24 AN>'ITEESAET ADDKESS. 



fuel imported from Europe, 5,645 tons ; and iu 1,868, 4,01G. And 

 in 1867 and 1868, the great Peninsula line consumed 116,824 

 tons, all imported. But on the lines connected with Calcutta, it 

 appears that, of 447,644 tons used in the t\Y0 years mentioned, 

 on the East Indian Ivailway, only 4,029 Avere imported coal. 



The Eastern Bengal Railway used in 1867, 16,120 tons of 

 Indian coal, and in 1868, 16,330 tons of Indian, and only about 

 573 tons of English coal, and these chiefly in river steamers. 

 The Calcutta and South-eastern line, and the Delhi and Umballa 

 line used only Indian coal from Eaniganj. The Salt Eange 

 supplied a portion used between Lahore and Umritsur. These 

 data are suificient to show that Indian coal bids fair to supple- 

 ment the fuel imported from England and Australia. And to 

 point out what India is doing with her coal, I quote a passage of 

 a speech delivered in the British Parliament by ilr. Laing, on the 

 7th March, 1873, on moving for the continuation of the broad 

 railway gauge in India. 



The main railway system of British India now comprises 5,000 miles 

 actually opened, inaugurated by Lord Dalhousie, and constructed on the wide 

 gauge of 5 feet 6 inches, by separate Companies, under guarantees, at a tota 

 cost of £90,000,000, or between £16,000 and £17,000 pee mile. * * * 

 The construction of those railways has been an enormous advantage to the 

 Indian Empire, where withiii fifteen years tlie revenue has been raised from 30 

 millions to 50 millions sterling per annum ; and the aggregate import and 

 export trade from 50 millions to 100 millions sterling — an increase in a great 

 measure attributable to the railways. That lamented statesman, Lord Mayo 

 — one of the most able and popular of the many great Viceroys they have 

 had in India — being impressed with the advantages conferred by the railways 

 on that country, was very anxious for a large extension of the system, and 

 arrived at the conclusion that 10,000 additional miles of railway were 

 urgently required. (Times, 8th March.) 



Eresh coal-fields in India have been recently explored ; but of 

 one of them, the Kurhurbari iield, Mr. Hughes says (Memoirs 

 vii, part 2) that the assays proved its coal was superior to the 

 Eaniganj : and that, deducting waste and all impediments to Avork- 

 ing this field, it will produce 80,000,000 tons ; and that, at an 

 annual consumption of 250,000 tons, the field has a life of 300 



