The Sun.
London, England, 1856-03-18 00:00:00

AUSTRIA.

VIENNA, March 14.—The firms which have FO
long been treating with the Austrian Government
for the Lombardo-Venetian and Central Italian
Railways yesterday came to a complete under-
standing with Baron Bruck and Chevalier do Tcg-
genburg, the Ministers of Finances and Public
Works. In the course of the day the railroads
in question passed into the hands of a Company
composed of the Austrian Credit Bank, of seine of
the leading Italian firms (represented by the
Dukes de Gal Hera and do Molzi, and the Mar-
quis Archinti) and of an Anglo-French Society, at
the head of which arc Messrs. Rothschild, of Paris
and London, Mr. Lung., M.P., Mr.
Messrs. Blount and Co., and M. Talabot. The news
above given will hardly fail to create some sensation
in the financial world, as it is generally known that
the Rothschilds' and their partisans have for many
months been doing battle for the Italian railroads
with the French Cr6dit Mebilier. After a long
and obstinate struggle the Rolischilds have ob-
tained a complete victory over their rivals.
Strictly speaking two concessions have been made
to the above-mentioned company. In the Lom-
bardo-Venetian concession are comprised railroads
already completed by the State, and railroads
which are to bo constructed. The lines already
open are—

Venice to Coccaglio 204
Milan to Como 45
Milan to Treviglio 32
Verona to Mantua 36
Mestre to Casaraa 94
Coccaglio to Bergamo 26
Ti. e new railways to be made are—
Bergamo to Monza . 37
Bergamo to Lecco 3O
Milan to Buffalora 32
Milan to Piacenza and Pavia
Milan to Sesta-Calende 55
Railroad round Milan
Mantua to Borgoforte
Cascara to Nabresina

20
89

The entire length of the finished railroads is 437
kilometres, or 273 English miles, but there is reason
to believe that the line from Coccaglio to Bergamo
is not yet open to the public. The length of the
railroads to be constructed is 355 kilometres, or
223 English miles. The State grants to the com-
pany the free use of the line from Nabresin3. to
Trieste, with the joint use of the terminus at
Trieste.
The Central Italian Railroad concession is for 280
kilometres of railway, forming a continuation of
the Lombardo-Venetian line from Piacenza and
Borgoforte, via Parma,, Modena, and Bologna, to
Pistoja, where it joins the Tuscan railways to Leg-
horn and Florence.

The entiro " net" conceded will, when complete,
consist of about 680 English miles of railway, form-
ing-1. The line from Trieste by Udine, Treviso,
Venice, Pad►la, Vicenza, Verona, Brescia, Ber-
gamo, and Milan, to Pavia, where will be the
junction with the Sardinian railroads. 2. The
line from north to south, connecting the Tuscan
and Roman States, Parma, and Modena with the
Lombardo-Venetian provinces. The Austrian Go-
vernment intends to construct a railroad from
Verona to Botzeu and Innsbruck, which will,
sooner or later, be connected with the Bavarian
Railway.
The company gives to the State for the finished
railroads 60,000,000 f. (2,400,0001.) Thesumis to be
paid within six years in instalments, and without
interest. However, if at the end of the six years
the net profits on the whole capital should exceed
7 per cent. the company will have to make an ad-
ditional payment to Government of 16,500,000 f.
(660,0001.) The Credit Mobilier paid on an averaga
for the northern and eastern Austrian railroads
about 145,000 f. (5,8000 per kilometre, but the
Anglo-French Company will only pay 120,000 f.
(4,8000 per kilometre, and an additional 25,000 f.
in case the net profits should exceed 7 per cent.
The Austrian Government guarantees 5 per cent.
on the whole capital required, which is estimated
at 250,000,000 f. (10,000,0000 For the Central
Italian Railway the company has a guarantee of
6,500,000 f. per annum, which is more than 6i per
cent. on the capital required for that line. Both
concessions are for two years, and a period 'of from
two to five years is given for completing the diffe-
rent lines. There will be a remission during five
years of half the duty on all rails, engines, and ma-
terials imported and used on the lines.
The share of the Credit Bank in the Lombardo-
Venetian Railroad is 50,000,000 of lire. The
founders of the Vienna-Linz•Salsburg Railroad
have presented their statutes to Government. The
shares will be at 200f1., and the first payment 6011.,
or 30 per cent. It is said that the Credit Bank is
willing to lend 40f1., or 20 per cent., on each share,
at 5 per cent. interest, but it strikes me the insti-
tution in question can make a far better use of its
capital. As a part of the Theiss (Hungarian) Rail-
road will run through a country where there is a
scarcity of wood, foreigners may suppose that fuel
will be enormously expensive, but such will not be
the case, as some of the best coal in the Austrian
empire is to be found a little to the south-east of
Arad. The mines are at Istvanhegy, Lankany,
Ruszkitza, Ruszkberg, and Armenia. The Raab-
Semlin Railroad has been conceded to General
Baron Cordon and some Hungarian nobles, and a
French Company, which has ne. connexion with
M. Pereire, is likely to join them. This last men•
tioned speculation is likely to prove a complete
failure, as there is little chance of the Constan-
tinople-Belgrade Railway being completed for
many a long year to come.