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I ' JvJmY 14, 1855.] THE LEADER, 67 o
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AUSTRIAN FINANCE. (From a Vienna Corresp...
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A PROBLEM FOR THE "PROFAKE." A statistic...
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/|!Ntti>tr (iTniiilftI Vji^-ULU V!bUUiilli*
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riN TIII.X JiKIVHITMKNT. AS AI.I. OPINIO...
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There is no learr.ed n-.nii but will con...
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"THK COMIC OLD GENTLEMAN. (To the. Edito...
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Transcript
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Italian Necbor.Ogy. (From A Corresponden...
but even sends forth a few ^ reat men , who , by their contributions to art , learning , and science , appeal to the world for the free development T > f Italian civilisation . When a nation is oppressed by foreign soldiers and by crowned tyrants—her soul crushed out by legions of Jesuits , by a sanhedrim of priests _ - \ rhen ignorance is fostered by state laws—when learning is a crime , and immorality and servility are regarded as virtues , is it not a good omen for the future if there are still men of genius who sacrifice their private means and cultivate the sciences without any public encouragement , -without hope of praise or reward , and without honours , excepting those which , posterity may assign to them ?
I ' Jvjmy 14, 1855.] The Leader, 67 O
I ' JvJmY 14 , 1855 . ] THE LEADER , 67 o
Austrian Finance. (From A Vienna Corresp...
AUSTRIAN FINANCE . ( From a Vienna Correspondent . } The administrative year in Austria closes at the end of October ; yet the report of the administrative year 1854 was not published hy the . Vienna Official Gazette till last June , that is | p say , after a delay of eight months . It is true , from the chaos and mysterious confusion , in which these finances are enveloped , they require no less time to be arranged ; for , though a certain degree of publicity is due to the people , who have to pay everything , still the imperial , ministerial , and inquisitorial spoliations must not be exposed too freely to the public gaze . But , in spite of great elaboration and ingenious manipulations , this report bears evidence of the administrative ability of the high-minded Emperor , who secures the happiness of his subjects by a progressive increase of taxes , of expenses , of deficit , and of debt . Ample proofs of this may be found in the comparative state of the finances during the last three years , which the tranquillity of the monarchy should have tended rather to improve than to depress . In 1852 the total income of the empire Florins . amounted to 226 , 365 , 108 The expenses to 279 , 81 * 2 , 439 Deficit ... 53 , 447 , 331 1853 . —Income 237 , 136 , 893 Expenses 293 , 960 , 628 Deficit ... 56 , 823 , 735 1854 . —Income 245 , 333 , 724 Expenses 386 , 046 , 614 Deficit ... 110 , 712 , 920 Hence , if the income of 1853 exceeded that of the preceding years by ten millions and threequarters , the expenses went beyond that increase by fourteen millions . The disproportion between Hbe revenue and the augmentation of the expenses is even more perceptible in 1 S 54 . It is i true that M . tie Bruck , to palliate this indecorous yaste of public money , attempts to represent the Bum of 91 , 000 , 000 11 . as extraordinary expenses for th « military establishment ; but , putting aside the enormous exaggeration of this estimate , who compelled Austria to undertake an expense so burdensome to her finances , when she had firmly resolved nolffo interfere with the war in the East ? Such deficiencies can only arise from a spend-, thrift Government , indifferent alike to its true interest and to the fnto of its subjects . But , even ^ granting all things , the inconsistency and carelessaesaofthe Austrian financier even in his manipulation is remarkable . At the end of October , , 195 i , tho expenses of the army are set down in his i mport as amounting to 117 , 000 , 000 il ., while , if fe look into the reports of 1852 for the same inject , we find the . sum is I 11 , 000 , 000 11 ., and for 1853 , 112 , 000 , 00011 ., & o ., so that the difference at , that period was very innignifiennt , consequently this excess of 91 , 000 , 000 ll . is not correct . v The extravagance of the imperial household rfffords another instance of the p ; ifcr » al administration of the young Emperor . The Into KmpuiitW . Jfrancis , although he had a numerous family , pf brothers , sons , and nephew * to endow and i , maintain , never suffered his household expenditure to exceed 3 ,-000 , 000 H . The Emperor Ferdinand ( kept within the same limits . But the worthy son ! , < $ Sophia considered this endowment far too iflWMi for him , and bus thus gradually increased « u expenses : — il ' l In 1852 to 0 , 000 , 000 H . 1 B 5 JI to .... «> , 7-J . ") , 0 () 0 1851 to 7 , /) 0 « , 0 OO . The interest of the public debt hna in tlio menu time increased in the same gradual proportion : —
„¦ In 1852 to 62 , 608 , 000 fl . 1853 to 66 , 819 , 000 1854 to 72 , 148 , 000 On the other hand , those branches of the revenue derived from productive sources , which are signs of increasing activity and commercial enterprise , and consequently of public prosperity , are gradually diminishing . Thus the Customs produced In 1852 22 , 317 , 000 fl . 1853 20 , 728 , 000 1854 19 , 000 , 000 which shows an annual diminution of about 1 , 600 , 000 fl . Hence the increase in the general revenue falls on the personal and territorial imposts , which are the most onerous to the contributors . These taxes are so heavy that many cannot pay them ; they are , in fact , so disproportionate to the means of the landowners , as sometimes even to exceed their income ; thus many small proprietors , totally unable to pay , and persecuted by fiscal exactions , have preferred to give up their estates to the Crown . Notwithstanding these increased burdens , the revenue derived from the land-tax was in arrear of 13 , 000 , 000 fl . in 1852 , and of 12 , 000 , 000 fl . in 1858 , making a total deficiency of 25 , 000 , 000 fl . in two years : to cover which , even with the aid of the above extortions , only 14 , 000 , 000 fl . could be raised . But the difficulty of payment continued in 1854 , for in that administrative year no less than 21 , 000 , 000 fl . are represented as still owing ; 12 , 000 , 000 fl . by Hungary , 7 , 000 , 000 fl . by the Sclave-German Provinces , and 2 , 000 , 000 fl . by Lbnibardy and Venice . "When it is remembered what Hungary , since her annexation to the Austrian Monarchy , has , through the abolition of the Custom dues , gained by the facility of selling at higher prices her wine , cattle , and corn , in the Austrian dominions , one can easily imagine how miserable must be the condition of the country , and how oppressive the fiscal regulations , if the people , even with these advantages , cannot pay their tribute . Most of the provinces of the Austrian Empire are very poor , and so isolated , that they can scarcely be " said to form a part of civilised Europe . Among these are Gallicia , Silesia , Croatia , Sclavonia , the Tyrol , & c . So that all pecuniary exactions fall on Hungary , Italy , Bohemia , Moravia , and Austria Proper . Every one , therefore , may judge of the amount of discontent , and of the chances of tranquillity and credit which Austria has prepared for the future . To resume her financial record : in 1854 we find a deficit of 140 , 712 , 920 11 ., to which M . de Brack ' s report adds 54 , 045 , 108 fl . for various expenses and ur « apt needs not explained , but probably for secret service and espionage , thus making the real deficit of the lost year amount to 192 , 758 , 028 fl . During these years Austria lwis contracted may loans at honio and abroad , sometimes called voluntary , but at homo always , in reality , convpulsorv . * _ ^ Florins . A loan for a lottery : it I per cent , gave ... 43 , 000 , 000 Another at 5 per cent 11 , 000 , 000 The National Loan , which till that time h . ul produced 27 , 500 , 000 A lnnn with the Hank 59 , 300 , 000 Issue of papor money to the amount of ... 53 , 000 , 000 By various financial operations ... ... 18 , 000 , 000 Total 212 , 187 , 084 Dolhit extinguished 11 ) 2 , 758 , 02 ^ liemuiiuler 19 , 429 , 00 * A part of this , M . < le Bruck said , lias already been absorbed in various objects , and the remainder is loft a . s a fund . Now comes the deficit of 1 S 5 J } , winch will l >\ far exceed all that has gone before . Austria has endeavoured , through her organs in Germany , t ^ spread a report thai . she maintains an army of 720 , 000 men ( a number which sjio never reached , for even in I ho most critical times of 1848 and ltf-U ) , she never bad more than from 350 to . 100 , 000 ni ( Mi ) , Hint every thousand men cost her half a million of lloriiis a year , and that , her military expenses lliisycnr will beaboul 300 , 000 , 000 II . more than usual . Wo will say nothing of this iirodio-ious luvsl-ilicntion—rthat will bo a future , mii'stion ; aill " that it is important at the « ro-Hoiit to know is , that M . do JJruck is busily cn'wed in devising some new and eilectivo scheme , for raising money . Th « National Loom of 500 , 000 , 00011 . lias already been devoured , and a
war loan ( what war ? unless the eternal one with her own subjects ) has been proposed by the President of the Ministry ; M . de Bruck is , however , an able Chancellor of the Exchequer , and he has openly denounced every form of loan as destructive to industry , and contrary to economical science . But what does economical science suggest to the mind of M . de Bruck ? Injustice and inhumanity . His favourite plan , which he warmly advocates , and which probably will be preferred , is to raise capital from the estates of benevolent institutions , hospitals , foundling hospitals , workhouses , and charitable foundations of every kind throughout the empire , to vest these in the Government , which will indemnify them with
paper money . This measure will weiMi most heavily on Lombardy and Venice , for there even the villages have been provided with benevolent institutions , either by the lard-earned savings of the poorer classes , by the beneficence of the ancient independent municipalities , by the communities of the working people , or by the bequests of private individuals . That the holy legacy which the generous charity of ancestors had left to the poor should be thus wasted to uphold a spendthrift Government is a proof of the humanity and piety of the much bepraised and chivalrous Emperor , while M . De Bruck will prove himself a philanthrouical statesman worthy ? H | the master he serves . What could barbarism do more ? May it not be the consciousness of the precarious tenure of their office that makes rulers thus boldly defy the sense of justice common alike to all mankind ?
A Problem For The "Profake." A Statistic...
A PROBLEM FOR THE " PROFAKE . " A statistical Correspondent , who appeal's to soar above the imputation of joking , submits to us the following problem , ¦ which we , in our turn , submit with all deference to the free and accepted members of that mysterious brotherhood whose good living is proverbial : — ( To the Editor of the Leader . } In a periodical devoted to the craft of Masonry there are sixteen deaths recorded during the first sis
months of its publication . Nine of these were sudden deaths ! "What proportion does this number of sudden deaths among- Freemasons bear to the sudden deaths in other societies in which the murder of a brother member is not regarded as an ancient privilege too sacred to be inquired into by the public , or investigated before a legal tribunal ? Among the sudden deaths recorded in the Masonic Jlirror is the assassination of Moore , the Freemason . Everybody knows that that affair has not yet been strictly inquired into , nor properly investigated before a legal tribunal . Reoclus .
" Kegulus" evidently considers that sixteen deaths in one fraternity during six months constitute an exceptional and alarming obituary . He is probably not aware that the number of Freemason ? , connected , as subscribing or non-subscribing members , with Lodges in the British dominions alone , is something like two hundred and fifty thousand . We would respectfully suggest at once to the initiated and the uninitiated , another ami more humane solution to this terrible problem : — Query . —Does the good feeding for which ireemasons " are ; justly celebrated cause the proportion of surfiLn deaths in the fraternity to be so " roflt ?
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"Thk Comic Old Gentleman. (To The. Edito...
"THK COMIC OLD GENTLEMAN . ( To the . Editor ttf the Under . ) Sin ,-Fran < e , in 177-1 . like England oWfy ™* ?™" later , luokiriff wisdom to Hiii . lo } hron ^\^ m d to found u wit . The yountf Louis was n J - * ° « r « vo iH . uni . elH , ' > ut , the Church beca . m 11 » " u } . ^ the idea < . f . uisU-nly nml , V /" [* ^^ , Government was lmn . lo . over U ti _ Maurepa ,, a Uiipul ol clff My . * wifc hml tion , " wiys tfoKur , ins ] f a tvSeiicy to raillery SSwa ^ JSrs ' -sasrsa
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), July 14, 1855, page 13, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_14071855/page/13/
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