The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1866-08-08
Railways In India +.

| which have been pushed forward into remote parts
OF tho great Indian Empire speak eloquontly
OF those qualities which everywhere distinguish
tho Anglo-Saxon race. Tho total amount to be
expended in the current year in the public works
OF India, in accordance with the policy long since
| adopted for developing the resources Of this vast
| domain, is estimated at f6. 1874, $50. During the
year just expired, the length Of railway lines was
extended from 2945 to 3332 miles. The progre ss
making is we'll indicated by single paragraph
from the statement of the East India revenue ac-
counts as follows:
| There is bright side to .he account which,
even If the state OF Indian finances was more se-
rious than it really is, would be source of sats-
f.ctlonml mean me- the o. enormous nc success OF Indian
| teed interest on railway capital, million Of
| money. This year we have only spent in this way
now repaid to us from the earnings OF the rail-
| ways; and there few things moro gratifying
than the extreme rapidity with which they are re-
paying this outlay, Take the Great Indian Pc
ninsula Railway; although large portion of the
capital OF this company is expended upon line
which is not yet open, and is therefore unproduc-
cent. for work ng expenses. The East India kail-
way unfortunately cost much more per mile than
the Great Indian Peninsula. It cost f22, 900
mile, but nevertheless pays nearly per cent, al
though it is not open through its whole extent,
and therefore has not the full advantages which
which is not open throughout may have large
amount of goods traffic from the agricultural pro-
duce of the district through which it passes, and
that is the case with the Great Indian Peninsula
line. But until the great trunk line is completed
you can mover expect a large revenue from pas
sIengers. we have therefore to hope not only for
the percentage which the existing lines already
realize mainly frem goods traffic, but we may look
FOR largo increase to the passenger as we'll as
the goods traffic when Calcutta Bombay and
Madras are all brought inio communication.
In the last year q complete railway connection
has been established between Calcutta and Delhi,
by opening splendid iron bridge which spans
the Jumna at Allahabad, reducing journey of
1920 miles to the compass of thirty seven hours
The Godavery navigation ia progressing with
speed. New works are about to be commenced
for increasing the efficiency OF the Ganges Canal,
rendering it moro capable Of performing it's Office
in fertilizing the land and facilitating communi-
cation through the whole of Northern India. The
Doab Canal has also been improved. In the year
1857 the Jubbelpore branch Of the East India line
will be ready for traffic and communication be-
tween Calcutta and Bombay, and from thence to
Madras in the following year. The demand upon
English machinists for locomotives to supply the
growing wants of the East India possessions ia
quite formidable, no less than 4sO locomotives
having been already ordered to be sent out within
the next four years. The great drawback, how
ever, is the want Of coal, which now must be
transported from England at great expense, the
freight alone amounting to four times the value
Of the coal, when mined for delivery. Relief is
anticipated from railway connection soon to be
made with the coalfelds OF Central India. The
total expenditure Of capital the lines which
arc opened and in course Of construction amounts
to f6o,645,OOo, Of which something more than
one-third was incurred in England, The policy
of the Indian Government, judging from present
indications, is eminently peaceful one. Lord
CRANBoRNE says
II India can increase the enormous means OF
production at her command; If she can draw forth
the ineShnnstible elements of wealth which lie in
the richness Of her snil and in the teeming mil
lions Of her population; If she can impress upon
nelghboring powers, whether outside her bounda-
ry, or included within her own dominions, that
her rulers have abandoned forever that policy of
annexation and OF territorial aggradizement which
formerly spread dstrust and caused distur Dances
around ner II she can diffnse among all the popu-
lations under her charge the blessings of English
civilization and government, and can impart to
them a culture which will enable them to appre-
cate those blessings, and to render them per-
petual-if all these things can be done, then this
period of peace and OF apparent stagnation will
be turned to the best possible it can be put to.
II these are really the objects that amin ate tho
Government of India, then her rulers have on
hand work worthy of their most earnest en-
deavors.