The Sun.
London, England, 1845-10-03 00:00:00

BELGIUM.

BRUSSELS, SEPT. 28.—The most interesting event in
the celebration of the anniversary of the Belgian revo-
lution was the public distribution of prizes to those
pupils who had distinguished themselves in the univer-
sity and general concursus. The ceremony, which took
place in the so-called Temple of the Auguatinians, was at-
tended by the King, the Queen, the Duke of Brabant, se-
veral Ministers of State and other high functionaries, and
by a great number of the most respectable residents
in this city. The introductory. discourse was delivered
by M Van de Weyer, the Minister of the Interior, who
set forth the advantages of the concursus, enlogised the
strict impartiality of the distinguish :d persons who had
to decide on the relative merits of each student, and
indirectly but forcibly condemned all attempts to excite
suspicions of the purity of motive and unbiassed judg-
ment of the jury of examiners. " Rest well con-
vinced, my young friends," said his Excellency, ad-
dressing the pupils, " that in order to attain a high de-
gree of morality yourselves, it is strictly necessary to
have faith in the morality of others. Consult history,
and you will discover that nothing great has ever been
produced by mistrust, which only discloses an im-
poverishment and decay of mind." The part of M. Van
de Weyer's speech referred to a portion of the Catholic
' party, which persists in throwing suspicion on the insti-
tution, as well as on the acts of the jury of examiners,
who are appointed by the Legislature. The conclu-
sion of his speech was as follows:—." It was a happy
idea, on the part of the patriotic Minister who first
conceived the projeet of this concursus, to fix the
day on which the laureates should receive the reward
of their labours amongst the anniversary days of our
national independence. His impression, no doubt,
wail that the enthusiam inspired into the hearts of the
young by the conquest of our free institutions should
be accompanied by the solemn conviction that know-
ledge can atom secure their maintenance, that there is
no true liberty save an enlightened one, and that the
greater the number of our acquired rights the more
numerous aso aro our duties towards our beloved
country. For our parts, gentlemen, we shall endeavour
to accomplish our task. Already has his Majesty, in
his lively anxiety to forward the interests of studious
youth, opened a new career for the active intelligence
of the laureates, for the disinterested cultivation of
science, for the sake of science, and for the national
formation of the university corps, by the organisa-
tion of the institution of aggregate professors. The Go-
vernment, moreover, by the re- establishment of the per•
manent inspection of scholastic institutions, will be en-
abled to unite all the elements of a good law on secon-
dary education. May I be allowed to express my sin-
cere satisfaction at being called upon as a Minister to
carry out measures which as a professor I should have
gratefully applauded, at a time when the approaches
to the higher branches of instruction presented al-
most insuperable difficulties ? These reminiscences of
past days press the more vividly now before me,
standing as I am in the presence of the learned per-
sons here assembled, amongst whom I have the happi-
ness to meet again with professors who were once, and
who are still my colleagues."
M. Van de Weyer's speech was received in a manner
which, fur a select Belgian assembly, may be termed
enthusiastic.

After an annual report had been read. the laureates
received their prizes from the hands of the Minister of
the Interior, acrd were presented by him to their Muj,s-
ties, who graciou' ly complimented them on their success.
Au affecting episode (so to write) in the regular
proceedings of the day must not be suffered to
pass unnoticed. The pupil who obtained the first
prize in rhetoric (written and oral) was Charles
Petit, of the College of Mons. his composi.
tions, which set forth the natural glory of Bel-
gium in the persons of its warriors, poets, prose
writers, and artists, was read to the assembly, and
greeted with considerable applause. The general seer°.
Lary of the Minister of the Interior then aro4e and read
a Ministerial report to the King, in which the long ser-
vices of the professor of rhetoric at the College of Mons
were referred to in warm terms of praise, and in whit+
also his Majesty was respectfully recommended by the
Minister of the Interior to nominate the professor in
question a Chevalier of the Order of Leopold. The
reading of this document was followed by the
of a royal decree, conferring the order alluded
to. It is . time now to state that this re-
spected professor was M. Petit, the father of the
young laureate above-named. Thus did one day and
ene public ceremony witness the well-deserved Humid,
of father and son, of professor and pupil. It must be
inentioned also that M. Petit, sen., through an honourahl.
and Nice (perhaps over nice) feeling of delicacy would
not aloe" his son to compete with his fellow-students fat
the special prizes of the college of Mons. The recent
opportueity, however, of gaining distinction was a na-
tional one, from which no pupil could be excluded, and
at which only reel merit could hope to be recognised.
The Honourable Professor was presented to their Ma-
-,j,isties by M. Van de Weyer, amidst general al plausr.

NEW GERMAN REFORMATION.
I.7LNE, SEPT. 21.—The journey of M. Ronge hem Stutgard,
to our place resembled more the triumphal march of a con-
qu and the inhabitants of Esslingen and Goppingen
dis-
tiaghished themselves in particular in the reception they gavt
to the hero of our days. Our town, where be is to stay for some
days, would, however, not remain behind, and it has performed
its duties of hospitality in the true spirit of Christian love alai
charity A deputation of Aldermen and distittguished citizens
went out to meet him, and on his arrival in town he was re-
' ceived by the population with an almost endless shout of joy.
The Mayor welcomed him in the name of the inhabitante, and a
young lady of noble birth, and the youngest member of the
new community, offered him a crown of laurels. M. Rongt
and his fellow labourer in the vineyard, M. Dawist, twice ad
dressed the people from the hotel where they have taken up
their residence, and were listened to with very great atten-
tion. Our common council has granted for the use of the
German Catholics 500 florins, of which 103 florins are to be
employed in the fitting up of the Corn Exchange for a place
of worship. However, this latter will no more be necessary,
as the Ministry has now granted the petition, signed by 1,800
citizens, and allowed to the new community the use of the
' cathedral for divine service. It is said that the King of
Wirtemberg is much displeased with his Ministers for
having refused a similar request to the German Catholics at
Stutgardt, and that it is owing to this that an order of a more
favourable nature has been lately issued by the Government
of that country, according to which the German Catholics
there are allowed the free exercise of their religious creed,
except the permission for their ministers to officiate at the
altar, and for the public papers to call their sermons other
than speeches.
BADEN.—The private informations from this country agree
in stating that the German Catholic Church is there making
continual progress, and that in a short time the secession of
its Roman Catholic inhabitants will be effected on a yery
large scale.
FRANKFORT.—The cause of the new Church is said to be
taken up by the people there with the same ardour as the
cause of Germany itself. The community of German Catho-
lics is daily increasing, and the offerings made by the
Lutherans and Reformists, for the use of the new Catholic
Church, are already very considerable.
wiEmt„Ele.—The Government has refused the petition of
the German Catholics to have a suitable place tr Divine
them.o All those, however, who, having
ed Church of Rome, desire to form
sawenopearstrvialiCtPagthraoiitocemdcotnotehmennity, are to be tolerated on the general
principle of religious liberty established in the kingdqn. How-
ever, this community is to be deprived of the rights of co-
operation and of legally nominating its chiefs. Its ministers
are only there to be allowed to perform the ceremonies et
baptism and marriages when the clergymen of the Esta-
blished Church have refused to do it on being applied to.
Posen N.—No reason has been assigned why the Govern.
ment has refused to grant to the German Catholics a suitable
place for performing Divine service, and the new community
has been obliged to fix upon the prayer-room in the Protes-
tant churchyard for that purpose. M. Cost, the officiating
clergyman, prayed and preached in the German tongue, am'
administered the Sacrament to a great number of his congre
gation under both forms.