The Sun.
London, England, 1858-09-17 00:00:00

OUDE.

The half yearly meeting of this company was held
yesterday at the office, Moorate-street—Sir Mac-
donald Stephenson in the chair.
Mr. C. TwIGG, the secretary, read the-report.
The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the
report, said it appeared from returns of the traffic of
the country made in 1856 by Mr. Reece, of Calcutta,
that the trade of the district in Oude through which
they intended to pass was considerable, and would
be greatly increased if railway facilities were
afforded for bringing the produce to market. Thr
cost of railways in England had been very heavy,
but in India the cost had been very moderate. The
Madras company had executed their works for a
smaller sum per mile than any other company. The
Oude Railway as proposed would be executed for
less than £6,000 per mile, and, including rolling
stock, it would not exceed £B,OOO per mile, which
was a very moderate cost for so important a line.
The first section of the line would extend from
Cawnpore to Lucknow. Negotiations had been
going on for a considerable time as to a guarantee,
but were not yet brought to a termination. It
was considered necessary to wait till the country,
was more settled. Matters were becoming more tran-
quil in Oude, and it was now expected that all re-
sistance would soon be overcome. The Act of Par-
liament incorporating the company had been ob-
tained, and provision was made for the amalgama-
tion of that company with the Central Oude
Railway Company. The details had not been
arranged, but there was every disposition on the
part of the gentlemen representing the Central
Company to meet them fairly, and he felt sure that
satisfactory terms would be made when the gua-
rantee was granted. The matter respecting the
union of the two companies would be submitted at
the proper time to general meetings of shareholders
in both companies specially called for the purpose.
The financial statement showed that they had re-
ceived £ll,lOO, and after paying for surveys, Par-
liamentary and preliminary expenses, there re-
mained a balance of £7,200 to the credit of the
company. The directors regretted the loss of Mr.
Garrett, who they considered was one of the ablest
engineers that had -ever left this country. He
trusted the Council of India would soon order the
making of the railway, and that the natives would
be speedily induced to adopt the shovel, the barrow
and the pickaxe in lieu of military weapons, and
by the construction of the necessary railways de-
velope the great resources of the country.
Mr. J. C. MARSIIMAN, deputy chairman, seconded
the motion for the adoption of the report. He ad-
verted to the obstacles they had encountered from
the disaffection in Oude. 'They had placed them-
selves in communication with the President of the
Board of Control respecting their undertaking, and
it was deemed necessary by the authorities in India
to suspend operations until matters were sufficiently
settled in Oude to justify them in proceeding with
the railway. The mutiny had been quelled, and
there remained nothing now but effective measures
to completely crush the disaffection in Oude It
was probable that in the beginning of November
the whole of the military force would be brought
to bear on Oude, and it was believed that in the
course of two or three months the authority of the
Government there would be completely established.
By the beginning of February next they might be
called upon to commence operations on the first
section between Cawnpore and Lucknow. At the
time they projected the line it was merely for com-
mercial purposes, but circumstances had since oc-
curred which made the railway also desirable
for political and military purposes. He had
no doubt it was one of the lines of
railway which the authorities would be most
anxious to see established in that part of India.
Mr. WYLDE thought the expenses of the company
had been yerg moderate. He suggested that the
line shoald be made by the company's staff instead
of by contract, as he believed it was a much cheaper
system, and had been carried out successfully by
other railway companies in India.
The CHAIRMAN said he was glad the proprietors
considered their expenses moderate, which they un-
doubtedly were. With regard to the construction
of the line he was not certain which mode was the
best. A great extent of the lines in India was being
executed by contractors ; thenmtatrd.
matter, however,
would be fully considered by y the board.
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retiring rediporrtectowrsasantdheanudiuntapd
a vote of thanks to the chairman and directors for
con-
cluded the proceedings,