The Sun.
London, England, 1866-03-27 00:00:00

GREAT LUXEMBOURG.

The report of the directors states that the gross
receipts for the half-year ending the 31st of Decem-
ber last amounted to £155,282, and the net earn-
ings to £80,202 ; for the corresponding half of 1864
the gross receipts amounted to £125,991, and the
net earnings to £69,060 ; and for the corresponding
half of 1863 the gross receipts amounted to
£116,564, and the net earnings to £63,341. The
net earnings for the present half-year amounted to
£80,202, exceeding those of the corresponding half
of 1864 by £11,142, and of 1863 by £16,860. The
gross receipts for the first 11 weeks of the current
half-year amounted to £58,570, and for the cor-
responding period of 1865 to £45,947, showing an
increase of 12,623. From the circumstances con-
nected with the commerce and industry of Belgium
and the neighbouring countries, the directors were
quite assured that the traffic would continue to
make extensive progress. During the last few
years the industry, especially that connected with
the iron manufactory of Belgium and the countries
adjoining, had shown a much greater development
than formerly. In the Grand Duchy of Luxem-
bourg, and in France, in the department of the
Moselle, new manufacturing establishments were
being constantly created. Those in course of
erection last year were scarcely finished when
various new ones were projected. All these esta-
blishments would be supplied with coke and other
objects of consumption from Charleroi, Liege, &c.,
and would thus, contribute materially to the pros-
perity of the Great Luxembourg Railway. On the
other hand, the iron ore of the Grand Duchy
and of the province of Luxembourg and the neigh-
bourhood of Longwy entered more largely every
year into the consumption of the Belgian iron fur-
naces. The quantity of iron ore conveyed in 1865
was 359,483 tons, being 80,614 tons in excess of the
quantity transported in 1864. Besides the increase
in these great elements of traffic there had been an
addition to the transit trade. The proportion of the
working expenses to the gross receipts of the past
half-year was 483 per cent. The train mileage had
exceeded that of the corresponding half of 1864 by
153,905 miles. The average cost per mile per train
has been llid. The permanent way and rolling
stock had been maintained in good working order.
Several of the stations, especially those of Arlon and
Jemelle, were in course of being enlarged. Between
the former of those stations and thepoint of junction
with the Longwy branch (three miles) and between
aatnelle and the point of junction of the Ourthe Rail-
NiVay (four miles), the second line of railway was being
down
rapidly The works on the Ourthe line were now
approaching completion, and in a few weeks
the entire tir line would be ready for opening. Every-
thing tended t,
confirm the views formerly expressed
by the director,
"" to the value of this line. By the
original Act of Concession of the Great Luxembourg.
Railway, bearing date vebvlittr
branches,lB46, the company
was bound to construct two
one to the
river Ourthe, the other to
of Bastogne.
w By means of this construction of the Railway
,
the former of those branches had
been executed.
The other must be proceeded With and
completed
within one year from the present time. Tt,
of it was 17 miles, and the estimated cost £120,073'0".
It would contribute traffic to the main line, and the
Belgian Government accorded to it a guarantee of
interest amounting to £2,800 per annum. The
time had arrived for laying down on certain parts of
the railway the second line of rails. The traffic was
already so large that it was scarcely possible to add
to the number of trains, and yet it was certain that
within a very brief period there must be a very con-
siderable addition to that number. The opening of
the Ourthe line would render essential an immediate
increase of trains between Marloie and the frontier
of the Grand Duchy. It would be necessary to order
11 more engines and 1,200 waggons. The com-
pany would then possess in all 90 engines, 153 car-
riages, and 3,440 waggons. In order to provide for
all those requirements the directors propose to raise
£750,000. The net earnings of the canal amounted

to £323. After payment of £35,608 for interest
and reimbursement of obligations there remained a
balance of £44,749, out of which the directors pro-
posed a dividend of Bs. 6d. per share, to repay £1,049
to the Government, to place £BOO to the reserve
fund, and to carry forward £4OO.

GRAND TRUNK OF CANADA.
The traffic receipts on this company's line for
the week ending the 3d inst. amounted for local
passengers to £5,123 ; for foreign passengers to
£1,762 ; for mails, &c., to £976 ; for local freight
and live stock, to £15,143 ; for foreign freight and
live stock to £2,B92—total, £25,896, against
£25,107 for the corresponding week of last year,
showing an increase of £789. The total receipts
from the Ist of January to the above date amounted
to £205,173, and for the same period last year to
£193,480, showing an increase of £11,693.