A grave scandal has occurred in Austria. The construction of
the Galician Railways has been entrusted to a single con- tractor, Baron Schwarz, instead of many contractors, against the recommendation of a Committee of the Reichsrath. It is suspected, therefore, that bribery has been at work, and Herr Kaminski, a Member, asserts that he helped to influence officials, and that Baron Schwarz promised him £62,000, which he now refuses to pay. He has even brought his complaint into Court. He has been compelled to resign his seat, but the incident has revived an impression, always current in Vienna, that conces- sions are not given fairly. There was a tremendous scandal of the kind after the great "crach," and several suicides among persons highly placed. The remedies, we imagine, are to make all payments criminal, and confide the distribution of contracts to a Standing Committee, composed either of men as incorrup- tible as Judges, or of men too wealthy even to feel temptation.
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