original powers; and not to be accountable. It would be impossible to prescribe to such a list the duty of agents or servants. It consists of a singular mixture of natives, lawyers and merchants. Perhaps the variety is supposed to realize the principle of representation. We think it does not, but the principle itself is inapplicable. Nor is it such a selection as would be made by any prudent person, or body of persons, having proprietary interests, and caring only for the profit to be derived from the intended operations. With the most perfect respect we say it-that Princes and Rajahs are mere ciphers in a Direction. It is no disparagement of them to say that one good Bunniah,* who is also an honest and respectable man, would be worth dozens of them. As for the lawyers-to be directors of banks and trading companies is not within their proper province; nor in England are they ever seen in such a situation."+

* Shopkeeper.

+ Calcutta Review for March 1846, p. 231.

MADRAS AND BOMBAY DIRECT

RAILWAY.

HAVING disposed of those projects intended for the improvement of the principal Presidency of Bengal, to which we deem allusion necessary, we now turn to the dependent Governments of Madras and Bombay, and are at once attracted by a great undertaking which has its proposed termini in the Capitals of those Presidencies; annihilating the intervening space it would bring into close approximation those widely separated and important localities. This the last, and most transparent of those railway visions which we shall draw attention to, has but recently seen the light, and is denominated

"The Madras and Bombay Direct Railway," its advent having been announced with a magnificent flourish of trumpets, the echo of which still vibrates in our cars, Princes, Ministers, Dignitaries of State

hailing its birth as if it had been a beautiful and illustrious babe, instead of a crude and singularly illtimed abortion,—the last effort of a dying and maniac spirit of gambling which had already spread desolation and misery enough, without giving us to endure any additional infliction. The promoters of this fiction are no doubt honorable men, but on looking at the list of directors, they are only remarkable for the smallness of their number, and the entire want, with the exception of one or two gentlemen, if we remember aright, of any apparent connection with the vast and distant region they have selected for the scene of their labours.

They probably propose the railway from benevolent feelings towards the government letter carriers, to save them their tedious and toilsome journeys. Traffic on this route, no one ever heard of, and for hundreds of miles there is no made road, however indifferent, but we suppose that they, if they make the one, think that providence will send the other, and no doubt it would come in time.

In the Prospectus, allusion was made to the Sikh invasion, with much propriety, as showing the necessity for railways to meet or repel danger from the northwest frontier, and the sequitur flows naturally, that for this purpose, Madras and Bombay should have railway communication, not towards the frontier, but with each other! Bombay being distant from the re

cent point of attack at Ferozepore one thousand miles, and Madras about sixteen hundred miles, Bombay being seven hundred and sixty-three miles to the north-west of Madras.

This railway, should it be able to emerge from the Ghauts, would lose itself in almost interminable jungle, redolent of malaria, and replete with noisome reptilesa land without inhabitant, and where it would only startle the tiger as he crouches in his lair-we have no hesitation in saying, that the Madras and Bombay Direct, is a direct absurdity.

Note to Second Edition, 1846.

In this Edition, when describing approved projects, minute information regarding capital, distance, &c., has been supplied in-foot notes, in compliance with the wishes of those desirous of becoming acquainted with such details ; but deeming the Madras and Bombay Direct, and the two schemes which immediately precede it, to be wholly impracticable, such supplemental matter could neither be interesting nor useful so far as they are concerned.