The Express.
London, England, 1852-05-14 00:00:00

EXPULSION OF PROTESTANT MIS-

---
SIONARIES BY THE AUSTRIAN GOVERNMENT.
Yesterday evening a meeting was held at Exeter
Hall to cm:wider the ease of the Rev.Mesere Wingate, Smith,
and Edward, missionaries to the Jews from the Free Church
of Scotland, who had been recently expelled from Hun-
fularrywanudireGrayllifetwaybyathtteenedkeurtyanirnvi7tenriiirnotf.
theT ht.Te mu
t ireth-
church and of most of the (lamenting denominations. Sir
Harry Verney, M.P., and Mr. Anatey, M.l'., were also
present.
Mr. COWAN, M.P. on taking tho chair, said that
the meeting was called to hear a statement from them-
selves of the sufferings endured by three mission-
aries of the free church in consequence of their re-
cent expulsion frum the Austrian dominions. Thew
three ministers had been allowed to reside in Hun-
gary and Clallicia! for a considerable time, enjoying all
the rights of native subject+, when, without any reason,
three w. eke after Lord Palmerston was relieved from office
—(chetre)—the Austrian government had the despicable
littleness to expel them from the country in the dead of the
winter, with their wives and children, same of whom were
suffering from illness. There hail been a correspondence
between the Foreign-office and the misdenary committee of
the Free Church of Scotland, which had the charge of the
conversion of the Jews, and a letter elated 28th April from
the Foreign Secretary, and the reply sent by the committee
on 18th May, would be read, which would give the meeting
a clear insight into the merits of the case. When he saw it
stated :n that letter that those three gentlemen hod vin:ated
the lows of Austria, he was somewhat staggered ; but the
meeting would hear the reply, which removed all doubt
from his mind, and after hearing it they would untie mend
the question submitted to them, and which would enlist
their sympathies fur those victims of persecution.
The 11ev. Mr. JAFFRAY, the Missionary Secretary of
the Free Church of Scotland, then read the letters in ques-
tion, premising that they were the continuance of a pre-
vious correspondence both with Lord Granville and Lord
Malmesbury. They were as follows :
Foreign Office, April 28, 18.52.
Sir,-1 am directed by the Earl of Melnteshury to inform
you that after several urgent appeals made by hint through
the Earl of Westmoreland, her Majesty's Minister at
Vienna, a reply has been received (rota the Austrian go
vernment to the representations which, in compliance with
the request of the deputation which was received by Earl
Granville, on the 6th of February last, her Majesty's mi-
nister at the cuurt of Vienna was instructed to make with
respect to the expulsion of 'Messrs. Wingate, Smith, and
Edwards from the Austrian damiuiona. The reason as-
signed by the Austrian government fur the delay which has
occurred in giving this reply is the necessity of awaiting the
detailed report of the local authorities on the matter. It
has now been received, and Lord Malinesbury regrets to
nay that the reply is completely unfavourable. The account
given of the matter by the Austrian authorities is as
follows :
Messrs. Wingate and Smith arrived at roan in 1811, and
originally confined themselves to reading divine service to
the English protestant labourers employed in the construc-
tion of the suspension bridge. The imperial govenanteit
never gave them a formal permission to do so, nor, indeed,
did they apply for it, but no impediment was offered to the
execution of their functions. It soon, however, became ep-
parent that then gentlemen were desirous to extend the it
sphere of activity in a manner not in conformity with the
laws of the country, with she alleged object of converting
the Jews to Christianity. They built a school, and appointed
two teachers, Bijaki and &Medd, who had both been vot-
e-cited from the catholic to the protestant church. Children
of catholic parents were received iuto this school, and
Messrs. Wingate and Smith at last so far departed from the
original destination to which they beet applied their chapel,
namely, to afford a place of worship to members of the
church of England, that they performed divine eervice is
the German language. The political disturbances which
prevailed in the country at the comma ncement of these pro-
ceedings are assigned by the Austrian government as the
only reasons for not repressing them immediately with all
the rigour of the law. Oo the outbreak of the revolution
Messrs. Smith and Wingate left the country, but on their
return it was discovered that they were eleaributing Bibles
in every language of the empire, and religious tracts tend-
ing to the conversion to protestantiam throughout the
country. In proof of the real objectof Messrs. Wingate and
Smith, the Austrian minister refers to a letter from Mr.
Smith, published in the " Horne and Foreign Record of
the Free Church of Scotland," of December IS, 18.51, and
to another letter, published in the Independent, of New
York, of the 23rd of October, 1851, dated May of the same
year, in which it is stated that " the mission had opened
in the neighbourhood of the Chain bridge, an English ser-
vice, and taken by imperceptible mem, a German one, so
that step by step, working with the greatest precaution,
they had gained a considerable influence in Hungary.
In the same letter the greatest surprise is expeessed by
the writer that the mi-sion should have been permitted to
work, but the writer, in May, 18-51, at the same time ex-
presses his expectation that the mission would be removed
by the Austrian government,
If these statements arc correct, it would therefore appear
that Messrs. Wingate and Smith del not confine them-
selves to the conversion of the Jews, or to the tack of preach-
ing to their own countrymen ; that, on the contrary, they
endeavoured to make proselytes among the native Roman
catholic population; that, contrary to the Austrian laws,
they caused Bibles and tracts to be distributed in the
country, and that they were fully aware, as early as May,
1851, that the course they were pursuing merest-el them to
expulsion from the Austrian dominions.
The Earl of Mahnesbury has moreover been informed
by the Austrian Minister of the Interior that their pro-
perty has been uninjured, and now remains in the custody
of their personal friends.
On these grounds the Austrian government declines to
entertain the claim for compensation advanced by the gen-
tlemen in question.
However much her Majesty's government may regret the
personal inconvenience to whirls Messrs. Smith, Wingate
and Edwards may have been put, and the sudden Lae:li-
nen with which the Austrian laws were enforced, her Ma-
jesty's government cannot with propriety any longer inter-
fere to procure compensation for that inconvenience. caused
as it has been by those gentlemen not confining themselves
to the objects with which they visited Hungary in the
fleet instance, and the pursuit of which was tolerated by the
Austrian government.
The Earl of Westmorland has been indefatigable in re-
presenting both to the late Prince Schwarzenburg, and the
present government at Vienna, the claims of Messrs. Win-
gate and Smith, but he has been met by the above state-
ment us showing that those gentlemen had violated the
laws of the empire with their own previous knowledge.
It has been with great regret that the Earl of Malmes-
bury has seen in the newspapers speeches made at public
meetings, which openly accused Lord Westmorland of not
exerting his influence on behalf of these missionaries.
The official correspondence in this office affords the most
unquestionable proofs that that minister neglected no effort
that he could properly employ to obtain for them the redeem
and compensation to which her Majesty's government be-
lieve them to he equitably entitled.
I am, air, your most obedient 1
nos sea-Yank,
The Rev. A. Moody Stuart. H. M. Auntxotor.
Tile following was the answer ft ern the Jews' Conversion
Committee:

"May 10, 18,32.
"My Lord,—l have the honour to acknowledge receipt
of your lordship's communication of the 28th instant, and
have to thank your lordship for your attention to my last
letter.

"I observe with regret both tho nature of the answer
returned by the Austrian government to your representa-
tions, and your lordship's conclusion that her Majesty's
government cannot env longer interfere to procure redren
fur Mews. Wingate, Smith, and Edward, on the ground
that the inconvenience suffered by them has been caused
by these gentlemen not confining themselves to the objects
for which they visited Hungary in the first instance, and
the pursuit of which wan tolerated by the Austrian govern-
ment.

I had hoped that before coming to such a decision, your
lordship would have informed me of the allegations made
by the Austrian government, and have given me an oppor-
tunity of refuting them if incorrect, which 1 must still do
in justice to the missionaries, and in vindication of the
statement presented by me in the name of the committee
for the conversion of the Jews. Of the perfect accuracy of
that statement in every particular, and of the injustice of
the representations made by the Austrian government, 1
trust to convince your lordship by a brief but definite reply
to every charge that has been preferred by them against the
mission.

"First of all it is stated by the Austrian government that
Messrs. Wingate and Smith, on their arrival in Pesth, in
1841, confined themselves originally to reading divine ser-
vice to the English protestant labourers; that the imperial
government never gave them a formal commission to do so,
but that no impediment was offered. In reply to this, I
have to repeat the statement that the mission from the first,
both ail designed by the church of Scotland, and as carried
out by the misaionaries in Pesth, embraced and erne directed
to the conversion of the Jews, as well as to supplying
divine service to the British residents; and that the conver-
sion of the Jews to the (lir:stein protestant faith was net
illegal by the lawn of Hungary ; and I have to request your
lordship's attention to the fact, that the answer of the Aus-
trian government, as communicated by you, while it seems
to imply, does not venture to assert, that such conversion
was contrary to law.
"The Austrian government further speaks of the preach-
ing iu German as having been introduced at a very recent
period in the history of the mission, whereas our object in
converting the Jews required German preaching as soon as
our missionaries had mastered the language; and the fact
is, that Mr. Smith preached in German tea years ago, in
the year 1812. This German preaching is distinctly nar-
rated by us in our at.itement to Lord Granville as part of
our missionaries' work, when we had no expectation of its
being charged against them as illegal, and that their while
operations in this and in all respects were both in conformity
with law and conducted under the rye I with the implied
sanction of the supreme government of Rummy, your
lordship will find confirmed -by the following extract from
the Lands of the Bible,' published in 1847, by Dr. Wilson,
who visited Teeth en mile kiln India, in I si:l, after tierman
had been preached in the mission, soul many Jews had
heen converted and publicly baptised in the Ilungarnin
church.

0 We bade adieu to Perth on tho 31st of August, 1343
entering again a Danube steamer nest morning, at half-
past ten o'clock we arrived at Presliurg, where the dirt of
Hungary was holding its sessions. e were accompanied
thither by Mr. Smith. In the evening we were presented
to his Imperial Highness the Archduke Joseph, toe Prince
Palatine of Hungary. Ile expressed the warm interest
which he felt in the progress which Christianity it making
in different regions of the earth; he alto spoke in hitch
terms of our friends at Faith, and of what he had

I beard of their prudent procedure. He entrusted n 1
with a message to their constituents in Scotland
vol. 2, p. 442. The representations I have already noticed
are made for the purpose of bringing out the conclusioe
which your lordship thus expressed, That Messrs. Wingate
and Smith endesvoured to make proselytes among the na-
tive Homan catholic population.' In answer to this charge
1 have on their part most explicitly to assert that they never
sought out Roman catholic, nor used endeavours to convert
them to prottstantism, and that, when applied to for in-
struction by such persons, they invariably referred them to
the protestant ministers of the country. There may, no
doubt, have been, and there were individual Itemise
catholic favourably impressed towards protestantism indi-
rectly through the influence of their Wrier.: and Christian
example ; hut there is no law of God, and there can he no
righteous law of man, against an example of Christian
huhuess and lose, or against its effects ou the minds of
others, and there was no law iu Hungary against human
maiming becoming protestants.
41 In reply to the wierhiellt that the children of catholic
parents were received into the school, 1 Lave to state that it
was a rule laid down ley the 1111W1U1.11rief that 1.0 catholic
children sbou d ho admitted ; that souse such eldhlren who
had, on the urgent representation of tat it permits, bets re-
, eeived by the teachers, without their knowlislite, were
afterwards removed by the missionaries; and that, at the
time of their expulsion from Pesti', there was not a simile
Homan catholic child in the school. The circumstance of
two of the teachers being converted Rumen catholic proves
nothing more than what must ever he occurring in all
countries where different creeds are tolerated ; and the fact
is, that one of these teachers being then a Roman catholic,
was at first engainu fur the purely seeuler purpose of teach-
ing the Husigarian language in the school, which cannot
certainly be imputed to the missieharies as an (Wince, nor
can they be held responsible tor his act when he aliens: ails
chose to become a protestant.
" The only ottio r important charge is expressed by your
lordship in these terms, ' That coutrury to the Austrian
laws they iaused bibles and tracts to be distributed in the
country.' I beg must respectfully to site your lordship on
what evidence you have arrived at this conclusion—fur in
so far as you have quoted the Austrian despatches, 1 du not
Lind even in them soy definite assertien to this effect. In
our memorial in bird Uransille, we state that they distil-
lnited bibles and other books in Ilebtew and other lan-
guages, ' but we aid that in so doing, they adapted their
proceedings to all existing laws, and nothing hen yet trans-
pired to impugn their strict and minute accuracy of that
memorial in this or in any other particular.' Controvsrsial
tracts were nut circulated by the missionaries, but, from
the commencement of the mission, Bibles and other reli-
gious books were distrituated in various languages chiefly
among the Jews. The late Palatine was fully aware of the
effirte of the missionaries in this direction, and gave
them his sanction. I am informed that since their
expulsion Bible circulation Las been suppressed in
Ilungary. But I beg to remin.l your lordship 014
AUlitll4 is not a purely Roman catholic cauctry,
that Hungary elope contains 3,0t10,0011 of protestants, and
that till receutly there was no law prohibiting Bible circu-
lation there; and 1 trust your lordship will pardon sat 11:1
some expression of indignation it thi gentli teen have
been charged by the Austrian government with the breach
of a law that was made alter their I xpidsioe.
" The Austrian government further adduces the political
disturbance which prevailed at the commencement of these
proceedings as the only reason for its not suppressing them
immediately, with all the rigour of the law, but theft dis-
turbances occurred in 1818, whereas the 0111.1.1011 was com-
menced in 1811, and Li Jews at the least, some of them '
well known and much respected in the City, were publicly
baptised in 11413, being five years before the commence-
ment of the disturbances.

'• Before leaving the only important charges that hare
been made by the Austrian government, I beg to cull your
lordship's attention to your more 'general answer of 20th
March to the memorial front the commission of the assem-
bly of the free church, which contains the significant state-
ment that ' the measure in question was adopted in pur-
minute of the determination of the Austrian government no
longer to tolerate any interference on the p let of foreign
missionaries in the religious belief of Austrian Jews.' Ttio
whole case is contained in these few words, the whole tun-
offence of these missionaries so here set forth, con-
sisted in their being Britons and not Hungarians; and from
the commencement to the close of their labours they did
nothing which Hungarians were not entitled to do. Greater
liberty than was granted to Austrian subjects they did not
ask nor exercise, but in having used similar liberty they
cannot be convicted of offence. Except in their own persons
and families they introduced no new element iuto
the country ; they found in the Hungarian pro-
testant church a creed which they rutld subscribe,
and is worship like their own in which they would
cheerfully join, they therefore placed themselves midi r
the wing of recognised church authority, introduced no in•
novatiou whatever, but acted as furthering exhalent institu-
tions, and even in baptising British cluidreu they did au as
deputed by the Hungarian ministers. Their bole palpable
offence, the only assignable, and, in your lordship's first
letter, the only auiguable ground of expulsion is not to be
found in any transgression of law, but in the simple fact
that they were ' foreigners.' Their proceedings were open ;
their place or public worship was immediately under and in
one building with the office of the military police ; there
and at other public otticca they had on several occasions ap-
peared and explained their whole proceedings without the
slightest reserve, and then, and nut now, if aline any of their
acts were illegal, they oug it to have been iuformed of tho
illegality. Bat, without tne slightest intimation curing ten
years' quiet residence that they were breaking any lay:,
they are, first, summarily, and without canon assigned, ex-
pelled from the country, and then charged with having
acted contrary to its laws.
" With the remaining allegation which your lordship ex-
presses thus, ' that the missionaries were fully aware us early
as May, WI, that the course they were pursuing exposed
them to expulsion from the Austrian dominions.'
1 have more difficulty in dealing because the references in
the way of proof ore partly incorrect and partly irrevelant.
but 1 have no difficulty in UAW rting that if any expressions
to that Oft et exist in any letter of the missionaries, their
fears did not arse in the least from what the Austrian go-
vernment terms' the rigour of the ease,' but solely from
the caprice of arbitrary power, setting aside all that had
been recognised 11i, law. In proof of what the Austrian
government cells 'their real objects,' reference is made to a
letter of Mr. Smith's, dated 111th December, 1851, in the
Irve ChareA Missionary Record, and to another letter in
a New York paper. The real object of the missionaries, as
known to us, was the conversion of the Jews, but what is
insinuated by the Austrian government as their real
object is not expressly stated, and cannot by us be
precisely ascertained, because there is no ouch letter from
Mr. Smith in the Missionary Record. The Austrian go-
vernment must indeed be at a loss for evidence of its age•
gatious when it is driven to seek it in an American paper,
with which nobody connected with the mission has any-
thing to do, or has even seen : but even there the writer is
said to have expressed his expectation of the mission being
soon suppressed, not by Austrian law but by the Austrian
government, which can at present by no means be idea-

" With regard to the information from tho Austrian
ter of thelnterior, that the property of tke missionaries is
and reMaial in the custody of their personal
UMDpsau—,
friends, I beg on their au:!:?!itr state that this is incor-
rect—that there is only one article of furniture belonging
to either of them in Teeth, in the custody of a friend, that
with the exception of books all the rest were either given
away in the hurried removal, or sold then or since at great
loss, and that in point of fact the limas must exceed the
sum at which they were stated.
In reference to their statement that the Earl of \Volt-
moreland had not used his influence in their behalf, I have
their authority to reply that they adhere to their statement,
but that in the meantime they think it unnecessary to say
anything further until the correspondence which is to bo
laid before parliament shall have been printed.
• -

" On review of what I have written, I find I have omitted
an important fact, both bearing on the general standing of
the minion immediately before its supriression, and more es-
pecially sanctioning its German preaching, vie., that only •
dew months before the cxpulsion of the missionaries in
.January, 1852, certain German-speaking Christians, usually
called' llamburghers,' were found by the police engaged in
religious exercises, were summoned before the authorities,
prohibited from holding any religious meetings of their
own, and ordered to join themselves to the English church,
where they accordingly attended regularly every Sabbath,
at the German service, till the expulsion of the missiona-
ries, After such recognition of their standing in the city,
Messrs. Wingate and Smith had surely good reason to
complain that their expulsion was sudden and arbitrary.
0 I need scarcely add, on the part of our committee that
we still adhere to every part of our statement laid before
Lord Granville. I think your lordship will acknowledge
oar present answer to the representations of the Austrian
government is, at least, definite and precise, and I have no
doubt that, on examination, you will find it consistent with
the facts of the cue. 1 trust, therefore, that you will re-
consider and alter your resolution 'no longer to interfere
to procure compensation ' to the missionaries, and that her
Majesty's government will exert itse't to protect the pro-
perty sod persons of British subjects, whose whole pro-
cedure has been of the most inoffensive character, nod
whose sole employment and aim were the propagation of
the Christian faith, end the promotion of righteousness and
peace on the earth.
" I have the honour, etc.,
(Signed) "A. M. StrAla."

The Her. Mr. SMITH. late missionary at resth, then
addressed the meeting. After some introductory remarks
on the struggles of Hungary in the cause of liberty, he said
that the same qualities they exhibited with regard to civil
government they showed in relation to religion. There was
in Hungary' a protestant church containing three millions
of adhereots, and they hail struggled against parting with
any of their essential rights. the rev. genth man then de-
scribed the grotto .1 progress of the labours of the
Stils among the Jews iu Hungary, from 1841 to ISlS—the
period of the r volution. The protestant church of Ilan-
gory as such took no share in that event, though a few of
its pastors were compromised, but not so many Si
were Homan catholic monks and priests, but the
opportunity was taken to annihilate the power of
that church and give the whole ecclesiastical
power to Rome. The protestant church was placed
under the control of four clerical administrators, appuiOrd
and paid by the limp, tor, who were bound by the dlth
they took to receive and execute the order of the military
authorities. A small council was appointed to assist them,
but it hail actually protested against its own competency.
The rev. gentleman then gave some instant, sot the prime-
cation soil illegal treatment of protestant pastors, who wire
tried by a secret tribunal, when they wile tried at all,
which was founded on the model of the loquisiti.m After
some observations relating to the system of spits, which
I pervaded all Austria, and without entering into any parti-
culars of his own case, in compliance with a rule of the

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