The Sun.
London, England, 1845-05-15 00:00:00

PROSPECTUS.

This Company has been formed for the purpose of extending to
India the great benefits of internal railway communication.
It proposes to effect a commencement of a system which shall
have for its object the connexion of the several Indian presidencies
with each other, and with the nearest point of intercourse with
Europe at Bombay, and at the same time to develope the great and
unimproved resources of the interior of the Peninsula.
The vast importance of the object has been fully recognised by the
East India Company and tke Board of Control, who are prepared to
undertake each z Etrve•,s as may be rtecesisry to eontoa theist to take=,
into coteßibles.avirt.tre generai questiott of railroads in India.

The promoters of this measure have represented to these authori-
ties that this Company may propably find, on due inquiry, that it
-will be impracticable to execute the intended roads without a
guarantee by the Government of a certain though small dividend, or
of some equivalent advantage ; they have therefore much satisfac-
tion in stating that the Government proposes to depute to India a
skilfull engineer, to be associated with others to be appointed by the
Goverment of India for investigating the subject ; and when the in-
formation to be so obtained shall have been received, it will be pre-
pared to take into consideration the mode and extent of whatever
pecuniary assistance it may be proper for the Government of India
to afford towards the execution of projects of this description.
It is understood that the survey of an experimental line will be
executed as soon, as possible, with the especial sanction and assist-
ance of the Government, as stated above, by whom the cost of such
survey or surveys will be borne, and the requisite arrangements, if
any, with the native Governments and the owners of the land will
be undertaken. On the completion of these preliminary steps it will
remain for the Shareholders to determine whether or not the
prospects of the undertaking, as thus ascertained, and the terms
assented to by the Government, will warrant the further prosecution
of the design.
From documents, to which access has been most liberally-given by
the Directors of the East India Company, very exact information
has been obtained as to the general engineering character of the in-
tended lines ; the same authentic source, and the communications of
gentlemen long engaged in high political and military service in the
Deecan, have supplied the facts on which the following statements
are founded. It appears highly probable from these that further in-
quiries will lead to a most favourable result, and issue in the final
establishment of the Company on satisfactory data. In that case the
Company will be established under a charter from the Government in
India, and if necessary a charter from the Crown will subsequently
be applied for.
In this state of things the Provisional Directors consider themselves
justified in laying the proposed undertaking before the public. It has
been agreed that the capital of the Company shall be fixed at 6,000,0001.,
in shares of 501. each, making 120,000 shares, upon which it will be re-
quired that a deposit of 21. 10s. per share shall be paid at the time of
issue. The amount of these deposits will be invested in Exchequer
Bills or East India Bonds, or in such other securities as may be con-
sidered safe ; and as the disbursements of the Great Indian Railway
Company will be limited to such expenses as may arise out of pro-
ceedings necessarily connected with the preliminary surveys, and to
such other charges as are incidental to its general management, it
may be safely assumed that the interest to accrue on deposits will al-
most, if not altogether, defray all the expenses of a preliminary cha-
racter. If, therefore, it should be hereafter judged to be inexpedient
to carry out the present intentions of the Great Indian Railway Com-
pany, either from the unfavourable reports of the engineer officers, or
from the support to be given to the Railway Company by the Ho-
nourable the East India Company, under the permission of her
Majesty's Government, not being considered adequate by a majority
of the Shareholders, the deposit of 21. 10s. per share, and the interest
which shall have accrued upon its investment, will be returned sub-
ject to the payment of all necessary expenses.
It is not intended to proceed until after the report of the engineers
in India shall have been received, and the result of the investigation
duly submitted to the Shareholders, nor in any case is it intended to
execute the line, except in portions ; and the calls will only be made
with reference to the portions so commenced. It is proposed that
the line to be undertaken by this Company shall commence at Bom-
bay, ascend the Western Ghauts, and pass Ahmednuggur into the
valley of the Godavery ; it will then traverse the plains which skirt
that river until it has crossed the Manjera, a few miles beyond which
it will turn towards the south-east, following a series of connected
and fertile valleys, and on emerging from this district, near Rum-
mummet, it will take a nearly straight course to the Godavery, which
it will pass a few miles above Rajamundry, and then proceed to its
terminus at Coringa. Four branches will issue from suitable points
on the main line ; those to the north will terminate for the present
at the frontiers of Candeish, and at Nagpoor, the latter having a
sub-branch to Oomrawutty; these will form the first portions of lines
hereafter extending to the Ganges and Calcutta; those to the south
will extend to Shoolapoor and llydrabad, and be capable of being
eventually continued to Madras.
From the great field of India, as yet unappropriated by railway en-
terprise, this main line has been selected, on account of its great and
numerous advantages. It will have a large present goods traffic ; it
passes through countries whose susceptibility of improvement will
occasion great Increase of its traffic ; it connects the two coasts ;
and, with the aid of steam navigation in the Bay of Bengal, will give
present speedy communication between the three presidencies, in ad-
vance of its ultimate effect, their connexion by-railway. One terminus
is the noble port of Bombay, the other is the only harbour on the Co-
romandel coast. The route selected by which it traverses the eastern
side of the peninsular is certainly the best to be found, and probably
the only one which will not require heavy works and stationary en-
gines. Its branches reach to most important districts and cities, and
will form the first portions of railways of great importance hereafter.
It will greatly increase and cheapen the supply of cotton from India
to England and China, and strengthen the political influence of
England in India and the adjacent countries.
The length of the main line and branches will be about 1,300 miles ;
the cost, including the apparatus required for the ascent of the
Western Ghauts, will probably not reach 6,000,000/. This estimate is
founded on careful inquiry into the costs in India of such structures
as will be suitable to the circumstances and traffic of the country.
The amount of tonnage to be expected on each half of the line is
about 250,000 tons per annum, of which the greater part is salt, from
the coast to the interior, and cotton in the other direction. The price
of carriage in these parts of India is nowhere less than 3%d. per ton
per mile, and then only in the few cases of carts on level roads. The
greater part of it is done by droves of small oxen, travelling six or
seven miles a day, at a charge of more than Bd. per ton per mile.
Since railways can be worked as cheaply in India as in England, and
the English charge, which bears a profit, is 2d. per ton per mile, it
follows that the English charge can safely be made in India, and will
at once ensure the traffic, and bring ample returns to the share-
holders. The annual receipts calculated on the foregoing data will
amount to 1,091,666/., and the cost of working the line, according
to the best information which can at present be obtained, will be
little more than one-half that sum, leaving a surplus available for
a dividend of 8% per cent. These results, though stated in gross and
roughly, are founded on careful inquiry, and analysis of information
already obtained from the authentic sources which have been before
referred to. No injurious competition can in fact interfere with
them, for only few common roads exist, and those of the worst
kind ;" and there are no navigable rivers in any part of the vast dis-
tricts which the lines will traverse, except for a short distance near
the eastern coast.
The foregoing calculation proceeds solely on the goods traffic be-
tween the coast and the interior.
All receipts for passenger traffic, the local trade of the country, and
the carriage of troops, mails, and Government stores, are excluded ;
they are kept as a reserve of uncertain, though probably large amount,
and from the known habits of the population, and the experience ac-
quired from other instances of improved communication, will no doubt
for an ample-set-off against any contingent error.
JOHN STUART WORTLEY, Chairman of the
Provisional Committee.
WILLIAM JOHN HAMILTON, Deputy-Chairman.
May 10, 1845.

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to ascertain that a label, with their name, is over the cork of each
bottle of Soda Water, and a label on each bottle of Lemonade and
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a id strongly reoommended as a cure for gout, acidity of the stomach,
&c., by the first London physicians.
51, Berners-street, London.

BENJAMIN EDGINGTON, 2, Duke-street,
Southwark, London-bridge, respectfully informs the Nobility,
Gentry, and Agriculturists that he has on sale RICK CLOTHS,
with Poles, Pulleys, and Lines complete, both new and second-
hand, at a reasonable cost. Early application will insure some
really good second-hand Cloths, which are a decided bargain.
Dressed Cloths and Tarpaulings for Railroad Trucks, of superior
quality, ant to any size. Marquees, Tents, Sacks, Waggon-cloths,
Sack-ties, &c.

Netting and Bunting for Fruit Treees.
Address (per post) Benjamin Edgington, 2, Duke-straot, Southtvark.
A warehouse at 208, Piccadilly.