The Sun.
London, England, 1861-09-11 00:00:00

RAILWAYS IN INDIA.

There is a probability that in the next Session of
Parliament it will be found necessary to take a com-
prehensive review of the Indian railroad question.
The money wasted and the interests injured by the
system under which these works have hitherto baen
promoted would prove upon examination to be of
most serious extent. Indeed, among experienced
observers there is a strong conviction that the waste
may be set down at least at 25 per cent., which, on
the £55,000,000, actually and prospectively gua-
ranteed, would amount to £13,750,000. The evil
lies in the absence of any central responsibility and
the consequent action of a number of semi-inde-
pendent bodies, without the slightest regard to the
manner in which their respective operations may
affect each other. Thus, we now see that guaran
tees which were originally intended to have been
within £30,000,000 have swollen to £55,000,000,
with no certainty against a further increase ; that
the great trunk lines, which might have been com-
pleted rapidly and have been in use at the time of
the mutiny, have been obstructed by a number of
subordinate schemes which should never have been
entertained until the main experimentshad been
finished; that the Government have been driven
into inconsistencies which have thrown the finan-
cial world into confusion, at one time insisting upon
a stoppage of works and at another promising even
to raise a loan rather than that such stoppage
should take place; that each different district in
which a line has not yet been sanctioned is fur-
nished with cause of complaint, and that disputes
are rife between the home Government, the local
authorities, and the rail way boards as to which are
the parties respectively answerable for the mis-
calculations, disappointments, and inconveniences
that arise. In these things, however, we find but a
part of the mischief. In consequence bf the various
lines being at all times in the market for iron,

freight, and all the various railway requisites, as
well as for skilled and other labour in India, with
out concert or consideration as to whether they are
bidding against each other, the most preposterous
prices are sometimes paid, and a general tendency
to inflation is created. In the London Stock-
Exchange a similar effect is produced, and when
the market is in a state in whieh it could satisfac-
torily absorb about a million of debentures, four
or five times that amount may be offered through
each line being eager to get the start of its brother
applicants. Hence securities which, if issued with
proper regard to the existing demand, woud steadily
increase in favour, are brought into diminished re-

pute, and the evil at the same time exends to the
direct loans contracted by the Government. Any
thing more unbusinesslike or more damaging to
sound trade, healthy money-markets, or public
credit has perhaps rarely been witnessed, and it is
certain that unless a strong hand be applied the
mischief will yet assume larger dimensions. At the
same time, there are none to blame except the India
Council for permitting it to continue after the ex-
perience that has been gained. The directors of
the several companies are nearly all connected wih
India, and openly profess their desire to obtain as
much capital as possible for that country. It is not
their business, but that of the English public and
the English Government, to restrict the drain within
convenient limits. Each body of directors desire,
moreover, to absorb as much as possible for the
particular localities with- which they may happen
to be connected. Bengal, Bombay, Madras, and
the Punjab are alike clamorous. There is a plea-
sure and grandeur in the rivalry of large schemes,
and it is agreeable also to have the patronage of
heavy purchases of rails, freights, rolling stock, &c.
The engineers in India, of course, like to signalise
themselves by great works and fine stations, and the
whole affair from beginning to end is, in short, a
struggle to see which set can get power to spend
the most. Now that it has been found that the plea
of having advanced so far with certain lines that
they must be carried on in order to prevent the
capital already expended from lying waste is suffi-
cient to terrify the Government into compliance
with each extended demand, we may be sure that
the discovery will be made the most of. It is urged,
therefore, that all who are interested in the stability
of the London money-market, in the rational pro-
secution of home enterprises, under the belief that
England is really worthy of some consideration as
well as India, in the prevention of a constant dilu-
tion and deterioration of Indian securities, and in
the progress of Indian cultivation, now too often
checked by reckless advances in wages, should give
attention to this question for the future, and insist
upon a remedy being enforced. -

2IIE INJURED AERONAUTS A 2

BUXTON.

Mr. Coxwell, the distinguished aeronaut, and
the Messrs. Pearson, jun., of Lawton-hall, near
Congleton, are now progressing, we are harpy to
say, towards complete recovery. It will be re•
membered that on August 19 a descent took place
during a violent wind, on the stone walled mid
rocky locality near Brierlow tollgate, about two
and a half miles from Buxton. A valley favour-
able for alighting had been missed, owing to the
force of the wind, and the car not being over-
stocked with ballast, the voyagers found them-
selves skimming over the " backbone of England,'
the wild rugged surface of which is in every-
way objectionable for a balloon. Mr. Coxweil,
seeing no possible mode of evading a
rough landing, prepared for the worst, and
placed his passengers in the safest possible posi-
tion, viz., at the bottom of either side of the basket,
where hand ropes are placed by which to hold in
emergencies like this. As the grapnel (a large
powerful instrument, 421 b.) trailed along the ground
it glided over the soil and tore down stone walls as
if there were no holding ground or material for
it to take effect in. The consequence was that the
i car was brought down n contact with the walls,
the remedy was to exhaust the gas as quickly as
possible, and lessen the number of concussions. It
was here manifest that the experienced aeronaut
was equal to the occasion, as he peremptorily kept
his companions well down in the basket, and told
them that if they attempted to move or get out they
would be killed on the spot. Fortunately, Messrs.
Pearson are remarkably endowed with what is styled
pluck, and they stuck to the ship and obeyed Mr.
Coxwell's orders to the letter. It was now the
critical moment—two or three severe bumps were
inevitable, the wind blowing in angry gusts, and the
car dashed through one wall of about 18 inches in
thickness, making a clear breach, and hurling the
stones forward as if they had been pounded by the
largest Armstrong missile at present in use. Mr. Cox-
well
was in full strain on the upper valve, which is 30
inches in diameter, but still the mass bore onward,
and a second clean breach was repeated in the next
wall.
.Awayagain with renewed vigour, and down
for the third time, and once again through another
wall, and now the cry was raised by astounded
lookers-on that two fields further lay the deep dale
or gorge, which would surely prove fatal. Happily,
the fourth wall having been dashed down, and
a considerable quantity of gas lost, the balloon itself
caught some of the stones, and tore from bottom to
top. Several countrymen, especially the sons of
the tollbar-keeper, now rushed to the rescue. Mr.
Coxwell and Messrs. T. and A. Pearson were at
the bottom of the car covered with stones. All three
voyagers presented a sorry aspect ; their faces were
covered with blood ; but the aeronaut himself'
retained his senses, and directed that they might
be taken out of the basket and placed on the grass,
and furnished with water. This done, Mr. Coxwell
inquired if there was any house near, and, finding
th it the tollbar was close at hand, directions were
given for them to be carried there. Mr. Coxwell then
despatched a messenger for a conveyance to take
them to the Royal Hotel at Buxton, where they
arrived in due time and received the best medical
attention that could be procured. The injuries sus-
tained were—Mr. T. Pearson, fracture of the skull ;
Mr. A. Pearson, injury to the head and broken
forearm ; and Mr. Coxwell cut from head to foot,
with a bad contused wound on the right thigh.
The injuries Mr. Coxwell had met with were not
considered at first dangerous ; but those sustained
by the other gentlemen extremely so. Dr Bennett,
of Buxton, in conjunction with Dr. Bullock, an
eminent practitioner of Congleton, took the cases in
hand, and have succeeded in setting the arm of Mr.
A. Pearson, and in reducing the skull fracture of
his brother. Mr. Coxwell's case presented symp-
toms which showed deeper injuries than were
suspected to exist; the thigh was so bruised
and lacerated by an immense stone that the medical
gentlemen could scarcely comprehend how the bone
escaped fracture ; erysipelas set in, and the case as-
sumed dangerous appearances, but the healing pro-
cess is now rapidly progressing, and all the suf-
ferers are doing well, and able to leave their beds.
This we believe is the first personal accident that
has ever befallen Mr. Caxwell out of nearly 400
ascensions. It is only an act of justice, supported
i
by the concurrent testimony of the nvands, to speak
of the unremitting attention of Mr. and Mrs. Bates,
jun., to the balloon party ever since they came to
the Royal Hotel. It is gratify.ng also to observe
the general interest taken in behalf of the Messrs.
Pearson and Mr. Coxwell, and of the widely ex.
tended sympathy which has been felt for the un-
fortunate occurrence.—Buxton Advertiser,

PA SECRET AGREEMENT.—The Press of Saturday
publishes " an important revelation, which has been, com-
municated to us from an authoritative source," to the effect
that a secret agreement has been came to between the King
of Sweden and the Emperor Napoleon; by which the Finns
are to be encouraged to reunite their country to Sweden,
the Emperor Napoleon undertaking to assist them, if neces-
sary, as he assisted Italy.

CHARGE OF AT E PIING To I) P.
IRAUD THE WEST MIDLA.AD RAILWAY.

At the Dudley Police-court, on Monday, a man
named William Dainton, by trade a gardener, was
charged with attempting to obtain, by fraudulent
means, from the West Midland Railway Company
a sum of £6 10s. 6d. Mr. Maltby appeared for the
company, and Mr. G. B. Lowe defended the accused.
Mr. Maltby, in opening the case, said that he should
not be in a position to complete the case that day ;
but he proposed to call evidence that would warrant
the bench in remanding the prisoner. He should
show that on the 10th August last the prisoner was
travelling from Birmingham to Kidderminster,
where he had a situation under Dr. Thompson, of
Woodfield House, as gardener, and that upon arriv-
ing at Kidderminster he complained to the station-
master that he had lost a box. He afterwards
made a similar complaint to the station-master at
Dudley, and wrote to Mr. Roberts, traffic superin-
tendent. On the 25th August he sent in a claim
for £6 10s 6d, together with a list of articles, which
he said the box had contained. From inquiries
made and information received, they resisted the
claim, and caused an investigation to be made,
which ultimately resulted in the present charge. Mr.
Maltby then called Mr. Osborne, station-master at
the West Midland station, Dudley, who deposed :
—On the 24th or 25th of last month I saw the
prisoner at the Dudley Station. He said, " Have
you found my box P" I said that every possible
inquiry had been made, but without success.
Prisoner said, " It is very strange ; the box must
have been stolen," He further said that the contents
were valuable, and that if the box was not forth-
coming in a few days he should charge the company
with it. I afterwards received information which
induced me to visit the prisoner at Mr. Hudson's,
Birmingham. I there asked him to describe the box.
He said it was an old deal box, about a foot deep
by 18 inches wide, and he could tell by word of
mouth what it contained. He pulled out a list,
which he read, and which I copied in his presence.
The list was as follows :—One working tweed coat,
£1 108 ; one pair of tweed trousers, 15s ; one pair of
black trousers, ; one black vest, 15s ; two
shirts, lOs ; one scarf and two neckties, 7s 6d; one
pair of woman's boots, 9s 6d ; one pair of slippers,
4s 6d ; razor strap, &c., 5s ; pair of gloves, 2s ;
three pairs of stockings, 6s ; two flannels, ss.
He told me that the day he lost the box (10th Aug.)
he came from the Coach and Horses, Broad-street,
Birmingham, kept by Mr. Bayliss, and went to
Kidderminster. He told me that he took the box
from Mr. Bayliss's to the New-street station. I
asked him if he took it into the carriage with him,
or gave it in charge to the guard. He said he
gave it in charge of the guard. I then asked him
what he did with the box when he came to Dudley,
and he said he took it up the gallery, and some gen-
tleman proffered to assist him round with the box.
I then asked for that gentleman's name and address.
He said he did not know him, he dropped on him
very " promiscuously," and he appeared to be a com-
mercial traveller. Mr. Hudson was present while
this conversation took place. Mr. Lowe said he
should not cross-examine on this occasion. An
opportunity would be afforded him at the adjourned
hearing. This having been agreed to Mr. Maltby
called John George Bayliss, landlord of the Coach
and Horses, Pinfold-street, New-street, Birming-
ham, who said—l know the prisoner. He came to
my house on the 10th of August. He left between
six and seven o'clock in the evening. I had no con-
versation with him about a situation that day, and
I did not see him leave. One of my waitresses came
to the bar for a parcel that I had of his. The par-
cel contained a pair of slippers wrapped in brown
paper. I objected to let the parcel go, as the pri-
soner owed me 3s 6d. I lent him 3s 6d about
a week before. He said he had got a situation
at Kidderminster. I never sa w any box whilst he
was at my house. He left a hamper at my house on
the 10th of August, but I cannot say what the
contents were, except by hearsay. I sent the ham-
per and slippers to Kidderminster when the 3s. 6d.
I had lent him had been paid. I put the address
on the box that the prisoner had sent me, hut I
cannot remember that address, If the prisoner had
been in possession of a box I should have known it.
The letters bearing the dates of August 22, 25 (with
list enclosed), and 29, and one, not dated, on the
back of a company's letter dated Sept. 2, I believe
to be in the prisoner's handwriting, John Henry
Roberts, traffic superintendent of a division on the
West Midland Railway, said—l received the letter
now produced, dated Aug. 25, by post. It contains
a claim for £6 10s 6d. The case was at thisistage
adjourned till Monday next, the bench agreeing to
take two sureties in £2O, and prisoner'sown in £4O
for his appearance.