226 
THE NUMBER OF JOINT STOCK COMPANIES IN BRITAIN. 
other nations, would be to institute a society 
.solely for steam communication from port 
to port in the Eastern seas as well as to Eu- 
rope ; affording to share-holders a prospect 
of large returns for capital sunk in such an 
undertaking. The Government of India has 
already shewn what is the beneficial result 
of establishing steam boats on the river, 
which have, we understand, realized large 
profits on the first outlay ; and if similar 
beneficial results, as has been stated to have 
arisen from the gain derived by the last voy- 
age of the Hugh Lindsay, were pointed out, 
surely there would be no want of share -holders 
the moment the intention of establishing a 
society for steam navigation was announced 
throughout the vast territories of India. 
We are aware of the objection to the 
formation of companies, that they arc looked 
upon in the light of monopolies, and that 
as their privileges have been lessened, ad- 
vantages have increased towards free and 
general trade. But we are not advocating 
joint stock companies to be incorporated 
with exclusive privileges, but such associa- 
tions which are acknowledged to be the 
parents of all foreign commerce, where pri- 
vate traders would be discouraged from 
hazarding their fortunes until the method 
of steam navigation has been first settled by 
establishing a company on liberal principles, 
that is to say, under regulations by which 
it maybe easy for all classes of persons to be 
admitted, and effectually guarding against the 
evils of restrictions of trade. If some of the 
leading men of this city were to meet and pro- 
pose a company to be ormed, the object 
would certainly be attained. Whatever may be 
the amount of the capital, that of shares 
should be small. We are aware there are many 
who will entertain doubts whether such a 
speculation would prove profitable, so great 
will be the capital required. The best an- 
swer to be given to clear away such doubts 
is, the incalculable numbers of steam vessels 
which have been built and are building in 
America, France, and Britain. If the spe- 
culation had not succeeded beyond all ex- 
pectation in those countries, we will ven- 
ture to say, the building of steamers 
would have ceased. 
To shew the enormous sum of energy, 
talent, skill, and money of joint stock com- 
panies in our native land during 1825, we 
extract from the February number of the 
Magazine of Popular Science the following 
list of the projects recommended by their 
several patrons, as eligible means of invest- 
ing capital. In this list there appears an 
India and London Steam Navigation Com- 
pany, of which, strange to say, we know 
little here. We know there was a project 
of the kind entertained : it ought unquestion- 
ably to be established here. 
Banks. 
Agricultural and Commercial Bank of Ire- 
land, £ 1,000,000, Bank of South Africa, 
150.000, Total, £ 1,150,000. 
Steam. 
British and American Intercourse Com- 
pany (sea part), £ 756,000, British and Ame- 
rican Steam Navigation Company, 500,000, 
British and Foreign Steam Navigation Com- 
pany, 200,000, Canterbury, Dover, and Lon- 
don Steam Packet Company, 15,000, Equita- 
ble Steam Packet Company, 120,000, India 
and London Steam Navigation Company, 
120.000, Leghorn Steam Navigation Com- 
pany, 28,000, Mediterranean and Levant Steam 
Packet Company, 100,000, Patent Paddle- 
Wheels Steam Towing Company, 30,000, 
Steam Carriages on Turnpike Roads, 20,000, 
Total, £ 1,889,000. 
Gas. 
European Gas Company, £ 200,000, Green- 
wich and London Railway Gas Company, 
20.000, Marylebone Gaslight and Coke Com- 
pany, 75,000, Total, £ 295,000. 
Mines. 
Baldhu and Wheal Tregothnau (Tin and 
CopperL £ 15,000, Bissoe-bridge (Tin and 
Copper), 20,000, Candonga, 200,000, Comb- 
martin (Lead, Silver, and Copper), 30,000, 
Chilton Coal Company, 50,000, Copiapo (Cop- 
per and Silver), 200,000, Cam Grey (Tin), 
2,500, East Cornwall (Silver), 50,000, En- 
terprise Mining Company, 20,000, Equitable 
Mexican Association (Gold), 50,000, Hayle 
Consols (Copper), 30,000, Kelleweris (Cop- 
per), 60,000, Kerrow (Tin), 10,000, New 
South Hooe, 20,000, New Crinis (Tin and 
Copper), 20,000, New Granada (Silver), 
20.000, North Cornwall (Silver, Lead, and 
Tin), 40,000, Polbreen (Tin and Copper), 
30.000, Perran Consols, 30,000, Pike Silver 
Mining Company, 112,500, Redruth (Tin and 
Copper), 100,000, Roche Rock (Tin), 30,000 
Royal";; Copper Mines of Cobre, 480,000, 
Relistian Mining Company, 30,000, St. Hila- 
ry (Copper), 20,000, St. Geny’s (Copper), 
19,200, South Polgooth (Tin and Copper), 
20.000, Sierra Mining Company (Gold and 
Silver), 120,000, Treleigh Consolidated (Cop- 
per), 25,000, Iowan Consolidated (Tin and 
Copper), 30,000, Terra Putina (Gold), 500,000, 
Tavistock (Copper), 25,000, Trevorgus (Sil- 
ver, Copper, and Lead), 30,000, Towedteague 
(Tin), 25,000, West Tresaveau (Tin and Cop- 
per), 60,000, Wendron Royal (Tin), 16,000, 
West Cork Mining Company, 220,000, Wheal 
