and fifty thousand dollars, in thirty year bonds, were donated to the company by the city and county of San Francisco. The road is one hundred and twenty miles in length, or seventy-four miles from San Jose to Stockton and forty-six from Stockton to Sacramento. The contract for constructing and equipping the entire road has been let to Charles McLaughlin, who is prosecuting the work with all possible speed. The first section of twenty miles, reaching Vallejo's Mills, is nearly graded, and the cross-ties for the same are delivered. Sufficient iron, chairs and spikes for twenty-four miles, have been purchased and shipped from New York. A large quantity of the iron has already arrived in San Francisco, and the contractor is laying the same immediately upon arrival. McLaughlin has also entered into a written contract with the Renselaer Iron Company of Troy, New York, for the supply of 8,000 tons additional iron, to be shipped as fast as manufactured, and which will complete the road to Sacramento, with all side tracks, etc. Sufficient rolling stock for twenty miles has been received in San Francisco, and the remainder will arrive in season for the requirements of the road. The first twenty miles of the road will be in running order early in the coming Spring, and it is expected that cars will make their regular trips to Stockton before the close of the year 1866. Within a very few months thereafter the track will be extended to Sacramento and the work completed.

SAN FRANCISCO & OAKLAND RAILROAD.-The present western terminus of this road begins at the end of a wharf extending 2,500 feet from the Oakland Encinal into the Bay of San Francisco, whence it runs through the town of Oakland to San Antonio, a distance of five miles. It is the intention of the Company to extend this wharf and also their road to the Islaud of Yerba Buena opposite, whence this city will be reached by ferry boats in the space of four minutes, the intervening distance being only about one mile. The daily average number of passengers now crossing on this route is estimated at 2,500. The road will ultimately be extended to connect with the Alameda Railroad.

SAN FRANCISCO AND ALAMEDA RAILROAD.-The main trunk of this road commences at the western end of the Enchinal of Alameda, and passing through San Leandro and Hayward's, extends to Vallejo's Mills, where it intersects the Western Pacific Railroad. A branch is also to be built from Hayward's to another point in Amador Valley. The portion from Alameda to Hayward's, 16 miles, is now in operation, and work on the balance is being pushed ahead. A line of first-class ferry boats runs in connection with this road, the distance from the city to the western terminus being 5 miles.

SAN FRANCISCO AND SAN JOSE RAILROAD.-This Company was incorporated in July, 1860, with a capital of $2,000,000, and their road completed in December, 1863, since which time it has been doing a large and profitable business. Its length is 50 miles, leading through one of the finest agricultural districts in the State, insuring for it a constantly increasing business.

PLACERVILLE AND SACRAMENTO VALLEY RAILROAD.-This road taps the Sacramento Valley Railroad at Folsom, and is now in good running order as far ingle Springs, a distance of 26 miles.

CALIFORNI CENTRAL RAILROAD.-This road was commenced in 1862, and connects Folsom with Lincoln. Length, 18 miles.

YUBA RAILROAD -Is now in process of construction from Lincoln to Marysville. The ties and iron are all purchased for the whole distance, 22 miles, and it is graded to within about four miles of Marysville. This road will doubtless be completed early in the coming spring, and will command the entire Northern trade and travel.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA RAILROAD.-Is completed and running to Oroville, a distance of 29 miles. It is to the extension of this road to which our people look for railroad connection ultimately with Oregon Its course will lead directly up through the Sacramento Valley. and, crossing through, passes in Trinity and Scott Mountains, traverses Scott Valley in Siskyou County, and so on into Oregon.

THE TELEGRAPH WIRE TO INDIA AND CHINA.

The first meeting of the Institution of Civil Engineers, held on the 14th November ult., was occupied by the reading of a paper "On the Telegraph to India and its Extension to Australia and China," by Sir Charles Tilston Bright, M. P. The total length manufactured was 1.234 nautical miles, weighing in ail 5,028 tons. Five sailing vessels and one steamer conveyed the mass of submarine cable to Bombay, and the submersion was commenced by the author on the 33 of February, 1864, at Gwadur, on the coast of Belochistan, the whole being completed by the middle of May in the same year. The cables were laid for the first time successfully from sailing vessels towed by steamers, by which a considerable was effected, compared with the cost of sending the cable round the Cape in steam vessels. It was expected that the Turkish land-line between Bagdad and the head of the Persian Gulf, would have been completed simultaneously with the submersion of the Persian Gulf line. In this, however, much disappointment was experienced owing to the Arabs, on a portion of the route, in the valley of the Euphrates, being in revolt against the Turks. In consequence of this, the opening of the entire line between Europe and India was delayed until the end of February in the present year, when a telegram was received in London from Kurrachee, in eight hours and a half. This was speedily followed by numerous commercial messages to and fro, and a large remunerative traffic was now daily passing. The author, however, complained of the delays and errors arising upon the Turkish portion of the line between Constantinople and Belgrade; the service on the portion of the line worked by the Indian Government, between India and the head of the Gulf, being performed rapidly and efficiently.-Builder.

RAILWAYS IN INDIA.

Perhaps the most marvellous illustration of recent progress in India is this The annual official holiday, known as the Doorga Pooja, begins on the 26th of next month, and lasts about a fortnight. Yesterday the great Jumna Bridge, near Allahabad, was opened to the through traffic, reducing the delay between Calcutta and Delhi by two hours. The East India Railway Company offer holi

day makers return tickets available for three weeks between the two capitalsEnglish and Mussulman-for £7 second, and £12 first-class, and each may take two servants at £2 2s. a head, besides luggage. The distance both ways is 2,040 miles. Moreover the superstitious Hindoo is tempted to visit his holy kasi, Benares, by the offer of a third-class ticket for £1 4s., a distance both ways of 1,081 miles. You cannot match that in England. Who, ten years ago, before Lord DALHOUSIE, would have believed it possible? Low fares for both passengers and goods, but especially the latter, are likely to accomplish great things in India. During he past half year the Eastern Bengal Railway has lowered its rates to compete with the river traffic, and the result is a net profit of 4 per cent, which certain improvements, now in progress will raise above 5 per cent. The Indian Railway, because it is completed and its rates are low, pays its way The rest will follow.

INTERNAL REVENUE IN NEW YORK.

The receipts on account of internal revenue in the city of New York since October, 1862, show a total of $64,222,056, and so rapid has been the increase that more than one half the whole, or $37,156,411 were collected in the year 1865. The following are the aggregates in each district of the city for 1863, 1864, and 1865:

THE BOOK TRADE.

An Act to create a Metropolitan Sanitary District and Board of Health therein, for the Preservation of Health, and to Prevent the Spread of Disease.

After a contest of weeks, the Legislature of New York, having tossed the Metropolitan Health Bill like a football from one House to the other, an ending and re amending it, has brought the controversy of eight years to a close by con. curring in the report of their Conference Committee. The bill did not reach the table of Gov. Fenton till he had left for Washington, but will be speedily signed upon his return to Albany. The public mind will at least be set at rest, and the extraordinary provisions will go into effect, we presume with approval, by those who believe in regulating their everyday life by specific legislation.

In 1858 the four Senators from this city, Messrs. John C. Mather, Smith Ely, Jr., Richard Schell, and John Dougherty, were appointed by the Senate a Committee to sit during the recess for the purpose of taking testimony in relation to the sanitary condition of New York. Their report, published in 1859, shows a careful and rigid performance of this duty, and is thoroughly exhaustive A Health Bill was prepared, which passed the Senate, and was lost in the Assembly, owing to the treachery of a member from New York.

The attempt was renewed in 1860, and a bill introduced creating a Metropolitan Board of Health to supersede the present Board, the City Inspector and Street Commissioner. After interminable delays it was placed on its third reading, when Mr. H B. Miller of Erie, opened fire upon it, and it was lost. Hon. Lucius Robinson, in 1861, renewed again the effort, and under his lead the bill actually passed the Assembly, but the furore of patriotism which fol lowed the firing upon Fort Sumter was employed by the adversaries of the measure to deter its friends from pressing it in the Senate. In 1862 it again passed the Assembly, but was lost in the Senate, aided by the operations of the Committee on the Internal Affairs of Towns and Counties, to which it had been re. ferred. No sanitary legislation was attempted in 1863, owing to the political dead-lock in the Assembly. In 1864 the Committee on Public Health of the Assembly did not report the bill. Last winter a bill very similar in its provisions to the one just passed, except that it did not abolish the City Inspector's Department, was introduced by Mr. Laimbeer, and passed the Senate. It was adopted as a party measure by the Union caucus of the Assembly, but was lost on the third reading, by reason of the defection of several members. In January last the bill was introduced again into the Senate by Mr. Lent, and in the Assembly by Mr. T. E. Stewart. It proposed to create a Board of Health of eight members, the four Police Commissioners and four physicians named in the third section. The Senate passed it in this form, after which the Assembly amended it by substituting a Board of five Sanitary Commissioners, to be ap

pointed by the Governor and Senate. The Senate refused to concur, and a Conference Committee, on the part of both Houses, agreed, as a compromise upen a Metropolitan Board of Health, to consist of the Health Officer, four Police Commissioners, and four Sanitary Commissioners, three of them to be physicians, and one of the four to reside in Brooklyn. The oil in this form passed both Houses on Saturday, Feb. 17.

The bill includes the territory of the Metropolitan Police District in "the Metropolitan Sanitary District of the State of New York," and places it under control of "the Metropolitan Board of Health," constituted as betore explained. The term of office of the Sanitary Commissioners is four years, one to expire every year, as determined by lot. These Commissioners vacate office upon accepting any other office or nomination for an elective office, and may be removed by the Governor under the provision of the law for the removal of sheriffs. Vacancies occurring during the recess of the Legislature are to be temporarily filled by the Governor. The Board, upon organizing, and annually thereafter, will select one of their number to be President, and another to be Treasurer; and also appoint some suitable person Secretary, who shall not belong to the Board. The salaries of the Sanitary Commissioners are fixed at $2,500 per year; the Police Commissioners and Health Officer receive $500 a year; the Treasurer an additonal sum of $500 a year.

All the powers of the present Boards of Health of New York and Brooklyn, the Commissioners of Health, Mayors and Common Councils of those cities, Presidents of the Boards of Aldermen and Councilmen, Resilent Physician, City Inspector, etc., relating to the public health are conferred upon the Metropoli tan Board, but the duties of the Croton Aqueduct Board, Street Commissioner, Superintendent of Unsafe Buildings, City Comptroller, and the board authorized in 1865 to contract for the cleaning of the streets, are not affected. The President of the Board of Health, however, takes the place of the City Inspector as a member of the Street Cleaning Board. The department of the City Inspector is abolished, and his books and papers, the duties of registration of births, marriages and deaths the preservation of vital statistics, etc., are vested in the Metropolitan Board of Health.

The executive functions of the Board are devolved upon a Sanitary Superintendent, "an experienced and skillful physician," and two assistant superintendents, one for New York and one for Brooklyn. The Board are also authorized to appoint fifteen " Sanitary Inspectors," ten of them physicians, to fix their salaries and define their duties and districts of inspection; also to employ clerks, servants, and attorneys, as may be necessary. The salary of the Sanitary Superintendent is limited to $5000; of each assistant to $3 500; of the Secretary to $3,500. The other affairs are subject to the action of the Board. Engineers may also be employed from time to time to make sanitary surveys, and drawings and plans relating to them. But except in times of peril to the public health, so declared by the Board and by proclamation of the Governor, the expenditures are limited to $100,000.

Supreme power is conferred upon the Board of Health to declare that " any building, erection, excavation, premises, business pursuit, matter or thing, or the