The Express.
London, England, 1861-05-18 00:00:00

THE HUNGARIAN QUESTION.

(Front Le Prase.)
The addressee voted by the two chambers of the
Austrian parliament have singularly aggravated the already
threatening situation of Hungary. In his opening speech
Francis Joseph signified his firm resolution to maintain the
unity of the empire. The bearing of this declaration was
clear; the cabinet of Vienna wished to make use of the
united representation at a legal instrument for the coercion
of dissentients, and thus, by means of the deputies, to render
the provinces dependent on, and responsible to, the govern-
ment. The plan has succeeded, but It remains to be
seen whether the government will have any long
enjoyment of its success. Hungary at present finds
herself between there two alternatives ; either she
must confess herself conquered by sending her deputies
to the Council of the Empire, or else she must remain firm
in her resistance, although the other nationalities may re-
proach her for compromising the new liberal institutions by
Iso doing. This antagonism may have terrible consequences,
and it is important to obtain a precise ides of their nature.
Should the Hungarians cement to send their deputies to
Vienna, Austria would at one blow obtain what she Ida
been vainly seeking for three hundred years, i.e., the union,
or rather the amalgamation, of Hungary with the rest of
the empire. That is the real question, which umisrepre-
' seated on the one Bide, unconsciously, 14 those who do not
well understand it, and on the other, wilfully, by those who
wish to obscure it By now withdrawing from the struggle
the Hungarians would betray the cause which has been
handed down to them as an heirloom by their ancestors,
and for which their most illustrious chiefs have died glo.
rioualy in exile, in battle, or on the scaffold.
The repeated attacks of Austria on the ancient constitu-
%lop of Hungary produced the insurrections of Boosicai, of
Bethlen, of Tokoh, of George and Francis Rakoczy, and that
of 1848-49. In all these insurrections, except the last, victory
remained with the Hungarians, and numerous treaties,
especially those of Vienna, in 1606 ; of Nicolaburg, in
1622 ; of Freeburg, in 1629 ; of Linz, in 1645, and of
Szathmar, in 1711, have recognised the autonomy of the
kingdom of Hungary, whose independence under Rudolf and
Maximilian w.O even guaranteed by the hereditarygvres.
That independence was consecrated afresh by the Pragmatic
Sanction, in virtue of which the crown of Hungary, heredi-
tary in the Hapsburg family mime_ ,1686 became so even in
the female line from 1723. Considered historioally end
from the treaty point of view the resistance of Hungary,
then, is perfectly unimpeachable ; it is no less so from a
legal point of view.
The Hungarians invoke the laws of April 11, 1848, the
last voted by the Diet, sanctioned by the Ring, recognised
by the whole nation ;
_all that the Austrian government may
have done subsequently to these laws, especially the decrees
of Oct. 20, 1860. and Feb. 21, 1861, they reject as illegal
and unacceptable. What they require simply, and is
conformity with their ancient constitution, is the
"personal union" with the Emperor, on the fol-
lowing conditions : the political and territorial reunion
of the provinces already annexed to the crown of
St. Stephen i equality of all the citizens before the law,
without distinction of religion or nationality ; recall of all
the banished ; restitution of confiscated property ; Domino..
tion of an Hungarian ministry, separate and responsible;
application of Art. 12 of the Constitution of 1848, which
places the armed forces in the hands of the nation ; a sepa-
rate budget • lastly, the refusal to recognise the Auld
Chancery, and to send their 8.5 deputies to the Council of
the Empire. Such, according to _H. Desk's clear and for-
cible exposition of them in his address, are the preliminary
eonditious of which the Diet should exact the strict fulfil.
spent.

-7The principle of the "personal union " does not indeed
satiety all the Hungarian. ; many of them, and those not
the least considerable for abilitg. influence, and service,
aspire to a more radical solution, i. e. to the complete
separation of Hungary and Austria. But if parties are
divided ma to the future, they bays only one feeling and
one voice, first as to demanding the reestablishment of the
state of things in force in 1848, and next, as to rejecting the
decrees published at Vienna in 1860 and 1861. From the
first, tbe 'Ewan; have unanimously adopted the prow-amine
of M. Desk, and now, so far from admitting that that pro-
gramme can undergo any restriction, they wish on the
contrary to enlarge it by the democraacal principles intro-
duped into the conatitutioe of 1848. _ _

The situation, thee, is very clear, and admits of no doubt
or hesitation on either side. The Austrian government
must pronounce definitely. It must either grant the just
and legal demands of Hungary or dissolve the Diet. hi the
former case it deprives itself of the resource* it derives
from Hungary and dissatisfies the party of union • in the
latter it dooms itself to suppress by force an almost ine-
vitable insurrection. From whatever side one looks at the
matter it is a violent position, and one full of dangers, sad
it will be very difficult for the Austrian government to ex•
tricate itself without laceration.

Among the sincerest friends of the Hungarians there ire
some who see them with pain, or rather with anxiety, ad.
yawing resolutely in the path of absolute and uncon-
ceding resistance. They dread, for the common came of
liberty, a struggle whose consequences are incalculable;
they ea if it would nut have been wiser, more prudent, to
give greeter weight to considerations of opportunity than to
the exigencies of strict legality—that is, to the principle of
liberty than that of independence.
Unfortunately, the Hungarian; like all the other peoples
of the Austrian empire, know that liberty, as it is under.
stood at Vienna, is the supremacy of Germany : and it is
precisely in the name of liberty that they reject that crush-
ing and domineering supremacy. For the Hungarians, the
question whether or not they should send deputies to the
Council of the Empire is tantamount to the question, shall
Hungary remain Hungary, or be transformed into an
Austrian province ? This is the real question, and we have
endeavoured to put it dearly, that the importance of the
discussion which is to come on to-morrow in the Diet on H.
Desk's propositions may be properly understood.

In consequence of the Coronation-day (June 28)
happening this year on a Friday, it has been proposed in
Southampton that the general holiday observed is that town
in oalebratioo of the anniversary of her Majesty's corona-
tiers shall be kept on the following Monday (July 1).
The captain, officers, and crew of her Majesty's
steamer St. Jean d'Acre had subscribed 141. lle. in aid of
the Whitby Lifeboat Widow and Orphans' Fund; but en
learning that the sum alremly collected for that purpose
amounted to upwards of 5,0001., and that a public intim-
tion bad been given that no more money was required, they
unanimously decided to transfer the amount to the National
Lifeboat Institution ; making a total of 221. 16s. received
thivear by that society from the ship St. Jean d'Acre.
THS OUTWARD WEST INDIA AND PENINSULAZ
Maus.—Botsrusxrros, MAT 17.—The Royal Mail Com-
Panje steamship Shannon,CaCtain Abbott, sailed hence
to-day with the ortnightly mai for the British and Foreign
West Indies, Mexico, the Pacific, California and Central
America, together with 91 passengers, amongst whom are
Major-General Brook and Lady, A saistantr-SurgeonGardiner,
Acting Deputy-Assistant Commimariat Generals (keenly
and Sqnarey, for Barbadoea end for Jamaica ; Assistaut-
Surgeon Lindsay, Captain Wileoeks, W. Spence, R.N., and
Deputy-Amistant Commineariat•Geeeral West. The Shan.
non took on freight 5,000/. in bar silver ; quicksilver, 551.1
English jewellery, 1,2751. ; French ditto, 2,4921. ; and a
general cargo, consisting of French and English merchandise.
The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamer Alluimbdt,
Captain Steward, also sailed hence today, with the usual
mils for the Peninsular ports, 14 passengers, and a general
earTLANTIC MAIL STEAMSHIP COMPANY.—The
Atlantic Royal Mail steamship Columbia arrived at Liver-
pool yestenlay, for the purpose of having the duals of her
paddles repaired, and to make good other damage sustained
(during the last voyage from St. John's Newfoundland to
tialway) by coming into contact with an iceberg.
ACCIDENT To THE NoRTII Ati ItnlcAN MAIL
firzArra litESlOHAN.—YestArday the Montreal Ocean
Steamship Company's screw steamer Hibernian was re-
ported to have met with an accident early that morning off
Douai:Wee. Later in the day the rumour was verified, and
the steamer will no doubt return to Liverpool to-day for
repairs. The Hibernian is a new steamer, and was on bee
first outward voyage from Liverpool to Quebec with the
United Stoles and North American mails, having only left
Liverpool on the afternoon of Thursday but. It was stated
that the main shaft of the vessel is broken, but this needs
confirmation.

THE DUBLIN STEAMER HERALD AOMORI NEAZ
BELFAST. —On Thursday forenoon intelligence was received
in Glasgow to the effect that the gee steamer Herald, which
plies between Olaagow and Dublin, went ashore that morn•
ing on the North and South Hock, near the entrance to
Belfast Lough, while on the passage from Dublin to Glasgow.
All the pamengers were landed in safety, and it is not yet
ascertained what damage the steamer has sustained. Al
WOO as the occurrence was known in Belfast, Mr. Boyd.
Lloyds' 'gent, despatched two steamers to the spot. in mkt'
that they might give what assistance they could as to float-
,Mg the vessel. The accident, it is understood, was muted
by a fog which prevailed at the time.—Scorsewn.
EXECUTIONS IN JAPAN.—A letter from Joido
(Japan), in the Abeille fie Nord, contains the following
passage:—" Executions are very frequent in Japan, sad
Jeddo scarcely a day puns without one. Beheading sad
ripping open the abd• men are the most usual punishments
indicted. Not long since the murderers of a prince were
boiled to death in large kettles. The other modes ad
execution by which the Japanese tribunals attempt to
terrify Criminals are crucifixion, cutting open the chest,
breaking the limbs with an iron has, exposing of the cri•
minal to the attacks of insects in hot weather after strip•
ping bim naked and smearing his body with honey, &C.
These cruel punishments, however, do not diminish the
number of crimes ; on the contrary, they seem to have prce
dared the most reckless contempt of death. The follow•
ing remarkable incident occurred not long SiDCA:—A
Jupanese policeman was walking along the middle of the
street, when a European on horseback told him to stand
aside, and, as the order was not obeyed, struck him with •
whip. The Japanese rushed on the &avower, unhorsed
him, and drew his sword to kill him, when a neighbouring
shopkeeper exclaimed that it was the Eoglish consul. The
Japanese hesitated on bearing this, and the foreigner mean-
while got away. With his drawn armed in him bawl, the
policeman immediately went to the nearest tribunal and
stated his case to the presiding judge. ' You drew your
sword to avenge the affront' said the magistrate; 'that
was right ; but you did not kill your enemy, and you know
that as insult, if not avenged by the blood of the offender.
must be avenged by the blood of the offended.' The judge
liad hardly finished speaking when the policeman ripH up
Lis abdomen with his own band, and died on the spot"