The Sun.
London, England, 1860-12-14 00:00:00

OUR NATIONAL DEFENCES,

" A Practical Man" writes to a contemporary as
follows :—Sir,—ln the letter which you have don e
me the honour to publish to-day, I ought to have
stated that, apart from the Armstrong establish-
ment, there exists—a contract with Elswick for
the supply of guns as well as shell. The prices given
are said to be £l7B for guns to throw a 121 b. bolt,
and £360 for what they call a 40-pounder, but
which is really only equal to the bore of a
14-pounder. The former gun has been compared
in price to the brass gun, but if this gun were made
of similar weight and bore it could be manufactured
for about one-half the cost of the Armstrong 12-
pounder. With regard to the shells supplied from
Elswick, I have not been able to ascertain their
price, but the outlay on this account must be
very considerable, for thousands of tons of all
sizes have been made. The first pattern be-
coming obsolete, it has been replaced by another,
and all this before any 100-pounder guns were
finished ; and, further, I understand that shell are
continually coming in from Elswick. As if this
extraordinary supply of 100-pounder shells, before
any guns were ready, was not sufficient, a branch
has been added to the Armstrong department for
the purpose of manufacturing shell in a similarly
faulty manner. This arrangement has left the
actual shell foundery almost idle, and this admir-
ably-arranged building is nearly empty, as any one
may see who visits the Laboratory.
With regard to the statement made in the
Mechanics' Magizine, and Sir William's reply as to
the cost of his guns, we have a right to expect that
after this vast outlay some perfect 100-pounder
guns would be produced ; but it now appears that
while £2,000,000 has been sunk in the arsenal the
greater portion seems to have been expended in
experiments to make a faulty system of manufac-
turing guns answer; and not only has this enor-
mous expense deen incurred, but contracts have
likewise been entered into to produce imperfect
built-up guns of small calibre, at a cost (judging
from the breech pieces supplied at about £52
a-piece) nearly double the amount at which supe-
rior guns of twice the size can be produced.

STATE OF AUSTRIA.

•-•-

A letter from Vienna, dated Dec. 10, says :
M. von Schmerling, the newly appointed Minister,
is well aware that the task which he is about to
undertake is a very difficult one, and doubtless he
will take his measures accordingly. The Emperor
has, in general terms, expressed his approval of the
new political programme which has been laid
before him, but M. von Schmerling, being a cir-
cumspect politician, wishes to have each separate
point of it accepted before he enters into office. It
is not likely that Schmerling will try to obtain for
his fellow-countrymen a constitution a 1' Anglaise,
but he will hardly fail to insist on a bona fide re-
presentation of the provinces in the Reichsrath, a
more equitabie representation of the different
classes in the provincial Diets, equality of the dif-
ferent confessions, complete separation of the judi-
cial and administrative authorities, publicity and
oral proceedings in the courts of law, and, finally,
on the publication of more liberal laws for the
press. It is to be foreseen that Schmerling will be
opposed—either openly or in secret—by the re-
actionary party at Court, by the high aristocracy,
and by the Ultramontane clique ; but if he is
straightforward in his dealings with the nation he
is sure to have its energetic support. In fact, ad-
dresses are now being prepared by some of the
corporate bodies in this city, and they will he pre-
sented to him without delay should his programme
be to their taste. The lists of the persons who are'
entitled to take part in the approaching elections
for the reformation of the municipalities and com-
munes have been published, and the leading men
in Vienna and in some of its suburbs have already
met, in order to select a certain number of persons
whom they deem worthy of confidence. In 1848
the inhabitants of the suburb Neuban were ultra-
Radicals, but when a meeting was held there on
Friday last, all the speakers declared that they nothing but rational (vernunftige) re-
forms from the Government. Very many per-
sons of my acquaintance are of opinion that
it is too late for reforms ; but the Ger.
mans in Austria are a good-natured, patient
race, and may still be satisfied. It is, how-
, ever, morally certain that there will be serious
disturbances in Austria in the spring should
there be any more tergiversation on the part of
Government. Should Counts Rechberg and
Szechen intrigue against M. von Schmerling, and
prevent his carrying out his plans, they will have
the credit—and deservedly too—of having conduced
to the downfall of the empire. It is stated that .11.
von lialchberg, who was formerly Vice-PresidPrit
of the Stadtholderate of Gallicia, is to be Under
Secretary of State in the Home Department. It
may be observed that the gentleman in question
was not long ago removed from his post by Count
Goluchowski, whose position is a most unenviable
one. In the morning of Friday last he was so
ignorant of what was going on in the highest
circles, that he asked one of his subordinates
whei her he thought there was an) truth in the
current reports relative to M. von Schrnerling, and
%ppeared much surprised to learn that they were
perfmly well founded. In the evening of the day the " Starost," as he is commonly y the called b same
German employes, tendered his resignation.
supposed that Count Goluchowski will have some
high place at Court, as there can hardly be a ques-
tion i
of sending him back to Gallicia as Stadtholder
of that province.
On the morning of the Bth inst. Count Forgach,
the newly-appointed Stadtholder of Bohemia, went
by train to Prague, where he met with a very strange
reception. While Dr. Wanka, the Burgomaster of
the city, was paying compliments to his Excellency,
and assuringhim that all the inhabitants of the pro-
vince were delighted have him as their Governor,
a number of young Czecha, who were assembled in
front of the station, were singing "fide demov mop
(11Vhere is my native land P"), and another national
song, beginning with the words " 0 Slaves ! Our
language is still extant," As the Stadtholder left
the terminus the young men, who were in the na-
tional costume, shouted" Slave !" (the word means
" Slavonic race" and "glory"), and "xi ezijou Ce
chove !" (" Long live the Czechs"), and " 4 eZtYO24
/Orane !" (" Long live the Slaves"). After this
the crowd, which grew larger as it went, marched
through the principal streets of the city, whist-
ling, shouting, screaming, hooting, and groan-
ing. In front of the Office or Police a tre-
mendous noise was made, but as soon its
the armed force appeared the young men were
Mute. Several of them were, however, arrested.
As the demonstration could hardly have been
against the person of Count Forgach, who is a
Slave, though born in Upper Hungary, it must be
supposed that the Czechs wish to have a Bohe-
mian " Oberstburygraf" instead of an Austrian
Stadtholder. The discontent of the Tyrolese
increases from day to day, and the peasants and
citizens ironically ask whether the nobility and
clergy
are prepared to defend the one-half of the
province against an invading foe. In the Tyrol
there are 239 nobles who do not pay more than
44 florins ,
florins.
Tiand-tax, and 335 who pay more than 25
The land-tag levied in the Tyrol (without
Vorarlbergthis sum t:811 865,175 florins per annum, and to
nmnber of have the same
days there have been
tribute about 18,0
eonotafltives as the peasants—con-
orins.. During the last few
repr7sies—who are to
but the separatist_ partyn,ovi,ch
great influence in the
disturbances at Pesth,
appears to have
very
smaller towns and in
shall not subside,
morning the General CongrePgation
the open country, takes care that the p I•tical
etsito\auttt
At half-ost 9
heuistehdaevoeunties of Pesth,
not
ofyet heard NvPhialtis;
o f excitement
o'clockt
met, but we
were taken. The streets Pesth were filled with
men dressed in the nationaltcostume, and wearin
in their kalpacks (the national cap) cockades with

* The last supreme " Burggrave"—an ancient Bohemian
dignity—was the Archduke Stephen, who was Palatine of
Elaniu 1848.