The Sun.
London, England, 1859-12-23 00:00:00

THE UNIVERSITY OF PESTH.

A Hungarian, in a letter to a contemporary,
• says :—" As so many statements, partly untrue,
partlymaliciousfabrications, have recently appeared
in the journals 'respecting the movements of the
youths of the Pesth University, I feel myself called
upon to give a true statement of the matter for
judgment abroad, and supported by facts, to clear
the character and sentiments of the students.
The University of Pesth is the only University of
Hungary. It was founded by the liberality of a few
patriots of high standing, and not by Austrian
rulers, as has been stated. Under the reign of Queen
Maria Theresa it was sanctioned under the name
of " University of the whole kingdom of Hungary."
The endowments of the University of Pesth are so
great that, with the exception of Oxford, no other
University in Europe can equal them ; and as the
Hungarian has but one country he has also within
the borders of that country but one University
where he can procure the necessary means for his
mental cultivation.
It is now ten years since the hand of fate has
weighed heavily upon my nation ; since then it has
been deprived of all its most sacred treasures, and,
finally, it has been deprived of that which shields a
nation from destruction—its national language.
Even the smallest people on earth has its rights,
and even when deprived of everything else it still
has one anchor left, a last resource—" it lives on in
its language and in its customs."
I do not know who the first man was who con-
ceived the abominable idea of attempting to shatter
the rock which had stood the brunt of the stormA
of centuries; at all events, he went to work with a
heavy hand when he resolved to substitute a foreign
language for that of a strong nation like Hungary,
which, despite the severe blows that it has re-
ceived, has by no means remained backward in cul-
tivation and manners. Whether the attempt will
succeed or not, it is nevertheless an undeniable fact
that the Austrian Government came to the conclu-
sion "that the Hungarians are no longer Hun-
garians, but Germans ; ' and from that moment the
German language was introduced into the schools
and public offices.
I will not dwell longer upon this act of injustice,
and will start therefore from the point when the •
Youth of the Hungarian University recently ad-
dressed a petition to his Majesty the Emperor
Francis Joseph, the substance of which was that it

was impossible to learn in a language which was not
their mother tongue, and which the majority under-
stood very slightly or not at all.
Having stated so much, I will briefly relate what
took place, as also the consequences of the step
taken by the students.
When
,last autumn, the Government granted as
a boon diat the Hungarian language might be used
in the lower schools, but thatthe German was to be
used at the University (out of 75 subjects only 8 are
delivered in Hungarian, and the examinations are
made in German), the idea struck the students, en-
couraged by their parents, of making their wishes
known in a petition. Shortly afterwards the peti-
tion was presented to Count Haller, the Adlatus of
the Governor of Hungary, who advised the students
to address themselves to the Ministry. A new peti-
tion was accordingly drawn up, direct to the mo-
narch, which commenced as follows :—" Following
the example and the advice of our parents," &c.,
and stating the source whence it originated.

This petition ought to have been presented by the
heads of the University, but as the students looked
upon them rather as enemies than as friends (the
Rector Magnificus and most of the professors can-
not speak a word of Hungarian) they resolved to
select a commission from among themselves to pre-

sent their petition to his Majesty. Having selected
nine deputies, and the petition having been signed
by all the students of the University, including the
non-Hungarian students (554 altogether), a day
was fixed for the departure of the deputation for
Vienna.

I now come t') the fact which many Austrian
journals and correspondents have misrepresented.
The rector of the University was informed of the
intentions of the students on the evening of the 23d
of October. He at once issued a notice requesting
the deputation to wait upon him the following
morning at nine o'clock. All the students re-

sponded to the notice, and, in virtue of the 63d
article of the University Regulations, it was de-
manded that a sitting should be held, presided over
by the heads of the Colleges. After many pros and
cons the sitting was held in the great hall under
the presidency of the rector, who first addressed the
students in Latin; but when he began to address
them in German he was compelled, in consequence
of the universal shout of " Nein ertjuk" (we don't
understand it), to stop short. A Hungarian pro-
fessor, universally esteemed, was then called upon
as interpreter to declare to the students that the
presentation of the petition was prohibited, and that
those selected for the deputation would be regarded
as guilty of offending the lawond be punished ac-
cordingly. But, as he could not comply with the
reiterated request of the students to show them any
such enactment in the regulations, the nine members
of the deputation declared that, even at the risk of
having their prospects in life destroyed, and being
imprisoned for the step they intended to take, they
should not desist from their intention.

After this declaration the sitting broke up in
perfect order. On the following day the deputa-
tion proceeded to Vienna, despite the good advice
of the police authorities, who endeavoured to dis-
suade them from the step at the railway station.
On reaching Vienna they did everything in their
power to procure an audience of the Emperor, but
all in vain. Even his Excellency the Minister Count
Thun would not receive them.

Having exhausted every means, a promise was
made to them that their petition should be placed in
the hands of the Emperor. The deputation of nine
was cited before the police at Vienna, and cross-
questioned. On their return to Pesth they were
again interrogated ; it has still to be seen whether
they will be subjected to punishment. However,
the members of the deputation, as well as every
Hungarian, are prepared for everthing, for, if ever,
it is now that the Hungarian saying holds good,
" Meghalt Matyas Kiraly, oda az tgarzag." (King
Matthias is no more, and with him justice has dis-
appeared.)

AQUATICS.

ROWING MATCH FOR £55.

The long-expected rowing match between Chitty and
Mancey took place yesterday. The race created consider-
able interest amongst rowing men above bridge, there being
a considerable difference in years between the men, and
Mancey staking £3O to his opponent's £26 as an equivalent
for age. The course was from Putney to Mortlake, 'and.
notwithstanding the lateness of the season, there was a
very large assemblage of persons along the banks of the
course, besides many boats. Henry Kelly, the ex-cham-
pion of the Thames, was referee. Both men were in first-
rate condition, and Chitty was slightly the favourite.
Chitty got the best place to start from, and had he not
there is no question that the result would have been the
same. He got the start gradually, foot by foot at first, and
then yard by yard wont right away from his man to the end,
winning easily. Mancey rowed gallantly, but never could
get near his more powerful though older opponent.

The steam-frigate Christophe Colomb has arrived
at Marseilles from Algiers, having General de .Martimprey
on board. Soon after the frigate left Algiers she met with
a violent gale of wtnd, which compelled her to run:-into
Roma, where she remained two days before she could again
put to sea. The general left Marseilles at once for Paris.

How TO AVOID EXPLOSIONS OF KITCHEN
BOILEILS.—There ought to be a safety-pipe from the boiler
conducted up the chimney, higher than the level of the
supply cistern, and then conducted out of the chimney
to any place where the issuing of excessive steam would
be noticed. Eor that purpose it might bo re-conducted
to the kitchen, where the escape of steam would demon-
strate to the cook that the water in the boiler
was dangerously low, and that she must let the 'fire
out or burn the boiler, for an explosion could
not take place, simply because the pipe would act
as a safety valve' for any steam that might be generated,
and it could not be frozen up from its warm situation in
the chimney. The makers of kitchen boilers are as
culpable for putting up their boilers without these escape
pipes as manufacturers would be for working their large
boilers at their mills without blow-off valves, which
is actually the condition of the greatest number of
house-boilers at present, which have only a flow and
a return pipe to and from the cistern, where they are
liable to be frozen up. It is not generally known that
the freezing up. of even cold water pipes may be pre-
vented by allowing the water to trickle, even in a very
minute stream, from one of the taps constantly during a
hard frost. It is surprising what an amount of hard frost
is required to congeal a running stream. The non-freezing
toif the
onsowmauteerhoaf a
gtosptrihneg ho
temperature
mpweraevturer, is not
eatwhoiwchinigt
issues
hsutesefinoron;
the earth.....ltanchcster Guardian.

Mr. RUSSELL'S INDIAN DIARY.--We are glad to
see that the new work on India by Mr. William Howard
Russell, the correspondent of the Times in the Crimea and
the East, is announced for publication by the firm of Rout-
ledge and Co. It is entitled "My Diary in India," and we
feel confident will prove very attractive to readers of every
class, but especially to those who take an interest in the
affairs of our Eastern Empire. As he accompanied the
Commander-in-Chief through the two campaigns in Oude
and in Rohilcund, visited the principal cities of Upper
India, lived fora time in the Himalayan hills, and travelled
over a large extent of the North-west Provinces, he has had
a wide field of observation ; and in addition to the opportu-
nity of seeing Indian warfare, he met many of the most re-
markable men in India, and witnessed many phases of In-
dian life, both native and European. His position afforded
him peculiar advantages and facilities for collecting stores
of information, and brought him into contact with persons
of all classes, military and civilians. The "Diary," we may
be sure will be no less entertaining than instructive, abound-
ing with spirited narratives of adventure, and with those
glowing passages of description which impart so winning a
graee tq ill Mr. Russell's writings,--Daily News, Dec, 16.