the
dislike of. the cunibrous double system extends
rapidly, and
men. advised- to appl there declare
that they are only defeated,
without being able to
fix any responsibility. The Friend of /7,441,,
ways the stanch defender of the Court as an able
and upright governing body, confesses that its
?resent position is convenient, as well as hunailiat-