The Sun.
London, England, 1845-07-24 00:00:00

sad the Belgian railways and canals which centre in that district
from Antwerp, Ostend, Brussels, Ghent, Bruges, and other Belgian
provinces, and join those of France on one side, and on the other
thosef of Germany and Holland ; thus forming continuous lines of
communication with them all. Looking next to the south, a railway
is to be made (as a branch to the Paris and Strasbourg Railway)
from Metz to the extensive coal-field at Sarrebruck, and another is
projected to Manheim, on the Rhine. At Thionville and Metz, the
Luxembourg line will meet the large passenger and goods traffic on
the Moselle, to and from the Rhine at Coblentz, which the establish-
ment of steamers on the Moselle, is daily and rapidly increasing.
Much of the great transit trade now going by the Rhine through
Holland is also likely to take this route through Antwerp or Calais,
in consequence of the g rest difficulty, delay, and expense of ascending
the Rhine between Strasbourgh and Bale.
There is likewise a considerable local traffic in passengers and
goods in the districts through which the railway will pass, and nu-
merous fairs are held there. They abound in timber, corn, wine,
mines of every description—iron, copper, lead, manganese, antimony,
&c.; rock-salt, limestone, plaster, slate quarries (which supply the
whole province, and export to a large extent to other countries)—and
they contain numerous tanneries, salt-works, and all the smelting
and other establishments to which mineral productions give rise.
There are 28 blast-furnaces in the province of Namur, and 41 in
that of Luxembourg, which all draw iron-ore from the Luxembourg
mines. Besides the local consumption of iron, about 70,000
tons are annually exported. On the other hand, Luxembourg
imports from Belgium large quantities of glass, manufactured
goods, colonial produce, spirits, zinc; marble, and building-stone,
coal, &c. The importation of coal from the Belgian coal-field, at the
north end of the line, and from Sarrebruck, at its southern extremity,
would increase to a very large extent, both for fuel and for burning
lime, smelting ore, and other manufacturing purposes, as soon as an
improved means of conveyance is introduced, instead of the present
slow and expensive one of carting, which keeps that article at a high
price. One part of these districts contains fine limestone, while the
other wants it ; and the slates would find a largely increased 'sale in
Belgium, Holland, and France. The wealth, fertility, and population
of the department of the Moselle, in which the southern terminus of
this railway will be situated, are too well known to need comment.
In 1828 a powerful Belgian and Dutch Company, called the
" Societe du Luxembourg," undertook to carry out the great national
objects-Ist, ofuniting the rivers Meuse and Moselle, and of thus af-
fording a perfect and continuous means of communication through
the whole length of the province of Luxembom g, by completing the
line of navigation from the Meuse at Liege to the Moselle, near Lux-
embourg and Treves ; and 2dly, of bringing into active production
the great mineral wealth of this province, which .had remained dor-
mant for want of proper means of conveyance. For these purposes
the Luxembourg Company was endowed with a perpetual grant and
almost unlimited powers. In accordance with this project, the Com-
pany commenced operations at the Liege end, and proceeded
with great vigour and success, until all was stopped by the Belgian
revolution of IS3O. National jealousy or other circumstances
have since prevented the resumption of the scheme. The river
Ourthe,,which flows into the Meuse, and was the commencement of
the proposed line of navigation, had, however, been considerably im-
proved by the Company, and an important local traffic, amounting io
about 70,000 tons perannum,is.now established there, from which the
Luxembourg Company has derived a handsome and increasing return
for the money expended. This Company had also obtained the
grant of three valuable mining localities, previous to the revolution
of 1830; namely, the grant of the lead, copper, and iron mines .at
Durbity, of the lead mines of Maizeret, and of the manga-
nese Mines of' Bihain. Several other grants had been applied for,
and were pending, but the matter has since remained in abeyance
from the circumstances already mentioned.' The 'grant of Durbuy
extends over seven parishes, and 19,308 statute acres; 24,000 tons
of iron ore had already been extracted previous to 1830, and about as
much iron in 1839 and 1840, when the works were resumed. In
1842 these mines were let for twenty years to another company,
who undertook to produce at least 1000 cubic yards of rough Ore per
annum, and who are actively working the mines. The Luxembourg
Company receives a royalty or farm-rent of the tenth of the produce.
The grant of the Maizeret lead mines extends over 630 acres. From
the result of the borings and excavations made, these mines are con-
sidered very valuable, and they have the advantage of being close to
the Meuse river and to the high-road from Namur to Liege. The
concession of Biliain extends over 1614 acres, and promises to be-
come one of great value ; 600 tons of manganese had already been
extracted when the works had to be suspended in 1830. The com-
pany had also already expl red several valuable mining localities, pro.
clueing baryte,(from one of which mines 530 tons were extracted,l rock-
salt, antimony, lead, copper, iron, and other minerals, of which it
had applied for grants under the powers and intent of its charter. A
large number of quarries were likewise opened by the Company, and
continue to be worked. It possesses property in Brussels, including
a large mansion and premises, where its offices are situated.
In order to become possessed of the extensive powers granted to
the Luxembourg Company, and thus to obtain the entire command of
the intercourse and mining property in that province and the ad-
joining districts, this Company will have to purchase the shares and
rights of the Company above-mentioned, including of course the
canal, mines, and all its other property, interests arid privileges, for
the sum of 260,0001. As the railway will effect the purposes of con."
veyance and communication through Luxembourg, for which the
canal was projected, it is now intended (and it is in accordance with
the charter) to complete the line of navigation only from the Meuse
at Liege to La Roche; ofwhich the estimated cost is under 400,0001. ; by
this means the railway and navigation cannot clash, as they will
start from and run through quite different districts. It will be reserved
for future consideration whether the canal shall eventually be joined
to the railway by a branch canal or railway from La Roche, or
whether it shall be continued in any other direction. In the
meantime the local traffic alone will be sufficient to produce a hand-
some return on the capital to be invested, it being estimated upon a
careful and moderate calculation to yield a net profit of about eight
par cent. on the capital required. It may not be generally known
that the Belgian canals give a net profit of from six to fourteen per
cent., and the Charleroi and Brussels Canal, which was conceded to
a company in 1826, is paying ten and a half per cent. on the capital.
In addition to the great mineral traffic above described, the canal
will cross several extensive forests; whence large quantities of tim-
ber and wood will be sent for ship and house-building, fuel, and other
purposes, for which it is constantly in great demand.
The concession of the railway is already obtained • from the Go-
vernment, for a lease of ninety years from the date of its completion.
The other conditions are equally favourable. The tariff is about
thirty per cent. higher for passenger.; than that of the Belgian
railways, being about the same, both for passengers and goods
as that of France, while it is much more advantageous in many other
respects. .

The Government is to give, without charge, all the land required
for the railway, wherever it crosses the crown lands, and it is to use
its authority and influence to induce parishes and individuals to do
the same. No government or other tax or duty is ever to be im-
posed upon the railway, nor is any rival line to be allowed to start
from the Belgian railways in the direction of this one through
Luxembourg, for at least twelve years. The " concessionaires," or
lessees of this railway, or their representatives are to have the pre-
ference of all branch lines which may hereafter be proposed in con.-
nexion with it.
•• ' • .

The cost of construction is expec'ed to be considerably under the
average of the Belgian lines, the best proof of which is. to be found in
the circumstance that the Government engages to release the lessees,
to return them the caution money, and to pay them for their ex-
. _ .

.
penses of surveys, &c., if the estimate of cost now being made by the
Government engineers should exceed the average cost of 800,000
francs per Belgian league (about 10,000/. per English mile), for a
single line of rails, but with the land, earth-works, and masonry for
a double line. The working of the railway is also likely to be very
cheap, to which a coal-field at each end of it, and the consequently
low price of coke, will much contribute. From all the circumstances
already stated, and careful inquiries into the traffic, there can be no
doubt that this line of railway will yield a very handsome return upon
the capital required.
In the allotment, due consideration will be shown proprietors of
shares in the adjoining undertakings of the Sambre and Meuse, Lou-
vain and Jemappe, and Namur and Liege Railway Companies.

FORM OF APPLICATION FOR SHARES.
To the Directors of the Luxembourg Company.
Gentlemen,—l request that you will insert myname as a Subscriber
for Shares of 500 francs (201.) each, upon the terms and
conditions of the prospectus of July, 1845, and the Acte de Societe
arid Statutes regulating the Company, aad I hereby undertake to
accept the same, or any less number-vou may allot me, to pay the
deposit, and sign all required deeds when I shall be called upon to do
so, and to couform to the statutes and regulations of the Company.
I am, Gentlemen, your obedient servant,
Names at full length......
Description ...... . .
Residence.... ......... ...... .. •• • •
Reference.........
Date

Prospectuses and forms of application may be bad at the Temporary
Offices of the Company, 61, Moorgate-street, where may be seen spe-
cimens of some of the mines.