A single glance cast upon the map recalling to mind the vast extent of the empire we hold; the various classes and interests it includes; the wide distances which separate the several points at which hostile attack may at any time be expected; the perpetual risk of such hostility appearing in quarters where it is the least expected; the expenditure of time, of treasure, and of life, that are involved in even the ordinary routine of military movements over such a tract, and the comparative handful of men scattered over its surface, who have been the conquerors of the country, and now hold it in subjection: a single glance upon these things will suffice to show how immeasurable are the political advantages to be derived from a system of internal communication which would admit of full intelligence of every event being transmitted to the Government, under all circumstances, at a speed exceeding five-fold its present rate, and would enable the Government to bring the main bulk of its military strength to bear upon any given point, in as many days as it would now require months, and to an extent which at present is physically impossible (The Sessional Papers Printed By Order of The House of Lords, or Presented by Royal Command, In The Session 1852-3 142).
The Sessional Papers Printed By Order of The House of Lords, or Presented by Royal Command, In The Session 1852-3. “Copies Of Any Correspondence Between The Government Of India And The Court Of Directors, And Of Any Documents Received From India, Relative To The Lines To Be Selected For The System Of Railway Communication In That Country.” vxiii, House of Lords, 1854, pp. 267-434.