The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-03-09
THE WEEKLY PIONEER AND DEMOCRAT.
Hungary Ripe for Revolution and Tn
observation-disclosures Oppression.

Hungary Ripe for Revolution and Tn
surrectlon-Austrian Oppression.
An outbreak in Hungary against the
tyrannical rule Of Austria, is regarded as
imminent. The last advices from Europe
state that KossUTH has left London for
Hungary, as it is supposed. His arrival
there will be the signal of revolutionary
movement, promising more suspicious
conclusion than the outbreak Of 1848.
The immediate occasion Of the present
bold attitude of the Hungarians is out
rageous taxation and an Imperial patent
issued last August, which provides that the
Protestant churches, Calvanistic and Luth~
eran, shall be governed by synods, to be
elected according to the plan specified by
the patent--a scheme which neither Pro.
testants nor Catholics framed or sympathize
with, and decline to accede to and refuse to
carry into execution, because it is tyrannical.
But until these synods are elected, the gov.
eminent cannot legally get at certain taxes.
Hence the government have commanded the
people to proceed to the election of the
synods; if they refuse, they are to be
compelled, to pay taxes in the imposition of
which they have had no share. Protestants
and Catholics are alike united in their oppo.
sition to the policy of the Austrian govern
ment; and the Catholic priests and Protest
ant pastors are active in melting and organ.
izing opposition among the people.
In some districts, the people refuse to pay
the taxes. This has always been the pre-
cursor of revolution in Europe. Here is a
sorry picture of the results of the exhorbi-
tant taxation of the Austrians, contained in
letter from Pesth, the chief city of Hun
gary.
So exhorbitant are the taxes, and so great
the distress of the people, that in vast
number of cases the claims of the tax gath
erer cannot possibly be met and conse-
quently seizures of horses, live stock, corn
and furniture are lamentably frequent The
things seized are of course put up to auction,
but, partly from the general poverty which
prevails, partly from the belief that it would
be a sin and a shame for Hungarian to aid
in the oppression of countryman by buy.
ing, there are never any bidders and con-
sequently the Austrian functionaries them
selves purchase the things for the merest
trife. In this way thousands of these
greasy rascals, who have salaries of only
EDO or 940 year, live as sumtuously as
London aldermen, and there are scores of
them who, though they arrived in the most
abject poverty at their official residences,
dragging their wretched stock of furniture
in hand cart, or carrying all their worldly
effects in carpet bag, are now extremely
wealthy. In some places the Austrian func-
tionaries have formed themselves into regu>
lar associations for cffectipg seizures and
buying up the goods sold. In fact if horse
or vehicle, or piece of furniture, happens
to take the fancy of any one of them, be at
once sends summons to the owner to pay
such or such sum within one, two, or three
days, and if the owner cannot or does not
comply, a seizure is at once effected, and the
desired object passes into the possession of
tn honorable Austrian tax gatherer. A
case of the kind occurred recently. A func-
tionary in Lower Hungary happened to be
in want of quantity of corn, and he natur-
ally desired to get it as cheap as possible !;
so, instead of goingto market, he sent to a
nobleman to claim for the Government the
payment in three pays of about 9400 Eng
The Count had no idea he owed such a
sum and, even if he had owed it, G4O0 is
more than in such a country as Hungary can
be raised in three days by any nobleman.
The money, therefore, was not paid and
Immediately at the appointed time down
went the tax-gatherer, and, breaking open
the Counts stores, he seized prodigious
quantity of corn. At once the corn was
put up at auction, but of course no one
made a bidding, and the tax-gatherer
accordingly took it for himself at mere
nominal figure. Another case which occur
red lately at Czegled will give an idea ofhow
fearfully ruinous this system is to the unfor-
tunate Hungarians. A tax-gatherer of that
place, whose legitimate income is $55 per
annum, was recently visited by one of his
colleagues, and after dinner he took him out
for drive in his carriage. This carriage
was drawn by not fewer than four horses,
all magnificent animals, which had been
seized only Jews days before for non-psy-
ment of taxes in the stables of neighbour
ming obleman. "Splendid horse you've got
there" said the visitor. eyes," answered
the Czegled tax.gatherer with chuckle,
"and got them cheap too. Only paid FL
forms and 20 kreuzers for the whole lot ~
"a sum less than e2 English. In presence
Of such facts as these, can people wonder
that cry of anguish rises to Heaven from
Hungary; that the breast of every Hum
garian is filled with hatred of the govern.
ment which permit such horrible oppres.
sion and that even strangers in the land
on seeing iniquity so monstrous, cry, Chow
long, o Lord, how long?"
AN exciting contest is going on for Mayor
in Chicago. The Chicago Times of We'd
nesday last, says of the Republican candi'
date:
"John Wentworth returned to his hote
yesterday morning at two o'clock, in a STATE
of drunkenness. So we are informed by 9