The Sun.
London, England, 1859-09-22 00:00:00

AUSTRIA.

A letter from Vienna, dated Sept. 17, saysl—The
Imperial patent of the Ist of September, 1859,
which determines the position of the Protestant
Church in Hungary, Croatia, and Slavonia, has

produced a favourable, impression in those pro-
vinces, and raised the hopes of the Lutherans and

Calt4.•inists in the other parts of the empire. Ai
analysis of each separate paragraph of the new law

has already appeired in jour columns but it is very
possible that the full import of some of them is not

clear to your readers, and it may therefore be as
well to give a brief account of the actual position of
the Protestant Church in Hungary. Ever since the
close of the 17th century the Lutherans and Cal-
vanists in Hungary have endeavoured to obtain
from the Austrian Government a formal recogni-
tion of their right to self-government in religious
matters, and they have at length acquired what
they have so long struggled for. At the beginning
of the year 1850 the Minister for Ecclesiastical
Affairs drew up a constitution for the Evangelical
Church in Hungary, but neither of its 190 para-
graphs made any mention of the Protestant schools,
and the document was therefore ignored by the
superintendents, who demanded permission to
hold a General Synod, which should make known
to Government the requirements of the Protestant

Church. This " audacity" gave great offence to the
Ultramontane party, but when the Emperor was in
Hungary in the summer of 1857 he promised some
of the leading Protestants that a Synod should be
convoked, and any of its reasonable demands at-
tended to. Time flew on, but nothing was done

;or the Protestants until the close of the war, dur

,ng which it had become evident that Germany

deeply resented the conduct of Austria to her Pro-
testant subjects. On his return from Villafranca
Count Reehberg directed his attention to internal
matters, and on the Ist of September a very liberal
constitution was given to the Evangelical Church
in Hungary. Its fundamental principles are-Ist,
that the church government shall be in the hands
of the communities, and not the clergy, and that
the ecclesiastical courts shall be composed of as
many lay as clerical members; 2, that no one can
hold office in the church unless duly elected by the
community ; 3, that the Protestant Church in Hun-

gary is independent, and that its members are, in
religious matters, responsible only to the ecclesias-
tical authorities of their own confession. As has

already been said, the question relative to the edu-
cation of the issue of mixed marriages is left open,
and it will not be settled until the opinions enter-
tained by the Lutheran and Calvinistic Synods on
the subject have been communicated to Government.
Paragraph 1 of the patent, which says that if Pro-
testant schools are established at the expense of the
State only Protestant teachers can be employed in
them, has produced an unpleasant impression, as
people foresee that some eminent Protestant profes-
sors who are now engaged in the work of tuition in
Roman Catholic Universities will be dismissed. A
couple of years ago the University at Pesth was
declared to be " essentially and exclusively " a Ro-
man Catholic institution, and the Protestant stu-
dents are now obliged to hear Roman Catholic pro-
fessors lecture on history and canonical law.
The finishing touch is now being put to the so-
called " Provincial Constitutions ;" but a member
of the Government, no longer ago than yesterday,
stated that the Estates would be simply consulta-
tive bodies. The new Cabinet is not of opinion that
all the different nationalities can be governed in
exactly the same way, but it certainly does not en-
tertain any idea of allowing them to govern them-
selves. The Magyars declare that nothing will
satisfy them but a return to the " personal union"
between Austria and Hungary, but the Imperial
Government is firmly resolved to uphold the prin-
ciple of the unity of the empire. Some few persons,
old Conservatives, would I;ke to have back the
ancient constitution, with all its abuses, but the
great bulk of the Hungarian nation is well content
that the nobles have lost their exclusive rights and
privileges. In some of the German organs of the
press it is said that the Rechberg Cabinet is " de-
centralizing," but such is not the case. The pro-
vincial authorities have somewhat more freedom of
action than they had under Baron Bach, but the
system of centralisation is maintained. The public
press now begins to discuss home matters, but al-
ways with considerable reserve. Certain things are
still entirely tabooed, and, among others, the fol-
lowing :-1. Censure of the doings of any member
of the Imperial family. 2. Unfavourable mention
of existing treaties. 3. Violent strictures an the
measures of Government. 4. Libellous attacks on
private individuals. Attacks on foreign potentates
are entirely prohibited, and the Rechberg Cabinet
is much averse to attacks on foreign Govern-
ments. After having read the foregoing you
will probably be inclined to think that the
system of Napoleon has been introduced
here ; but, the enlightened aristocracy of this
country is of opinion that Baron Hubner has
granted too much liberty to the press. A cry has
already been raised by the high nobles against the
Rechberg-Hubner Cabinet, and it would not much
surprise me should it be unable to carry out its
projects of reform. Several of the provinces are
governed by members of the Imperial family, and
it is to be foreseen that some of them will not care
to execute the orders of a Cabinet which has very
few, if any, supporters at Court. The public has
marvellously little confidence in the future, and a
general impression seems to prevail that Austria has
seen her best days.
Dr. Nlalfatti, the Italian physician who attended
the late Duke de Reichstadt, died yesterday at the
advanced age of 82. There will be no military
manoeuvres in Austria this autumn, the troops
having ; ecu quite enough service on the field of
battle. _

Prince Metternich is said to have received in-
structions to inform the Emperor Napoleon that
Austria will not object to a Congress "on certain
conditions," but it is not very probable that either
England, Russia, or Prussia will consent to go to
the Council Chamber merely to ratify arrangements
previously made between France and Austria.
Lord John Russell is now the bugbear of the Aus-
trians, and quite as unpopular as Lord Palmerston
was some eight or ten years ago. Baron Bach
leaves for his post at Rome on Monday next.
The day before yesterday there was a great fire
in the ancient catheeral at Salzburg, but the walls
did not give„Fay, and consequently the cupola and
the two towaTs are still standing. The treasures
and relics were saved.
The weather is bad, and unusually cold for Sep-
tember, which in general is one of the finest months
in the year.

ROYAL FREE HOSPITAL, GRAY'S•INN-ROAD.—
The committee of this hospital have received notice from
Mr. John Parrott, of Stoney Stratford, on behalf of thelate
Mrs. Mary Anne Worley. of a bequest of £5OO for the be-
nefit of the institution.