The Sun.
London, England, 1865-04-04 00:00:00

DUMFRIES AND LOCICERLIE.

The hall-yearly meeting was held on Friday ; Sir
W. Broun in the chair.

The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the
report, said the cost of the line was about £lO,OOO
a mile, which, considering the cost of the viaduct
over the Annan, and other heavy expenses, was not
excessive. The directors considered the bargain to
amalgamate with the Caledonian, on the terms of
receiving 6 per cent. in perpetuity on their capital,
and being freed from all liabilities, a very fair one.
It was at one time expected that a larger dividend
than 4 per cent. would be declared, but the late ex-
traordinary rise in the rate of interest, and the gene-
ral depression of trade in the district, rendered that
impossible.
The report was adopted, and a dividend at the
rate of 4 per cent. declared.

MANCHESTER, SHEFFIELD, AND LDT-

COLNSHIRE.

The total expenses of thin company's railways, in-
cluding rents, tolls, duty, &c., from Jan. 1 to March
26, 1865, amounted to £95,669, as against £93,882
for the corresponding period of 1864. The propor-
tion of the South Junction receipts accruing to this
company from Jan. 1 to March 26 amounted to
£7,805, as against £7,945 for the corresponding
period of 1864, and the expenses to £4,407, as
against £4,024.

The Anglo-Austrian Commission of Inquiry.

VIENNA, March 30,

The official Wiener Abendpost publishes the fol-
lowing remarks upon the impending inquiry of the
commission charged to examine what steps can be
taken for the mutual advantage of the trade and
commerce of England and Austria :
" It will hardly be wrong to seek the motive of
the movement now taking place in our commercial
and industrial life in the well-founded desire to gain
a worthy position for Austria in the traffic of the
world. While with the great advantages she pos-
sesses for such a position,' it is an undoubted duty of
each individual to use every effort for the attainment
of this object, the Government upon its part must
be none the less active in paving the way for Austrian
trade and industry by all the means at its command.
"Austria has therefore readily availed herself of
the opportunity presented by the Government of
Great Britain to examine, by a commission of prac-
tical men of both countries, into the question—what
can be done in the mutual interest of their trade and
commerce to nominate and develop the traffic of
Austria with adjoining States in general, and with
England in particular ?
" In the formation of such a commission, and the
prospect of its being brought to a useful result, the
principle mainly to be kept in mind is—first, that
Austria, having been from ancient times most inti-
mately connected with the trade of Germany, never
can and never will enter into engagements of any
kind calculated to injure either her already existing
natural relations to the German States as settled by
treaty, ora future closer connection that may spring
up between them. Upon the other hand, it could not
but be of the highest value to enlarge and secure
her connection with the markets of the world in
England, to derive advantage from the experience
of the foremost industrial nation in the universe,
and in this manner prepare the way to reciprocity,
which can certainly only operate beneficially for
Austria.

" The commission established upon this basis will
now very shortly come into existence. In the wide
field of labour which lies before it it is requisite to
establish upon the one hand the spirit and progress,
and upon the other the limits of its activity, in the
sense of the greatest possible mutuality, calculated
upon knowledge and recognition of the special rela-
tions and interests of both countries.

" The questions which will form the object of ex-
amination by this international commission refer
naturally in part to the relations of production, and
the export therewith bound up, partly to interna-
tional communications, partly to international right
of intercourse.

" As regards the first of these branches, the com-
mission will have to establish what are the existing
capabilities for exporting various articles of produce
in the mutual intercourse of England and Austria,
and what mutual demands and concessions will have
to be made in order to promote reciprocity of traffic.
In this respect a series of the most important
questions will no doubt be subjected to examination,
and their sufficient answer will, under any circum-
stances, be of great value to the animation of mutual
intercourse, and partly also to the direction it
has taken. Should wishes and claims specially bear-
ing upon the tariff rates valid in both States be set
up, a correct estimation of the relations of Austria
must be based upon the fact that such alterations
can only be made when balanced by definite reci-
procal facilities in intercourse with Great Britain
and her non-European possessions. With special
reference to the progress of this part of the inquiry,
it will be serviceable to examine first the subjects,
then the taxes imposed upon each in both countries ;
the respective taxation systems ; and, lastly, the ad-
vantages to be derived by either from any mutual
concessions.

" The second branch of the inquiry will relate to
the conditions of the development of international
systems of communication, navigation, postal sys-
tem, and consular relations within and without
Europe. The special questions will arise here out
of the nature of the subject ; every practical man
will easily recognise their importance.
" The third branch refers to the most important
points of the right of intercourse, viz., the relations
of protection respecting pattern and trade marks,
literary property, international right of action at
law, and questions of a similar kind.

" If the task of the commission be taken up,
commenced, and carried out in this sense, no doubt
exists that it will be, under any circumstances,
highly advantageous to the mutual good under-
standing and intercourse of both nations in the
immediate present as well as in future, and there-
fore worthy in every respect of most energetic sup-
port."

The German Policy of Austria.

VIENNA, MARCH 30.

•
At to-day's sitting of the Lower House of the
Reichsrath, Count Mensdorff-Pouilly, Minister for
Foreign Affairs, spoke upon Austria's position with
regard to Prussia, and in especial on the Schleswig-
Holstein question. He said :
" Far removed from thinking diplomacy an exclu-
sive secret, only accessible to a privileged few, I en-
tirely share the view that has been expressed, that it
is possible for every educated man, even of only
moderate endowments, to form a correct opinion in
matters of foreign policy without having passed
through any diplomatic school. But I also claim the
liberty to retain my humble opinion that the treat-
ment of these foreign questions requires the utmost
discretion, if we are not prepared to abandon the
diplomatic field and enter upon •that of acts. The
words which publicly pass the lips of the Foreign
Minister of a great Power must be well and care-
fully weighed, because they impose upon the State
the obligation of supporting them with its entire
strength, if requisite. (Cheers.) This may perhaps
be the reason that in all times and at all places the
maintenance of reserve has formed and still forms
one of the first rules of diplomacy.
" After the picture of our home affairs presented
to this house in sufficiently gloomy colours, it be-
comes a doubly solemn duty for him who has the
honour to be entrusted with the guidance of foreign
affairs to apply his whole strength to the mainten-
ance of that peace which the Empire seems in every
respect so urgently to require. It is our belief that
we have never lost sight of this end, and that, indeed,
it his been so far gained by the course taken by the
Emperor's Government that at the present moment
no serious danger of war threatens from any quarter.
No one can really have believed in the rapid solu-
tion of so involved a subject as the Schleswig-
Holstein dispute. Were the question of right so
indisputably clear and undoubted as has been re-
presented here by several, such different opinions
would hardly be still entertained, and the matter
would long since have been settled. The Emperor's
Government will have the opportunity of showing
the stand-point it intends to take up in the question
at ;Frankfort on the 6th of April. Austria is in a
position, by her co-possession of the Duchies, to
prevent a solution disadvantageous to her interests,
and to guard the well-founded claim of the Ger-
manic Diet. (Cheers.) Prussia enjoys similar ad-
vantage: with the same rights, and we are strongly
of opinion that it is just the much-abused diplomacy
that will succeed in bringing about a solution with-
out endangering the good understanding with Prussia
which, notwithstanding all assertions to the con-
trary, it is my profound conviction has hitherto kept
off the interference of foreign Powers m German
affairs. I look upon this still as the basis to a greater
union of Germany, and therewith also to the eleva-
tion of her reputation abroad.
" A less thoughtful policy would probably have
already involved us in a war, upon the dimensions
and results of which I must refrain from giving any
opinion. Whether our financial difficulties would
thereby have been lessened, and the development of
our constitutional progress would have advanced,
are questions which hardly seem to require an
answer."

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