The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1857-03-27
From the Cincinnati, Tunes.
A GREAT ENTERPRISE.

fsFrstft 3u Cincinnati Times.
GREAT ENTERPRISE.
The project of shpcanal across the shmus of Darien
has long been entertained by the leading minds of the
world and the construction Of this work is but
question of time Congress has appropriated amply
sufficient for the thorough survey and exploration of the
proposed route and corps OF army engineers with appro
pirate assistants win be detailed for the service Thus
has the United States taken inatory steps in of the
magnificent ideas of modern mes Napoleon in his
expedition Egypt discovered the site Of canal
the sthmus of Suez and his engineers by survey
estimated the cost of reopening the work. but il
accomplished.
Our readers will remember the terrible suferngs of
Lieut. Strain and his companions who endeavored to
the lsthmus OF Daren preliminary reconnaissance by
the order of our government Prohng by his experience
trust the expedition about operations
will be able to avoid disaster few details In relation TO
the of operations may be interesting readers
The lsthmus Of Darien is more commonly styled
the sthmus of Panama. connects North aud South Amer
lea and Is principally comprised in the republic OF Gran
ada On the northern side is the Caribbean and the
Gulf of Darien; the south the Gulf of Panama In
length the ishmus proper is about two hundred miles,
with average breadth of forty miles but in longitude
10 deg it down ess Than thirty milea AT this
point ia proposed establish the shipcana The coun-
try is undulaug with chains Of small but very
fertile and well mbered. The expense Of commodious
shpcana say 80 miles opg and feet wide would not
be less than fifty millions OF dollars England France and
Holland anxious to aid in the work. and become joint
owners with the United Sates When it is considered
that onehalf the worlds would in all probable
ty pass through this canal the expense sinks into
riAe All the India and China trade instead of doubling
Cape Horn, would fad passage through the canal 1t
should be free all nations who assist the construction
by money credit.
The appropriation alluded embraced in the naval
appropriation bill 1t gives not to exceed $25o0o to
49,
Navy for the purpose of making explorations and veri
cations of the surveys already made of shpcanal
the Isbmus of Darieu to connect the waters of the ATTAIN
tic and Pacific by the Atrato and Truando rivers Mr..
Bocock member of the committee of conference the
part of the House of Representatives explained this provs
ion inserted by the Senate in brief but forcbe terms
He stated that the government OF Granada had given
company Of Americans the right to explore and build
ship canal if practicable through the Ishmus Of Darien
They have made the survey and believe shpcana to be
altogether practicable but they had to the conclu
sion that capitalists will not invest in this exploration
less be endorsed by competent Off of the government
They merely ask that their exploration shall be tested by
officers Of the army and navy The House concurred in
| the proposition Of the Senate.
The OPIUM TnADE-The continuance Of the opium trade
likely be made the subject Of serious discussion in the
present session of the British Parliament large number
petitions have been presented against the traffic by per-
SONS OF high standing and influence and the East India
Company the recipients of the enormous profits the
sale of the perncous drug already taking steps to
the attack when 1t comes and retain the possession
of Of The largest of their In anci-
patton Of the debate in Parliament, good deal Of very
curious and interesting information has been published
with regard TO the growth, consumption value and mode
of sale of opium from which have cued some of the
important details BY far the greater portion of the
opium grown in India is struggled into China in defiance
the laws which positively prohibit the import of aie
i 49,.
deathto their violation. Notwithstanding this it is cal
cuated that upwards of chests of opium 4c lbs
each) annually imported by the Chinese which, to-
geher with half that quantity locally produced makes the
total yearly consumption l250O chests To- 5000 lbs
Allowing for waste and loss and taking grains per day
the average quantity used BY moderate smokers would APP
that the number opersons who indulge the terrible
habit is between and millions or nearly double what
was twenty years ago. According statement published
in the North China Herald at Shanghai and said to be
compiled from authentic sources the total exports Of opium
from Bengal for the last ftyeght years have been
041 chests the profit which TO the East India Company
been equal to 1897 25265 and by far the greater part
Of which has been Struggled into China the rest having
been sent Dutch India the Strait settlement Siam and
Cochin China Benares and Behar are the two larges,
poppy-growng districts in Bengal In the former-ths
smaller Of the twol270Oo aborers employed in its
cultivation in the year 1850 Within few years the in.
crease in the production opium in Bengal has been
nous In 1874 there were Out 10 cheats In 1854 81
O07 chests The price paid by the to the pro-
Queer is about $l2o chest the government subsequently
dispose of it to spectators and often realize profit
$500 and sometimes of $1,000 per chest The gross rev.
enue of India from opium is stated by Lord Dahouse
financial minute prepared shortly before he resigned office
to been about $25 in 1856 nearly double what
4 1t was nine years previous.
i The above figures afford sufficient idea OF the import
of the opium trade Of revenue the East
India COMPANY and of the difficulty which those who de-
sire its discontinusncc the ground of its immortality
4 will have to encounter-N Y Journal Of Commerce.
i DEPARTMENT NEWS.