The Sun.
London, England, 1859-10-15 00:00:00

RAILWAYS.

Cash. Account.
Orleans
Northern 925 .. 930
New ditto B2O 820
Lyons and Mediterranean 907 50 .. 905
Geneva 530 .. 530
Southern
Western 560 .. 560
Eastern
Sardinian 4lO 410
Austrian -
Lombard

Exchange on London, at sight, paper, 25f. 121 e. ; money,
25f 11c.; three months, paper, 24f. 971 c.; money, 2#1.95c.

AUSTRIA.

A letter from Vienna, dated Oct. 12, says the
subjoined brief, but most important, communication
has just been made to the public by the Finance
Department :
The last instalment of the voluntary (National) Loan
made in the year 1854 having, with the exception of some
few subscriptions, been paid on Aug. 24, it appears that the
total amount of obligations issued by the State during the
last few- years on account of the debt in question is
611,571,3001, of which sum 26,492,1001 have been paid
over to the Sinking Fund. Thus the sum for which obli-
gations are now in circulation is 585,079,2001, with which
the voluntary loan of the year 1854 is definitively closed.

As the Imperial Patent of 1864 only empowered
the Finance Department to raise 500,000,000f1. by
means of a national subscription, the foregoing
communition has produced an exceedingly bad im-
pression on the public, which asks how it is possible
to have confidence in a Government " which keeps
faith with nobody." The Dutch and other, foreign
capitalists, supposing that the total amount of the
national loan was 500,000,0001, bought largely,
and their debtor now coolly informs them
that he has raised no less than 111,500,000f1.
more than he was authorised to do. The real
value of the stock is the same, but its
nominal value is likely to be materially diminished
by the inexcusable conduct of the Government. As
the foreign capitalists who have advan2ed money to
Austria since the year 1854 have done so ou the
supposition that the exact amount of the national
loan was 500,000,000f1., it stands to reason that
their confidence in the sinc:rity, if not in the
probity, of their debtor, must be shaken. The
Presse makes the following observations on a sub-
ject which may possibly create almost as great a
sensation abroad as it has done here :

"The information just received has greatly surprised us.
It was known that Government had not insisted on the
payment of some of the subscriptions to the loan, and we
therefore believe that the sum really raised was much
below 500,006,000f1. We did not for a moment suppose
that a largo sum has been received by Government, as it
was expressly said, in the Imperial Patent of June 26th,
1854, that the 'highest amount' (Maximal-Betrag) of the
loan was- to be 500,000,0001 In a Ministerial Itescript
of September 15th, 18.54, it was stated, 'on the au-
thority of the final reports from the provinces,' that the
sum subscribed was 506,788,4771 The statement that
611,571,3001 were raised is the more remarkable, as the
subscriptions to the Loan ceased on the 31st August, 1854,
and their result was made known to the public within a fort-
night from that day. There is some mystery, which the
Oesterreichische Zeitung (the organ of the Finance Depart-
ment) has not attempted to clear up, although it foresees
that 'many questions will be asked, many r njecturesin-
dulged in, and many biting remarks made."
It is possible that the State balance-sheet—an
analysis of which was forwarded yaterday—is cot-
rect, but the Vienna financiers appear to have very
little faith in it. The assurance has to-day been
given me that Baron Bruck is not in immediate want
of money, as he has a large supply of " Grun•
dentlastungs-Obligationen" (bonds issued when the
soil was emancipated) in hand, but still it is certain
that Government is in great pecuniary difficulties.
The National Bank, its principal creditor, is said to.
be importunate, but the committee has not the
courage openly to oppose Baron Bruck, who, in his
way, is as absolute and arbitrary as was the late
Emperor Nicholas. Formerly he prohibited all un-
favourable mention by the press of his own measures
and of the doings of his pet establishments; but
the present Minister of Police has done away with
the preventive system which, in defiance of the
press law, had gradually been introduced by the late
Cabinet. About ten days since it was said in my
correspondence that Baron Hubner had "tabooed"
certain subjects, but the statement was not quite
correct. It was simply hinted to the representa-
tives of the Vienna press that it might be well to
avoid certain subjects and to touch on others very
lightly.

DEATH OF MR. FLETCHER NORTON.—We regret
to have to record the death of Mr. Fletcher Cavendish
Charles Conyers Norton, attache to the Embassy,
at English
at Paris, eldest son of the Hon. George
C. and Mrs. Norton,
who died at his lodgings, in Paris, on Thursday night. Mr.
Norton entered the diplomatic service in December, 1847,
as attachtl to the Legation at Lisbon. He was afterwards
attached to the Legations of Naples and Brussels, and in
August, 1854, was appointed second paid attachil at Paris.
The deceased gentleman had been for some months past in
a very weak state of health. He had just attained his 30th
year, having been born the 10th of July, 1829.
RELICS OF SIR JOHN FRANLIN'S EXPEDITION.
Arrangements will shortly be made for the admission of.
the 'fiublie to view the relics brought homo by Captain
M'Clintock, at the Museum of the United Service Institu-
tion,:under such restrictions only as may be required for
the protection of the various objects in the museum.
ADDITION TO THE NAVY.—We alluded a few
weeks since to the fact that a very important addition was
being made to the British navy, in the form of a fleet of
gunboats, of larger tonnage than those at present in the
service and we are now enabled to give some: details with
reference to this important class of vessels:Which are no
doubt destined to do good service in the: event of any
future war occurring. These gunborts .age eighteen in
number, and of two classes, the one of 595 tons burthen
and the other of 425 tons. The firms Co whom these
boats have been entrusted are Messrs. IVigram and Co., and
Green and Co., of Black wall ; J. Scott Russell and Co., and
Mr. Pitcher, of Northfleet ; Mr.
T. Mare, of Millwall ;
White, of Cowes; Messrs. Miller, of Liverpool; and Mr.
Lungley, of Deptford. The following are the Names of the
14 vessels building in the port of London, including one
which Mr. Wigram is building at Northam yard, South-
ampton. Three of the vessels, it will be seen, are to'replace
those sunk by the fire of the Chinese at the forts of Peiho.
Building at Blackwall—ee, Plover, and Perch, each of
425 tons ; Racehorse and Cormorant, of 695 tons. At
Deptford—Mullet, 425 tons. At Millwall—Snipe, Spar-
row, and Dart, each of 425 tons ; Eclipse, Lily, Star,
and Serpent, each of 695 tons. At Southampton—The
Cygnet, of 425 tons. Of the remaining gunboats, two,
the Pelican and Steady, of 425 tons each, are build-
ing at Liverpool, one at Cowes, Isle of Wight, and
one at Northileet. The boats are considerably advanced in
frame, and but for the difficulty experienced by all the
builders in obtaining* seasoned crooked timber, would have
been ready for planking by this time. They are all, how-
ever, according to the terms of the contract, to be completed
in the spring of 1860.—Steune 'Shipping Chronicle.
TiE GREAT EASTERN.—A telegram from Mr. 11.
Berkeley, M.P., ono of the directors of the Great Ship Com-
pany, was received on Thursday evenin,r, by Mr.
William
Patterson, of Bristol, the builderui the Great Western,
Great Britain, Royal Charter, and other celebrated ocean
steamers, gentleman to visit Holyhead erequestingsurvey the Great Eastern. It is presumed that Mr. P t-
d
torson's inspection will be made in conjunctionwith thea
representatives of the Board of Trade. Mr. Patterson left
Bristol for Holyhead yesterday afternoon.
POST-OFFICE CLOTHING.—The authorities at the
medical adviser to
givenunderstand,
to General Post-office, acting, as we are
upon the suggestions of Dr. Lewis,the
that department, have come to the determination of granting
in future to the letter carriers, &c., two coats instead of one
as heretofore; ono of a light description, to be worn during
the summer months, and the other of
a heavier material,
for winter.