The Sun.
London, England, 1858-07-19 00:00:00

COLONISATION IN INDIA.

In commenting on the first report of the minutes
of evidence taken beEre the select committee on
colonisation and settlement in India we mainly
directed attention to the salubrity of the climate,
pointing out that while the plains were fatal to the
health of Europeans, vigour and longevity might
be secured in the hills. The second report treats
of different topics, and the information it contains
is minute, copious, and instructive. Those on
whom the duty will fall of governing India in the
future will do well to study this evidence, given
by intelligent men long resident in the country and
intimately conversant with the inner life of the
natives. To attempt to rule them without know-
ing their character, their hopes and fears, their
wants and desires, is a hopeless task. Many valu-
able histories, memoirs, biographis, and essays
have been written on our Eastern empire, rich in
facts and reflect!ong, and to a certain extent they
are admirable guides to statesmen ; but this second
report imparts a special quality of knowledge not
cantained in what are deemed standard publica-
tions. Older works may bo consulted with advan-
tage, but the blue-book before U 3 refers to the
pres3nt rather than to the past ; its contents are
fresh and original, and points out, as the result of
experience, where British legislation has failed,
and suggests remedial measures. The various
tenures of laud, the adminis'ration of justice, the
composition of the magistracy, the condition of the
police, the modes of culture, the capabilities of the
soil, roads, and irrigation—all these topics, and
others incidental to them, are discussed with a
fullness and a discrimination which render this
volume one of the most precious contributions to
parliamentary literature.

The colonisation of India Ly intelligent men,
versed in the useful arts, and capab'e of directing
the natives in the operations of industry, is ad-
mitted by all the witnesses to be most desirable,
tending to strengthen our rule, to improve the
natives, and deve!ope all the internal resources of
the country. Wherever European skill and super-
intendence have been introduced production has
been largely b-nefitted both in quality and quan-
tity. It is specially stated that indigo, silk, sugar,
and hemp have been brought to their present state
of excellence by English settlers ; and it is a fact
worthy of special notice that nearly all native
ze-
minders who have extensive factories and large
landed properties place them under British inana-
gers. Mr. Wise, who has resided thirty years in
Eastern Bengal, distinctly stated (2630) that
wherever Europeans have settled the prosperity of
the people has followed, and if the settlement of
Europeans bad been encouraged, as recommended
by Sir Charles Metcalfe and other great Indian
statesmen, Mr. Wise believes " that the reve-
nues of India might ere this have been settled."
But he adds that though permision to settle was
secured by the Parliamentary act of 1833, the
Indian Government has never ceased to show hos-
tility to settlers, opposing all private enterprise and
discouraging the investment of capital. Mr. Dal-
rymple who has resided thirty years in India, de-
eland it to be his deliberate conviction (3266) that
the general state of cultivation since he went to the
country, where Europeans lave settled, has quad-
rupled
the production ; and all this is due to
European energy. But to speak more in detail, it
appearatbat the value of the indigo produced in
Bengal and the upper provinces may be from
2,000,0001. to 3,000,0001. per annum, varying with
the extent of the crops and the market price of the
article; of this ninetean-twentieths are produced
by British capital, skill, and enterprise. The value
of the,f;reperties devoted to the culture of indigo,
and exclusively possessed by Europeans, throughout
India, is computed at from 7,000,0001. to 8,000,0001.,
acquired by men who commenced with nothing
but perseverance, industry, and knowledge. The
quality of indigo wade by natives is from 20 to
30 per cent, less valuable than that made by Euro-
peans, and this superiority applies to every commo-
dity. Within the last 1') ye irs the production of
the chief staple articles has been nearly doubled,
and in. some of them much more ; while the price
in India has generally increased to a corresponding
extent. As special bases, it may be stated that jute
formerly sold at six and eight annas the mural ;
it now della at two and three rupees ; and in place
of 3,000 bales shipped for this country in 1836 the
quantity has increased to nearly 250,000 bales.
An.. •er most important production in India is
date au: , and as that article is not so well known
as cane ar it calls for some remarks. Mr. Mac-
kenzie states (3,727) that there is a small area of
about 100 miles by 200 excellently adapted to this
culture .for though date trees will flourish all over
India, it is only in this small area that they will
produce sugar. That area runs from Calcutta in a
north-east direction ; the trees require to be within
the actual influence of the sea-breeze, and neither
too near nor too remote ; that gives an area 'of
about 20,000 square miles. The date produces upon
an average about a ton and a-half of sugar per acre ;
and if one-twentieth of the land fit for this cul-
tivation were so applied it would yield about 930,000
tons, or about three times the consumption of Great
Britain. Lest any should suspect sugar from the
date is of inferior quality, it must be observed that
it contains more saccharine matter than cane sugar.
The sugar that comes to this country, and is known
as Dobah and Chowgah, is principally da'e. The
refineries are soase at 70 and others at 15) miles
from Calcutta, though there are three very large
ones in Calcutta itself. It would pay the ryots
per
rl
tonto r o w date
but
e sugar
here
arev
iast a i
on coofs tt
hneo t x chewi
is
eidn idnigs
rle2n/.
..
sable. Under the 26th clause of the sale law of

1843 it is enacted that all leases granted in good
faith at fair rents, if registered within two months
from the date of execution, and approved of by the
revenue collector, stand good for 20 years, even
although the property is sold for arrears of Govern-
ment revenue. That clause ought to be extended
to such cultivation as date trees, because the farmer
only gets his remuneration after six or seven
years, though when they thrive they last from
50 to GO years. For such a farmer a term of 20
years is insufficient. Th;st encouragement elven to
data eutture would, in the judgment of Mr. Mac-
kenzie, "be of the greatest benefit to the people
of India and to this country." When once the tr. e
is under beating it is not subject to suffer by the
climate ; such plantations continue to bear for 50
or 60 years, and other crops can be grown between
the trees. We belive that this information may
he new to rattly readers ; it would cheipcn sugar
in our markets, create a demand for our manufac-
tures, and enable us most effectually to compel
Spain to cease the importation of slaves into Cuba,
for we could then prohibit slave-groan sugar with-
out rasing its price to our own countrymen.
All the evidence tends to show that we might
extend our exports of manufactures into India to an
enormous extent if we were to place the land
tenures on a firmer basis, as in the case of the date
platitations ; for we must take care that a show of
increased wealth is not made a reason for additional
oppression on the cultivator. The average annual
consumption of our manufacture. is only 10d. per
head, and yet our goods a-e highly appreciated and
much desired. They are eagerly and largely pur-
chased by the, opulent natives, but are beyond the
reach of the impoverished ryot. This last class
particularly wish for the superintendence of Euro-
peans, from whom they receive more justice than
their own countrymen. They are better fed and
lodged, and skill renders their labour less onerous.
But Europeans are not only required to direct in-
dustrial work, but to hold minor positions in the
Government, Since the native functionaries are un-
fortunately too prone to bribery, corruption, and
perjury, and actually respect a rogue, provided he
is not detected. Mr. M'Nair, who has resided
20 r ars in India, recommends that Europeans
should be employed in all thepublic offices, such asthe
Treasury, the Home and Foreign Departments, the
Military, Public Works, Mint, Stamp and Post-
offices, and he would encourage the dissemination
of the English language, which the natives learn
very quiek'y. Mr. Wiss considers that India has
no greater want than a class of young Englishmen,
and that they would he eagerly sought after by
zemindars and native capitalists, who appreciate
their honesty, industry, and skill ; and he would
encourage well-organised ins itutions in the lulls
for the oluceti nof the sons of soldiers. The dep)-
sition of the Compeny, wh'.m the natives distruet,
and the tratisf( rence of all power direct to the
Crown, is highly commended by the witnesses. The
cultivators have a curious notion of the relwions
that exist between the Queen and the Company.
The general belief is that India belongs to the
Queen, but that she has leased it to the Company
for a ceitain sum of money, and oft .T they have de-
frayed the expenses of collection, and ell the ex-
penses of governmeet, whatever is over belongs to
them as a body of shareholders ; they look upon
them as a lessee ; even all the larger =minders
have that opinion, and they wish the lease termi-
nated, for then they think their position would he
more secure, because better defined. To Europeans
they have no objection whatever if disconnected
from the Company, and hence they would hail
colonisation with pleasure, and they expect the
Crown would wake .beneficial changes in the

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

LONDO2,I, BRIGHTON, AND SOUTH COAST.
The following are the principal passages in the
report of the directors :

" The accounts for the half-year ending the 30th
June, 1853, show the following results :
" Capital Account—The amount of capital raised to
the 30th June, 1853, is 7,858,815, consisting of—Mort-
gage debt, 1,806,835/. ; debenture stock, 193,7001. ;
preference capital, 1.234 726/. ; consolidated stock,
4,613,551/. ; total, 7,858,8151. The bill promoted by
the company, authorising the raising of additional ca-
pital, having received the royal assent, the outlay re-
ferred to in the last report, ac well as that since in-
curred, amounting in all to 34,720/ , has been transferred
to the debit of capital account. The directors are gra-
tified at being able to announce, as a proof of the con•
fidence which the public place in this undertaking, that
210,80 C/. of the perpetual Four per Cent. Debenture
Stock has already been taken up, an amount which will
no doubt be considerably 'increased as the existing de-
bentures fall due ; in the meantime, the enortago debt
remains in a sati&factery state.
" Revenue Account.—The gross revenue fur the
half year has been 344,5691., showing a decrease of
4 6551., as compared with the corresponding half-year of
1857, bat an increase of 1,891/., when compared with
the same period of 1856. Tee traffic of this com-
pany, in common with others, hal been affected by the
pressure of the times ; and it has only been by means
of the new accommodation already aff irded to the
public by the opening of the existing West End line to
the foot of the new suspension bridge at Pi/elle° that
the revenue has been maintained in its present position.
These satisfactory results confirm the direotore in their
opinion that when the West-end route is completed to
the Victoria station their expectations will not be disap-
pointed. The details of expenditure for the half-year are
fully given in the subjoined abstracts. The usual com-
parison with the preceding and the corresponding half-
ye ar will be as follows :

Half-year ending
Juno 30, Dec. 31, June 30,
1857. 1857. 1858.

Miles. Miles. Miles.
Miles run by train 955,918 1,048,946 931,652

Total trlffic receipts (ex-
cluding cartage) £337,752 £419,183 £333,326

Maintenan f Ray
Locomoti _er 59,190 57,867 40,978
Carriage and waggon de-
partment 13,2.43 15,670 11,581
Coaching traffic charges 31,708 37,069 32,911
Goods traffic charges (ex-
cluding cartage)
General charges ..
Law and Parliamentary
charges
Rates and taxes. 11,997 14,963 13,761
Government duty 11,0;,0 13,638 10,674
Toll to the South-Eastern
Railway Company

9,801 10,587 9,889
4,561 5,:318 4,275

475 672 434

Total working expenses and
renewals (exo. cartage) 154,512 180,8;2 146,856
Cartago

Total £161,612 £183,493 £152,547
Distinguishing the ordinary expenses from the amount
expended in renewals and additions, and from the cart-
age, the general result of the comparison with the c)r-
responding half-year of 1857 will stand thus—

Half•year ending
June 30, 1557. June 30, 185'.
Ordinary expenses £138,901 £133,582
Renewals and additions 15,611 12,274

Total expenses, including cartage £151,512 £ 45,856
Per train per mile
Per cent. on traffic receipts
Cartage 7,130 6,991.

Total
The directors have continued the measures of economy
which they felt it necessary to introduce during the
latter part of 1857, and the proprietors will be pleased
to find that, while the line and plant, as well as the
safety and efficiency of the service, have been fully main-
tained, and while a new and extra outlay has necessarily
been incurred in working the through traffic over the
West-end line, yet a considerable reduction of expendi.
tore has been effected ; which, added to the advantages
above referred to under the head of revenue, aided by the
reduced price of almost every kind of material used on a
railway, has resulted in producing an available balance
equal to that of the corresponding periods of 1856 and
1857. At the same time it is right to observe that a
saving has also arisen in consequence of the large sums
expended in renewals during previous years, of which
the proprietors are now deriving the benefit. A new
and more correct system of keeping the accounts in the
locomotive department was introduced on the tat of Jan.
last. The mileage now represents the number of miles
actually performed, all additions heretofore made for
shunting, standing at stations, or getting up steam hav-
ing ceased. On the other hand, the locomotive account
is credited with an allowance for the engines employed
exclusively in marshalling trains at the London, New
Cross, and Brighton stations, the amount
.of which is
placed to the debit of coaching and goods traffic charges
respectively ; these items being thereby increased by the
some which appear in the abstracts. Tae necessity of ac-
celerating the communication by express trains between
London and Heetiegs has rendered it advisable to re-
lay a portion of the line between Lewes and Bexhill.
Toe work has been completed, aad the cost placed to
the debit of the permanent way improvement account;
and although the balance of that account has thus been
unexpectedly increased, the proprietors must remember
that this outlay will not only enable the traffic to be
wo►ked with greater efficiency, but will lead to reduced
expenditure in repairs, as has already proved to be the
case on other portions of the railway which have been
so relaid. Of this balance, 3,000/ has been placed to the
debit of the past half•year's revenue, and a due proportion
will be written off in each succeeding half year. The di-
rectors refer with great satisfaction to the withdrawal of
the bill promoted by the Mid Kent Company for the con-
eta uction of a competing line to Croydon, this company
agreeing to construct a spur li❑e from Norwood station,
of less than half-a-mile in length, by means of which all
the requirements of the Mid Kent Company will be met,
and the public will obtain, in other respects, greater
facilities and accommodation ; also to the complete suc-
cess of the bill promoted by this company for constructing
the line from Shoreham via Steyning, Thanfield, and
West Grinstead, to join the Mid Sussex Railway near
Horsham. Concerning the bill promoted by the Ports-
mouth Railway Company, the contest resulted in the
Portsmouth company obtaining the powers both of con-
struction and of running, but protective clauses were
itherted which secure a proper arbitration as to the tag
to be paid, and which exclude the Portsmouth company
from the use of the Portsmouth station. It is most gra-
tifying to the directors to be able to announce that the
bill for the construction of the Victo►ia Station and Pim-
lico Railway has passed both Houses of Parliament, and
is only waiting the royal assent. Large as the expendi-
ture may appear, the directors have no hesitation in
repeating their conviction that the outlay wilt prove
rsnsuuerative, and that the property of this company
will thereby obtain additional security, and be plaeed
on a still firmer basis. The works will be commenced
without delay, the Victoria C, ,rnp:Lr:y b,:og uudt,r au
Lu., cimpany that they shall be completed
within two years. A special meeting will be held im-
mediately after the ordinary general meeting, at which
the directors wi.l submit the necessary resolutions for
creating the capital which the company is authorised to
raise for the before-mentioned purposes. The net amour t
at the credit of the revenue account is 116,0171., out of
which the directors recommend the payment of a divi-
dend of 21 per cant. for the half-year, amounting to
115,4641, leaving a balance to the credit cf the current
half-year, of 5531."