The Sun.
London, England, 1857-09-17 00:00:00

THE RED SEA TELEGRAPH.

It will be seen by the following that the com-
pany decline to lay down an electric telegraph
unless upon a guaranteed rate of interest :
"To SIR JAMES MELVILL, K.C.B.
" 8, Moorgate-street, Sept. 15.
" Sir,—l am instructed by the directors of the Red Sea
Telegraph Company to acknowledge the receipt of your
letter to Mr. Marshnoan, of 12th inst., requesting to be
informed upon what terms this company will be pre-
pared to lay down the line of telegraph from Suez to
Kurrachee.

"In reply I am directed to state that in the original
proposal made to the Court to lay down a line of telegraph
from Alexandria to Aden the directors were influenced
by many considerations, but mainly by the opportunity
then open to them of obtaining the Atlantic cable at a
moderate cost on board ships prepared to convey it at
once to its destination, and of completing the commani-
cation so far for a comparatively small sum within a
very short period.
" Since that time circumstances have undergone e
material change. It is understood that the Atl•sntia
Telegraph Company, seeing no immediate prospect of
selling their cable, have resolved to unship and retain it.
In the meantime the cable has been the subject of de-
tractory comments, and the alleged impracticability of
the project has been industriously circulated upon the
authority of the Court's Chief Superintendent of Tele'
praphs in India. Tae directors have never been in a
condition to say that they had a definitive and complete
arrangement with the Government, the Board of Con'
trol having repudiated the statement that the East India
Company had guaranteed 20,0001. a year, and Ulna
thrown doubts upon the Board's basis of operations. The
t
time has run on, Parliament has risen, and a period of
the year has arrived at which almost all commercial en'
terprises are stagnant.
" From these various causes the directors approach
with much unwillingness a suggestion for increasing the
-scale of their outlay and extending their operations, and,
after the experience gained they can only feel justified
holding out the prospect of being able to carry out the
Court's wishes on the principle of a guarantee by the
Hon. the East India Company on the came basis as the
railways.
"The circumstances already alluded to have satisfied
the directors that, any attempt to enlist the public iota"
rant in favour of this undertaking short of such a gua-
rantee
would at present fail, and it remains for the East
India Company and the Government to decide whether
the telegraph' shall be laid at once on those terms or
postponed until the money-market shall be more favour'
able, and the immediate urgency shall, perhaps, kayo
passed away. •
" If the East India Company and the Government
shall concur with the directors in thinking that the este-
bli•hment of telegraphic communication with India i 3
matter of paramount importance, the following terns;
are proposed as those on which success could, in all
probability be relied upon, viz.:—
°' 1. That the East India Company should guarantee
interest at the rata of * per cent, on the capital, 2'5
paid up, of 700,0601, to connect Suez and Kurrachee.
" 2. That the East India Company- should have the
opportunity of controlling the expenditure of the CO'l;
pany, and the choice of a cable if they desire it, and ,
have the power of appointing an ex officio director at the
board.
" 3. That all receipts from all sources be paid into the
treasury of the East India Company, as a set-off to the
guarantee.

"4. That one-half the profits above * per cent. be
,paid to the shareholders,' and the other moiety to the
East India Company, until the advance be completely
liquidated, and that the guarantee shall cease as soon as
the net profits have amounted to 7 per cent, for two
consecutive years.
"5. That not less than 5 per cent, of the capital to
be paid up at once, and the work to be completed within
one year from the signing of the contract.
" I au: further desired to state that as the execution
of this most important work has been undertaken by the
directors with the sole object of meeting the anxious
wishes of the public, both in England and in India, irrc'
spective of any personal views, should the Court be ow,
abled to adopt any other more Expeditious means o'
effecting the object, the directors will be prepared to
render every possible assistance in reference to the fir-
mans they hold and otherwise, and in all their arrange'
ments for prosecuting the Undertaking in the present 01.
any modified form to consult the great publio intgreat4
involved in it.
" I have the honour to be, sir, your most obeOistlS
servant, " C. L. PEEL, Secretary."

' * The amount of percentage to be determined by
..,,e°
1 !iv
petent authorities, approved and selected by the I°ll.
Court."

THE INDIAN—REEdiF FUND.—Atuoopt the could'
batons in Paris we find the name of W. M. Thackeralf
EFq , I,ooof.
VISIT OF THE DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE TO THE Flag/
CAMP.—His Royal Highness the C.inemander-in-Chi"
accompanied by Lord Burghersh and two aides-de-OOP'
left Town on Tuesday night, and crossed over Irons
Dover to Calais in the Royal mail packet Ondine, ePeci,
ally ordered for the service, en route for the French caul.
Captain Smithett attended his Royal Highness across the
Channel.
" It is stated," says the Pays, " that Prince Napolesuo
on his return from the Pyrenees, will go to London,
be present at the launch of the gigantic steamer 0"
being built in the Thames."
The meeting of Venezuelan bondholders has bee°
postponed to Wednesday, the 23d, Tuesday, which wag
previously fixed, having been objected to as an inoonVly
nient day.
GENERAL JACOB.—Major John Jacob, of the Bout
bay Artillery, commanding the Scinde Irregular 1101
and now aide-decamp to the Governor-General (Breve"
Lieutenant-Colonel, April, 1855), is not " Brigadidef;
General" Le Grand Jacob, left in • command, .11:
James Outram of the division in Persia to insure the
evacuation of Herat,
ARRIVAL OF THE LORDS OF THE ADMIRALTY IN 1.11%
CLYDE.-0a Saturday night, at six o'clock, the revenue
steam-yacht Argus arrived at- the Tail of the BsuK'
having on board Sir Charles Wood, First Lord of the
Admiralty, and two other Lords, who are on a cruise
of inspection along the Scottish coast.
THE GREAT EASTERN.—We have just been inforivel
that unforeseen circumstances' have arisen which
probably postpone the launch of this ship from the lilt:
to about the 16:h of ()etcher. The tide on this istte:
day, though not so high asnevertheless
the sth, will,
be sufficient to float fiet, with three or four feet of water
t ) spare.—Canadian News.
THE DEBTOR'S BEST FRlEND.—Against this exposure
of the cruelty and extortion of a sponging-house the
debtor's best friend sets the companion picture of the
hospitality,, the economy, and the happiness of Nl'
gate, earnestly aad affectionately entreating all his le;
low-creatures to flock to that delightful prison for th
future, whenever they are arrested by their unfeelil
creditors. How different are the events—how varied
the scene on the new stage. lam arrested, we will 61,
again—or no, let the reader take his turn now, for trio
writer has surely suffered enough in the sponging-huu,
to justify him in resuming, at this point of the narratiga
his natural character of a solvent man. With your kilo
permission, therefore, you, reader, are arrested Oro
time. You have read the inestimable treatise of
Thanks to the warning of that philanthropic man, 9°a.
.•
are too sharp to be deceived-al I have been : and wile;
the bailiff taps you on the shoulder„ and asks you whet
you will go, you answer with a promptness that 001!,
founds the fellow : " Crocodile I ti Newgate. Ce01:1:-0
bal l to my happy home in my county gaol." You ur
taken to the Lodge at Newgate, informing the inferior
swine all the way that not ooe of them will get Wit:
crown a day for keeping you. The turnkey advances `-
meet you with friendly sympathy beaming in every line
of his respectable and attractive face. You pay bin] 6„fh
6 1., which is all the civility money be expects bolo
You pass on to your ward, and pay 10s. 6d. more to t"
steward—generally selected from among the ranks of th
most charming and accomplished men of the age ,4
which he lives. Out of this sum he distributes
i;
among the prisoners of your ward, who love ycni
ag
their brother in return. Tne remaining Bs. 6(.1.
into the pocket of the steward, and for, that small PI
he supplies you with good fires, candles, salt, ellno
brooms, during the whole time of your imprisoment,...e
matter how long it may be. Compare this with 'fa
sponging-house, where I paid is. a day for my fire Iwo
candle, and was left in the dark every every eveniupry
8 o'clock. As for your meals in Newgate, it is a 111011,,
only to think of them. You mess sociably
cl
with the.gea
soners of your ward who have had your 29. .y lue.
ae,o ig them, and who love you like a brother in reto !is
You have• an excellent dinner of roast or boiled ; 9°,0
pay 4d., or, at most, 61. for it ; and you order vffop
you like to drink and are riot required to pay for a cllod
more than you have actually tonsumed. —Housefly.'
Words.