The Express.
London, England, 1863-12-21 00:00:00

AUSTRIA -AND HUNGARY

The following is an extract of a prirat3 letter
dated

M, 20.
My dear Friend,—What a contTH Nov.
rast between
the present moment and that to which I
am now reverting. You ask me for a
true account of our position. It is a miser-
able one famine with all its terrors and
frightful consequences. For near upon two years
not a drop of rain ! The sun rising from a sky
without a cloud, and setting behind a veil of fiery
dust ! At the end of three months of spring, this
year the crops lay withering upon a soil dried up to
ashes ; skeleton flocks wandered moaning round
the sapless, shadowless trees, and the peasant
came at Isit to watch the destruction of all his
hopes, the ruin of his very existence, with the
stupidity of a stoicism that is the offspring of
despair.
Some few herdsmen bethought them of driving
their flocks np to the more hilly country, or finding
some fortunate valleys spared by lingering damps,
and hoped to find food for their flocks from sapling
trees, but at what a pries? At that of paying with
half a herd for the questionable nourishment of the
rest' Disease, however, soon followed hunger, or
rethet they went step by step together, That
the one did its work more slowly, and the other
with more fatal promptitude.
You do not require me to tell you the inevitable
result : commerce and trade are at a standstill ; the
husbandman has neither cattle nor corn wherewith
to fertilise his barren land for the season to come ;
many have already walled up the doors and win-
dows of their houses, and have emigrated to Gs-
liciaand Transylvania, hoping to earn food by work,
very possibly, however, never to return again to
their homes, or, it may be, oondemned to exist on
that hardest of all provisions, the charity of the
stranger.
. .

It is not an exaggeration to say that Hungary is by
12,000,0001. or 13,000,0001. the poorer for this awful
infliction,and it must not either be lost sight of
that it s struck a race of men who, though rea.ly
enough to die oa an open battle-field, are ignorant
of these kinds of trials, and scared by the idea of
death bringing hunger, whereof they have till now
not even heard the name.

But enough of this wretched subject : the ques-
tion now is bow to help 1 " Help thyself and God
will help thee" is the truest of all proverbs, as may
be proved by its adoption by every nation. Here,
in Hungary, the " Agricultural Union " at once set
to work to see what was practically to be done, the
time for mere compassion being past. Several ex-
cellent plans were proposed, but the means of carry-
ing them out failed, and the political situation of
the country naturally paralyzed all energetic action.
The Hungarian Chancery, animated by the most
thorough goodwill, suggested a loan, to be repaid
out of the national funds (Guides fond),i but this
scheme was opposed, and met by the memorable
words, "The empire, whole and entire, will succour
Hungary in her need."
Let us be just to all ; the sovereign's behaviour
wasthat of a father of his people ; he meant well to
us, and as far as the state could go he meant that
it should help to provide bread and work, and the
means of earning bread to the suffering.
We earnestly say it : the sovereign did his duty
by us. Let the political dissensions be whatever
they may which divide the western from the eastern
part of the monarchy, it is but just, it is but
true to say that the ministers saw and felt only this
—that help was needed and must be given • and
the government proposed a measure to the If:aloha-
rath which would have sufficed to keep Hungary
alive ; they pointed out the right of the sorely-tried
nation to he supported ; they pointed out the inte-
rests of the " united empire "—the interests served
by keeping up the tax-paying capacity of this corn-
granary of Austria's, nor allowing it to be destroyed.
The founder of Austrian constitutionalism, M. de
Schmerliog, spoke noble words in defence of the
government proposal. M. do Plener, the Miniatir
of Finance, advocated it with the Warmth of limpet
feeling, although be knew that financially it might
not leave him wholly without embarrassment.
But the Reichsrath ! Its best speakers all sup-
ported the proposals of the government ; the majo-
rity, however, threw them out, and thus one of
the very first acts of this " competent" Lower
House of Parliament was to award to Hungary
20,000,000 florins instead of 30,000,000 as a loan.
I will make no comment on this proceeding, the
best of all criticisms having been passed upon it by
the House of Peers. The latter assembly, as you
know, immediately authorised the government to
go further, and give more largely, in case the
20,000,000 were exhausted. 1 scarcely like to
describe the effect of the roceeding of the Chamber
of Deputies on the Hungarian nation ; you can
guess what it must be, and it will suffice if I tell
you that in this country, which is constitutional to
the backbone, which loves its own ancient consti-
tutional rights beyond everything, the uneducated
masses have actually grown to think that they
would rather witness the return of "paternal'
absolutism than have to do with a system which in
its earliest commencements could give proofs of
such narrow-minded, unwise want of proper feeling.
There are those who say that the calculation of
the Lower House was to reduce Hungary by dis-
tress, and to force her to capitulate from her neces-
sity. This I absolutely refuse to believe—it is
altogether too impolitic.
I see with joy that in England an attempt will
be made in favour of my suffering countrymen ; an
attempt to pour a little balm on smarting wounds.
Be assured that the nobleness of the effort will
be felt (at a time, too, when in your own homes the...
is such terrible distress), and that the strong
sympathy will be doubled wherewith already mil-
lions of Hungarians regard your great nation, her
public institutions, and her public men.

The foundation stone of the Royal Clarence
Rotel, Dover, was laid by the Right Hoe. Lord Bodes,
chairmen of the Loader, Chatham, and Dover Railway
Company, in the presence of a large number of ladies and
gentlemen. The proposed site of the Floyd Clarence Hotel
is wear the Marine Parade. in the most fashionable part of
Dover, end it is intended to erect thereon a ant class hotel
for families, where the advantages of a garden with tress
will be combined with the salubrity of the seaside. It will
contain about 250 rooms, together with suites of apertmeeta
for royal personages. Amongst other features eiil be a
ladies' ooffes-rocen and conservatory. Whilst it will possess
a hostage looking towards the am, it has the advantage of
two intending views—the Castle-heal and the fort. It
stands upon upwards of as acre of ground, and the esti-
mated cost is 50,0001. The building is to be constructed at
Tisbury Mose, from Wardour Castle, which has reoently
beat so much used in the erection of the new castle at
Warelonr and in the repairs of Saliebury CethedraL The
style, which is from desires by Mr. John Whichcord, the
architect, is to bean adaptation of the /talks.
HOSPITAL FOR DISZANES or THE CHEST, VICTORIA-
PARE.—The new wing which wee commenced in the sum-
mer, in order to provide for the greetly increased number of
patients that attend the hospital, is now in en advanced
state. The building is roofed in, and the committee an
anxious that the sew eet-petiesta. department should be
reedered evadable as early as poasible. It appears, how-
ever, that fends are much needed for the completiou of the
works, as well as for the ordinary mainteitance of the seta-
blishmeet. An appeal has been issued by the committee for
the assistance so required, and it is hoped, as the meson Is
now at heed when the *vital is so especially useful,
that its neimmitise will he duly provided for.
DOVER, Dec. 90.—Moss DISASTERS IN TEE
Lars GALES.—Late last night a parldwi of the puiseesers
and crew of the barque Prince Frederick Willis.., 347 tom,
were landed at Dover, sad are now at the &Ran' Home.
The targets was bound frorn Newcastle to the avast of
Malabar, and is the North Bea beams so damaged that
she was taken in tow by another mend, from which she
°swampy, Davin the mate sad fear nee oo board
Ls: Vargas which had her in tow. The oely hops for the
Priem Fredonia William is that notwithManding her
sr dale eke say be able le make either Yeauseatb or
Use Wawa. ate 1110.11111 last alight eight use of the Swedish
twig Mary &re were leaded at Dower. This venal became
waterlogged la a heavy pie. Owe man was drowsed, and
tie `lsmaiskag portion et the ems were pinked op by
Deafens mud, mid am sew ie a deetitale esmillim at be
Sailors Hamm

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

THE TWO-YEAR-OLDS OF 18433.—N0. 114