Current:

Leader (1850-1860), 29th January 1859, Edition 2 of 2, Page 24, NOTES ON INDIAN PROGRESS. The Friend of ...

Page 24
Page 24
24 of 32

On this page

  • Text (4)
  • Transcript

    • Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

      Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.

      152 The X. E Ad E B. [No. 462, Januak Y ...

      152 THE X . E AD E B . [ No . 462 , Januak y 29 , 1859 .

      India And Indian Progress.

      INDIA AND INDIAN PROGRESS .

      The Great National Highway. The Railway ...

      THE GREAT NATIONAL HIGHWAY . THE RAILWAY ROUTE TO INDIA . Few men . who set forth great projects live long enough to -witness their realisation , and few to find their labours appreciated , and to receive a reward , nor are enterprises connected with India commonly exceptions to this rule . Waghorn did indeed open the overland route , but his pecuniary meed was small , and his widow ' s pension meagre . Melville inaugurated the application . ' of . auxiliary steam power for Indian ships , but it has made little proeress . Raffles was disappointed in the labours

      of a life , and obliged to accept Singapore as the result of his efforts , when an empire had been thrown away , and Brooke now offers the Government a kingdom , which they reject . Sir Macdonald Stephenson has been , to some extent , more fortunate . Beginning with a plan for Bengal railways , he proceeded to lay down a gigantic and seemingly rash project for a scheme of railways and telegraphs between England and India . It was with considerable difficulty he succeeded in combating the Government , and forcing from them the concession and guarantee of that line which has received the nd hich ha

      name of the East Indian Railway , aw ving been prolonged throughout the valley of the Ganges , on the easvby means of the Northern Bengal and other projected lines , stretches towards China , and on the west is promised connexion with the countries of the Indus . ¦¦ . - ¦• This grand-trunk route he has sought to connect with Europe . Naturally , neither the Bombay nor the Madras line can put forth such pretensions , for they terminate on the ocean ; but the great northern line points to the interior of Asia , and for the completion of a connexion with it Sir Macdonald has laboured . When lie first took this in

      hand the endeavour seemed almost hopeless , and in Europe he could look for little attention ; but in India our countrymen encouraged him , for they were themselves made more hopeful by the rapid progress of communication in the valley of the Granges , where the steamer having superseded the native boat , they very well sa \ V that the railway could successfully follow the steamboat . Sir Macdonald had , therefore , the sympathy of the Indian Governments and community , and , armed with this , he was able to negotiate in Turkey and Persia , and to ask for support from the home Government . As

      he did not demand money , but only letters to the ambassadors , he the more readily optained this aid , and he proceeded to negotiate with the several Courts through whose territories the railway to India would pass . The English ambassadors were struck with the energy of the man who had taken oh himself such a task , and they manfully cooperated with him . Among them were Lord Stratford de Redcliffe , Lord Cowley , Lord Howard de Waldcn , Lord Normanby , Lord jPonsonby , and , at home , Lords Palmerston , Aberdeen , Clarendon , and Malmcsbury , By the influence of these men

      Sir Macdonald had conferences with the statesmen of the Continent ; but it was on Austria and Turkey that he made the most impression , and , indeed , those were the points where an effort was most important . ¦ , Into Austria two lines of railway were then in progress , one by way of Belgium , Prussia , and JSavaria , and the other by way of France , Baden , And Bavaria ; therefore m those countries little was to be done , but in Austria the groat effort was to be made , because if the Austrian lines could bo got forward to the Turkish frontier , tbon Turkey would take up the railway system , and Turkey Rained , Persia would follow , while the completion

      and the Black Sea , and done everything for the development of Trieste . Metternich was still influential , and he gave his personal attention to Stephenson , whilst the younger Ministers , Messrs . Bach and De Bruck , engaged eagerly in his views . They saw at once the full value of the work , and though it interfered with existing plans , they determined to make strenuous efforts to continue their lines to the frontiers of Turkey . At that time Stephenson was not able to visit Constantinople , but the cause was well supported . In the course of a shqrt tour Sir Macdonald received assurances of cordial co-operation from the

      Governments of Belgium , France , and Wurtembergy and then proceeded to India to fulfll his duties in pushing on the works of the East Indian Railway . Thus , for a time , the Great National highway was left to take its own course , but on his return to Europe the subject was renewed . By that time many of the blanks in the line were filled up , and he was able to announce that a comparatively limited section would bring the line to Constantinople , ^ whilst at the eastern end the whole Indian section was in progress or conceded . The leading members of the press accorded their

      support , and in May , 1856 , the Times , to the surprise of the public , came forward to give its serious adhesion to the vast scheme of a line from London to Calcutta , which should be traversed in ten days . This announcement , instead of serving S . tephenson ' s purpos es , for a time thwarted them ; it was thought to afford a good opportunity for other parties to come into the field , and it will be remembered a Euphrates Valley Railway and Telegraph Company was started , which has made little progress , but has materially retarded the main operations . Sir Macdonald , driven off his own line , gave it up

      From Rajmahal his Northern Bengal Railway proceeds to jDinajpore , and thence to Boglipore on the Burrampooter . Its northern extension to Darjeeling will be close to the Tibet frontier , but that the burrampooter valley will be traversed by a railway there can be no doubt , and with the opening it affords for E uropean exertions , perhaps at aa earlier period than some other parts of India . In this valley our frontier is close to that of China , and it is by such a railway that the millions of Chinese emigrants will pour into Bengal . Sir Macdonald shows a northern line of transit from the East Indian Railway through Afghanistan and Persia ^ and a southern route from the Scinde Railway and the western coast lines through Eeloochistan and Southern Persia . The latter , running along the coast , and in so far under naval protection , he prefers to the northern line . . When we look at his map , which extends from London to Calcutta , and reflect that most of the line in Europe is open or in progress , and that the same is to be said of the line in India , we can look more hopefully to the realisation of the central portion , 5 ar t of which is already under the auspices of inkey . The moment that the Indian lines are sufficiently advanced the Indian Government will become anxious to encourage a line through Beloochistan , and the approach of a railway to Persia will enable that country , even as Turkey has done , to compass the requisite financial arrangements .

      for a time , and devoted himself to the lied bea Telegraph and the Smyrna and Aidin Railway , the . successful prosecution of which have in the end put him in a position to resume his labours . After a series of efforts , which were much interfered with by the endeavours of some of the advocates of the Euphrates line , dog-in-the-manger-lilce , to prevent any other route from proceeding , the Red Sea line was granted . By pushing on the Smyrna and Aidin Railway , the first section of which was opened in November last , Sir Macdonald gave confidence to his supporters at the Sublime Porte , and on proceediiiff to Constantinople hp was readily induced

      to engage in measures for promoting his original undertaking . This he considered could be best effected by inducing the Turkish Government to adopt a systematic plan for the formation of a railway system , on the same basis that he had got the Indian Government to adopt . The Government received him with attention , and he has proceeded to engage in the matter seriously , though lie has no longer a personal interest to serve , and the state of his health does not allow him to devote , as formerly , his whole energies to suoh an enterprise . The first step ho took was the formation of a committee at Constantinople of the representatives

      of the concessions then , made , to co-operate with committees of capitalists in London , Paris , and Vienna . Being uninfluenced by personal motives , so , too , no political or pavty bias lias affected him , nor- will such , wo hope , interfere with his progress . His aim is to serve European purposes ana not English alone , he asks for no individual commission , ana ho includes in his committee the Samsoon and Sivas , the Euphrates , the Kostcndjc , and the Smyrna railway representatives . There can bo little doubt that the measures so be # un will ensure the progress of railways generally in Turkey , and thereby of the portion belonging to the Groat

      National Highway , but wo shall pnss ovov lor the time any consideration of those arrangements to rov . ort to the influence of the plan upon India * Stophonson already looks forward to the time when India itself will become the oentm of a railway system , and ho is prepared for the extension of railways from Russia to the Indian frontier . Hp has shown a branch from the East Indian Railway penetrating through Nopaul into Tibet and givinjg acoess to the Western Chinoso frontier , but , curiously enough , ho has stopped his map at a point whore a branch devised by himself extends the East Cndian Railway to nearer contact with China .

      pf the Punjab railways would encourage operations from the eastern end . Up to that tirao Austrian railways had gone on very slowly , and in 1850 , when Sir Macdonald appeared at Vienna , the country was stijl suffering from the revolutionary war . TThfit very war , hqwever , has been the means of creating in Austria a more energetic and enlightened Government , has stimulated ^ the oauso of improvement , and brought into power many able , men . True it is the Austrian Government had long been desirous of increasing its trade , particularly in connexion with the Ease , and had with that view encouraged steam navigation on tho Danube

      Notes On Indian Progress. The Friend Of ...

      NOTES ON INDIAN PROGRESS . The Friend of India refers to a very valuable article on colonisation in the Himalayas , showing that the subject is now well understood in India , and seriously taken up . The writer points out the numerous occupations particularly suitable to Englishmen . Such are tea , coffee , flax , and hemp growing , hop planting , iron and copper mining and smelting , coral mining , lime burning , brick making , machine works , lumbering , preparing forest products , brewing , . distilling , tanning and fur-dressing , sheep farming ,

      wool combing , grazing , cheese and butter making . Then there are riiany subdivisions of these employments , and numerous trades for the supply of the garrisons in the hills . The writer says that there is room in tea planting alone for fifty thousand small tea-farms on the frontier from Murieepore south of Assam to'Cashmere , This is exclusive of those ou the Ghauts , Vindhyas , and inner ranges . He observes with truth that one English yeoman on each farm , with twenty or thirty Chinese assistants , would very much modify our position in India . in

      A very awkward circumstance has transpired - Cashmere , that : ill-fated possession which has been put into the hands of the Jummoo Rajah instead of being thrown open to English occupation . An assault has been made on Lieutenant H . II . Godwin Austin * of the General Trigonometrical Survey , who was reviled ns a Kaffir and left lying senseless on tlio ground , it is supposed at the instigation of fugitive mutineers . The conduct of the Rajah , on being required to obtain redress for this outrage , has been far from satisfactory , and is only one fact in addition to a series of acts which are well calculated to awaken the displeasure of pur Govornmont . Assistant-Surgeon J . JVI . Cunningham , M . D ., lias been appointed to tho medical charge of Nynco lul . lieutenant Mfiunsell has been appointed Executive Engineer of Aboo and Dessa . The JSTepaul complication is not yet settled , for Colonel Ramsay , the late Resident , refuses to return to Katnandop , even for one week , as he considers ho should only expose himself and the Government to further insult from Jung Bahadoor . He has tendered Ins resignation , but this the Viceroy hna declined to accept . Mr . Theobald , on his return from his mission to England , has resumed his duties as Secretary to tlio Indigo Planters' Association . Mr . E . C . Craster , of Maldah , a very energetic member of tho civil service , who has done much to promote tho Darjeeling and Assam roads , is about to return homo . _ . Major G . Vornor has been appointed Commissioner of Carracan . . Mr . Cust has been appointed an oxtra Commissioner for tho-Punflab , in" consequence of wo ; increase of duties in { hat government . Ho is , » »» said , to bo statfonod / at Sealkoto , with a salary oi 3300 / . a year . . „ „„ - Tho Govornmont prons in Bengal haaftilly fl'O " coodod ns a moans of saving tho handiwork ol t » o

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Jan. 29, 1859, page 24, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_29011859/page/24/