The Sun.
London, England, 1869-01-18 00:00:00

MILITARY ECONOMIES.

It appears that the authorities at Whitehall have
introduced in the new volume of Army Regulations
some restrictive rules for the better government of
officers' messes. The object of these rules is to keep
the expenditure within reasonable limits ; and
commanding officers are enjoined to bear in mind
that as it is incumbent on every officer of the corps
to be a member of the regimental mess, whatever
his means, the ordinary expenditure should b e regulated
with regard to those officers whose incomes are the
most limited. In order that every officer may have
a voice in any proposition for regulating the expenses
of the mess, it is now for the first time ruled that mess
meetings shall be held not less than once in every
six months for the purpose of auditing the accounts.
as well as for authorising any special outlay of the
funds. It is to be hoped these regulations will assist
the younger members of the corps to avoid the
money-lender and the Insolvent Court.

FOREIGN NOTES.

AUSTRIA:

A letter rrom Vienna gives a most encouraging 'account
a the progress of Austria during the last two years. First
of all, the new era of prosperity has been inaugurated by
two very abundant harvests, and the constant. labour upon
the new lines of railii.ays renders the produce of the soil
day by day more valuable. A great impetus bas been
given to industry and commerce. Hetee the duties of
the Treasury have been lightened, the taxes have
been collected with far less difficulty than for
some years, and yet the imposts in seine cases
have been diminished. All the public securities
have risen during the period of reconstruction, in no case
less than three, in many as much as five per cent. The
tomparative equalisation of revenue and expenditure has
diminished the amount of annual lorrowing, and hence
the capitalists turn their attention to the railways.
Between last April and November an enormous sum—
quite without parallel in Austrian finance—has been
invested in shares and debentures. Nor has this capital
been sunk in profitless undertakings ; for though the
exportation of wheat has fallen off somewhat, the general
receipts show a large increase. The share quotations have
uniformly risen. Numerous banks And credit establish-
ments have been founded in different parts of the country.
This account of the results of July 3, 1866—the day on
which Austria was defeated in battle and saved as an empire
- suggests some import aut considerations. It goes to confirm
the opinion we have often expressed, that the progress of
Austria under her, new form of government has been
generally underrated, and that too much has been made
of her prostration by the disasters of 1866. The calcula-
tion that Austria will not enter into war now because war
would be ruinous to her is much too sanguine ; the mili-
tary strength of the new monarchy is far in advance of
any other European State except France and' Prussia.
The security for peace on the part of Austria does not lie
In herinability to fight, but in the unwillingness of the
people to pay for fighting. Under the new laws, the Austrian
Reichsrath and the Hungarian Diet have great control
aver the finances, and so have the Delegations—the Par-
liament composed of representatives from the Diet and
the Reichsrath. Economy is the great electoral cry of
these popular representatives, and in order to keep the
favour of their constitnencies they pare down the expenses
to the most parsimonious limits. The Government at
this moment cannot construct coast defences, because the
rotes for the money cannot be had. A people animated
by this spirit will always act as a dead weight upon the
warlike designs of the Government, if it entertains any.
It would be well for Europe if such liberty were known
in France or Prussia.