The Sun.
London, England, 1860-09-27 00:00:00

FINANCE'S OP AUST.RIA.

A letter from Vienna, dated Sept. 22, says, on
the 31st of last July, M. von Plener, the Chief of
the Finance Department, gave to the Council of
the Empire a detailed account of the state of the
finances, and yesterday Count Clam read to the
august assembly the report of the Committee of
Twenty-one on the subject. As the Committee did
not believe the unsatisfactory state of the finances
to be a consequence of "momentary difficulties," it
deemed it advisable to examine into the operations
of the Finance Department during the last ten
years. The result of the investigation was as fol-
lows :

" During the last ten years the nation has paid
in the way.of taxation 500,000,000f1. more than it
did in the preceding decennary. The national debt
is 1,300,000,000f1. larger than it was ten years ago,
and property belonging to the State (railroads,&c.)
has been sold for more than 100,000,000 fl."
The Committee acknowledged that the unsettled
state of affairs in Europe had largely contributed
to the financial embarrassments of Austria, but it
is of opinion that the outlay for the military and
civil administration of the empire has long been far
too large. Enormous sums have been expended in
trying administrative experiments ~in Hungary,
and a great deal of money has been sunk in unsuc-
cessful financial operations. Notwithstanding the
retrenchments that have been made, the deficit in
1861 will,should peace be maintained, be 39,000,0011 ,
and 25,000,00011. in the following year.* The ex-
traordinary " war contribution' (kriegs-zuschlay),
which amounts to 32,000,000f1. per annum, figures
as part of the revenue in the budget for 1861, but
the tax is so exceedingly onerous that it cannot long,
be levied. The committee is of opinion that the Go-
vernment cannot, for the time being, calculate on
any increase in the revenue, as a great part of the po-
pulation of the empire is impoverished. As no fur-
ther retrenchments can at present be made in the
different ministries, the only way of diminishing
the burden which weighs so heavily on the State
is, "to reduce the interest on the National Debt by
means of financial operations based on the prin-
ciples of freewill (freiwilligkeit) and inviolability of
the obligations which have been entered into by
the State." After having made this suggestion,
the Committee expatiates on the evils arising from
the deterioration of the paper currency and the
continual variation in the rate of exchange, but it
at the same time advises the Finance Department
not to have recourse to any extraordinary financial
measures in order to remedy them. There is a pas-
sage in the report of the Committee which does not
admit of a literal translation, but the sense of it is,
that a bankruptcy must ensue if the Chief of the
Finance Department should attempt to uphold the
system which has hitherto been pursued. At the
end of the report it is said that a satisfactory
arrangement of the internal affairs of the empire,
and the consequent restoration of confidence, will
do much towards the restoration of the sunken
credit of Austria, " for it must be acknowledged,"
says the Committee, "that the present organization
of the empire has shaken rather than strengthened
the confidence of the public in its stability."
While Count Clam was reading the report he
was frequently interrupted by M. von Plener, who
declared that the opinions expressed were "exag-
gerated," and could not fail to produce a very bad
impression. He denied that the population of the
empire was impoverished, and in support of his
assertion told the Reichsrath that the consumption
of coffee and sugar was greater than ever. Count
Clam, Prince Salm (Reichsrath for life), Pr.
and
_ Strasser (Tyrol), M. Toperczer (Hungary),
several other persons spoke on the subject of:tlei;
alleged impoverishment of the empire, but
the
t they
might have saved themselves the trouble, t
fact is so patent that it admits of no
denial.ri The
uri tu Liao
necessities of life rise in price in propo
t
deterioration of the paper currency,r and conse-
quently the Austrians must
becent.,er, now that
Po than they
silver is at a premium of 3
4
were when bank-notes and silLoan! which wasver were of the same
nominal value. National
per
and it therefore stands
to reason that all
issued at 95, is now
the
e 3
holders of that stock
must be less wealthy now than they were for
hdeclared -
merlyrounts
Clam and Szcc en that they
when they
they report, but considered it to be
drew up the
state of affairs.
Soveriegn
had done violence
_ irettoootfthheetiihrreowacnt
ua l feelings
and
their duty to gthe nation
Wished d t o
wretched see a
a faithful account
Szechen said he earnestly,7
l and wealthy Austria.
powerful Count
state said
of the finance ,"he, " is mainly to be attri-
buted to the system of government. Do but change
the system, and the State will thrive again." Count
Szechen was loudly cheered by all the members of
the Reichsrath, to the annoyance of the Minister-
president, who is said to have looked as black as
thunder. M. Mauger observed that the Chief of the
Finance Department had not long since declared-
that nothing but liberal (gluckliche) institutions
would restore public confidence, but he had hesi-
tated to pronounce the word "constitution." lie
(Manger) Was of opinion that nothing but a consti-
tution for the whole Empire (reichsrolassung)
would restore confidence at home and abroad. The
Minister-President replied that he was unable to
see what connexion there was between a constitu-
tion and the state of the currency, and then declared
that England had been " unable" to resume her
cash payments until the year 1820. As no one cor-
rected his statement Count Reehberg inferred frorn
the supposed fact that Austria is not now in a
worse position than England was in 1819. Before
he resumed his seat the Minister-President again
said Government would realise the promises made
by his Alajesty the Emperor in his autograph letter
of April 19,1860. During the sitting there was a
sharp discussion between Count Andrassy and pr
Hein (a member of the minority in theGrandt_
Com-
mittee.) The Hungarian nobleman said that

* No one ever speaks of the deficit for the year 186°' but
it cannot be leas than, 60,000 of florins.

people were much
rose
. ATony'
courts" (manorial courts), L. ,11
/0
the German provice of Si - th_
abolition was one of the wr_ good things
which the Schwarzenberg-Bac, ft Government
had done. As Count Attdral SET appeared
to be getting irritated, Count
s not the
and reminded him that it Yirk ./
proper moment for entering into a discus-
sion on a matter which was more or less h. 'unlatch
connected with the reorganisation of the 6°l3llgre.
As no one wished to make any further observa,.4lons
on that part of the report of the committee whit*
relates to financial matte-- " Archduke-Presi-
dent, at 3 o'clock p.m., d that the sitting
was at an end. The great pumice' debate began
this morning at 11 o'cloak.
The German part of the population of Austria is
extremely desirous to have a " general constitu-
tion" for the empire, but it is not likely that they
will have one. In aristocratic circles it is related,
but I am unable to sly with what degree of truth,
that the Emperor plainly told the Grand Duke of
llesse Darmstadt that he would grant a constitu-
tion to hi • s subjects when he ceased to wear a sword,
" but not borers." Very similar language is used
by the high military
men who have the ear of the
Emperor, and it therefore safely be concluded
that Austria is oninat3he eve of a very great crisis..
The Hungarians are resolved to recover their con-
stitutional rights and privileges, and it is certain
that they calculate on assistance from abroad. A
great deal of French gold is in circulation in Han-
gary, and it is strongly suspected that large quan-
tities of arms have recently been smuggled intothe
country. Not only is the name of Kossuth again in
the mouths of the people, but a few days ago the
authorities laid hands on " Kossuth-notes" of the
1,200 florins. Travellers who return from Hungery
state that the inhabitants of that country appear to
be quite indifferent to what is said and done in the
Reichsrath. The reconciliation between the Mag..
yars and South Slaves is said to be " perfect." Re.
cently several " ill-disposed" persons have been
arrested in the Voivodina, and at onee transported
to the interior of the empire. It is related that
Count Rechbergwas in such a ba4 humour yester-
day evening that none of his people dared to ap-
proach him.
Great preparations are being made for the de-
fence of Venetia and the coast of Dalmatia, which
is much more likely to be attacked by Garibaldi
than Istria, which forms a part of the German
federal territory. Fiume belongs to the maritime
coast of Croatia, and consequently does not enjoy
the protection of the Bund. The Duke of Modena
is here said to have met with an enthusiastic recep-
tion at Bassano, where his troops are encamped ;
but Austrian military men have hinted to me that
the Modenese are kept at such a distance from the
frontier because many of them have displayed
desire to join their fellow-countrymen on the ether
side of the Po. Rear-Admiral von Pohl has been
here, and after having had an audience of the Em-
peror he left without delay for Trieste. The Aus-
trian ships of war are assembling at Lissa, where
there is a very large and secure harbour.
In Austrian official circles it is not believed that
the Emperor Napoleon will go to Warsaw. If the
King of the Belgians should feel inclined to go there
he will receive an invitation.
Accordingto official advices from Belgrade Prince
Milosch is still alive.
In consequence of the receipt of a private telegram
from Paris, announcing that the Emperor Napoleon
would go to Warsaw, there was a great improvement
on 'Change to-day.

SEPT. 23.
The discussion relative to the future organization.
of the empire made but little progress yesterday,
but the Reichsrath, on the proposition of Count
Clam, unanimously resolved to insert the subjoined
passage in its report to the Emperor :
" In consideration of the fact that in the management of
the press in general, and of the periodical press in particular,
administrative (police) measures and judicial functions
(Funktionen) so interfere with each other that there is no
well-defined (sichere) line of demarcation between legal in-
tervention and arbitrary proceedings, and in consideration
of the unpleasantness arising from the want of a well-
secured legal basis for the press, which must indirectly have
an unfavourable influence on the public welfare, it becomes
evident that a speedy regulation of the affairs of the press
in the sense of lawful freedom of action, is an absolute
(unabweisbar) necessity."
Yesterday it was officially announced at Trieste
that Ancona is blockaded.
The Stadtholder of Venice has announced that
the military patrols have received orders to make
efficient use of their weapons should resistance be
offered to them in their endeavours to prevent the
introduction of arms and incendiary proclamations,
and the entrance of dangerous persons into the
kingdom. The coasts (of Venetia ?) will no longer
be lighted up.