The Sun. — London, England, 1832-02-03 00:00:00

.. 1 wla;( h the light of voting in boroughs to he derived from the occupation of a house of not lees than the clear yearly value of 101. may be fixed on a more certain and permanent basis-than is proposed in the Bill." He thought it would Ktve a character of permanency to the intended qualifica tion Were it allowed that a house and premises having been once admitted on the list as of the value of 101. should be permitted there to continue for a certain period without ex imination every year, and that the mere possession of such a house should entitle the occ•spier to vote.--(Loud cries of " Adjourn," which prevented us from any more hearing the Hon. Gentleman.) Sir J. WROTTESLEY would wish to submit to the Committee the plan they had last year acted upon —namely, that although they should adjourn generally at this hour, yet that they should before doing so at least finish Vat clause they were upon. Lord ALTHORP hoped that Hon, Gentlemen would not now press the adjournment, as it was desirable to dis cuss the statement of his Hon. Friend the Member for Nottinghamshire. He thought that might he done shortly ; because although he admitted the question to he one very fit for the Committee, yet in his opinion it lay within a very nirrow compass. The Bill at present said that even• occupier of a 10/. house should have a vote. His Hon. Friend thought it should be decided what houses i❑ bo roughs were 101. houses, and that the occupiers of these houses should always be allowed to vote. Now he (Lord Althorp) thought that the Bill decided that, for when once a house was registered as of the value of 101., i t would continue in all future registries on the list, e x cept under some peculiar circumstances. Besides, if these houses and no others in a borough were to confer the right of voting, say for a period of five years, this would render them like burgage tenements, and persons wou'd buy them up. After a few words from Colonel SurrttottPE, Mr. E. DENISON said, that the Noble Lord did not entirely comprehend his meaning. The same objection would lie under the Bill as it stood under his proposition ; for it was only the houses that could confer the right of voting.—(Loud cries of " Adjourn.") Mr. CROKER thought that the lion. Baronet (Sir J. Wrottesley) would see how impossible it was to adopt his suggestion ; for in the present clause there were two most important questions to be disposed of. The first was to decide whether the right of voting should be conferred by a 101. or 201. house, or by any other such qualification ; and the next was, how were they to get at that qualifica tion. These were subjects so serious, that it would he impossible to get through them this night. Lord ALTHORP rose, but from the noise was in u ;lihle. It was, however, presumed that he agreed with Mr. Croker, for the Chairman immediately put the ques tion to report progress. The House then resumed. POSTAGE OF LETTERS (IRELAND) ACTS. On the motion of Mr. S. RICE, the House went into Committee on the Post-office Laws in Ireland, and the Right Hon. Gentleman having proposed two resolutions, One empowering the Postmaster-General to est.iblish penny posts in any town in Ireland, and another that it wa , expedient to amend the hish Post-office Laws generally, Mr. HUMEsaid he had before called the attention of the Government to the practice of clerks in the Post-office being newspaper-sellers, which he hoped would now be put an end to. Exclusive of the impropriety of such officers being diverted from their duty, a strong prejudice must arise from the fact that sometimes newspapers sent by newsagents did not go in proper time, while those sent by the Post-office clerks did not fail in their regular arrival. This gave an impression of unfair dealing, and whatever gave rise to that should be done away with. If there were not power in the Post-master-General to abate this, he ought to have it by the new Act. Lord ALTEIORP aril there was power enough in the House as it stood to put an end to this practice ; but if it were put a stop to, there must be a considerable addition to the salaries of the clerks in the Postoffice. Mr. HUME said, that economist as he was, he would willingly grant an addition of salary in such a c!se, as he looked upon the taking of fees by public officers as a most pernicious practice. The other Orders of the Day were then disposed of, and the House adjourned at One o'clock. HOUSE OF LORDS, FEBRITRAr 2. The Loan CHANCMLLOR. did not take his seat till Twenty Minutes past Five o'clock. Lord TEYNHAM wished to ask the Noble and Learned Lord on the Woolsack, whether it was correct that the Government was about to issue a Commission for the pur pose of enquiring into the operations of the Poor Laws. The LORD CHANCELLOR said that the Govern ment had thought it proper to issue such Commission, far enquiring into the operation of those laws in dif ferent parts of the kingdom. He might as well say that he entirely agreed with his colleagues in the present plan, he had had some doubts on the sabject, but they were entirely removed, and he thought no time would he lost by the adoption of the present mode. Lord ELLENBOROUGH hoped that the present Session would not he permitted to pass without some mea sure being introduced for the settlement of that question. The Noble and Learned Lord on the Woolsack had pledged himself that he would bring forward a plan of his own with regard to these la , s. The LORD CHANCELLOR saii that he had not pledged himself to bring fcr ward any particular meaf.ure on the subject. He certainly had the intention of having that subject brought before the House, but the recess which he had enjoyed had been so very short, extending to not more than 10 or 12 days, that it had been out of his power to give the subject that consideration which he considered it necessary that it should have. The Marquis of SALISBURY observed, that the Noble and Learned Lord had correctly stated the answer which he had given him (luting the sitting of Parlian4ent before the recess. He wished that the Commission was now appointed, for the country certainly wasted and looked forward to a relief from them. Lord ELLENBOROUGH hoped that in the appoint ment of a Commission upon such a vital subject to a great mass of tite population of the country, Government would net for a small saving want such men as were well acquainted with the subject It was not a question on which money ourht to be an object. Lord TEYNHANI gave notice that on Monday be would move for returns, relative to the importation of hemp and flax for the use of the navy. Earl GREY, by command of his Majesty, laid upon the table of the House, papers relative to the ratification of the Belgian treaty. The Earl 'of ABERDEEN asked if the Noble Earl bad an intention to make a motion on the subject of those papers. Earl GREY had no such intention. Lord CLONCURRY presented a petition against the tithe laws.—Referred to the Committee. The Arbitration Bill went through Committee and was reported, without amendments. Lord ELLENBOROUGH wished to ask the Noble Secretary for the Colonies whether there would be any ob jection to the production of papers relative to emigration for the last two years. • Lord GODERICH apprehended there could he no objection to the production of such papers. He would enquire how far such papers could be made up, and inform the Noble Lord. Lord GODERICH, in answer to a question by the Earl of Carnarvon, said that it was not his intention to bring forward the same Bill as was introduced last session relative to emigration. He could inform the House that emigration from Great Britain and Ireland during the last ..ear had been to our own colonies more than double that of any former year. He was happy, however, to say that notwithstanding such emigration the price of labou r in Upper Canada had not fallen. ANATOMY. The Duke of SUSSEX presented a petition from the President and Faculty of the Commonalty of Medicine, praying for a legislative enactment that should enable students to pursue their anatomical studies.—The petition was read at length. The Earl of ELDON next addressed the House, but in a tone of voice nearly inaudible. Ile was understood to sta'e that the illustrious Duke opposite had givena cor rect description of the law, and after several observations, was understood to agree with much that had fallen from the illustrious Peer by whom the petition bad been-pre sented, and with many of the sentiments which it contained, fully assenting to the assertion that the state of public feeling on the subject throughout the country demanded that some change be immediately made in the !lay. The Duke of SUSSEX was much gratified aat receivin,. from the Noble and Learned Lord a confirmation of the opinions he had expressed ; for his own part, he bad made provisions in his will that his body should be delivered to medical men, not for the gratification of mere idle curio sity, but that it might be opened, as he conceived such an examination might prove useful to society, he having been for forty years afflicted with .a disease, of which he had now happily gotten_ rill; and he should be very glad if the examination of hid . frame, in which possibly thet, might exist Some remarkable peculiarity, contributed mitigate the sufferings of any one individual. The Illus. trious Duke then presented a petition from the teachers and students of the Medical and Anatomical School, Southwark. RUSSIAN LOAN. On proceeding to the orders of the day, Lord WYNFORD rose. We understood his Lordship to say, w;th reference to the subject which he was about to bring before the House, that it had been the constant prin ciple of English policy to support and strengthen Holland. It was to its timely aid that we were indebted for the establishment of that free system of government under .Vhich we at present lived.—(Hear.) Their Lordships could not but remember the deliverance achieved by William of glorious memory, when he mounted the British throne. it could not he forgotten that Hull :nil had promptly supported the succession of the illustrious family which now ssayed the sceptre of these realms. It could not be forgotten that in 1745 Dutch troops were sent hither to aid in repolling the attempts of the Pre tender. Though Holland at last to k part against us, it was only when she ceased to be a free agent. It was, therefore, he contended, not only our interest to defend and sustain Hollind, but we were called upon to do so by national honour and good faith. With respect to the Russian Loan, he thought, that unless we were under absolute engagements to continue the payment of it, this was no time to draw largely upon the public treasury. He begged to call their Lordship..' attention to the circum stances under which the treaty with which this loan was connected was framed. In 1814, immediately after Hol land was delivered from the tyranny of France, a treaty was entered between this country and Holland. The Noble Lord here read a portion of the articles of the treaty of August 13, 1814, signed in London, which set forth that in consideration of the payment of certain sums of money, the Sovereign of Holland consented to cede to Great Britain the settlement at the Cape of Good Hope, with Demerara, Essequibo, and Berbice. It had been said, con tinued the Noble Lord, at the period when the treaty was s'gned, that Holland had no right to make any disposition of these settlements, they having been secured to England by the law of conquest. To this opinion Lord Castle reagh had triumphantly replied, when he stated that Hol land, unlike Saxony, was not a voluntary enemy, but forced into co-operation with Buonaparte. It was also provided by treaty that Holland was to have Belgium, and, on giving up certain German provinces to Prussia, part of Luxemburg was made over to her. Now he (Lord Wynford) insisted that if Great Britain or Prussia caused any thing to be done towards the dismemberment of Hol- land, or prevented the Sovereign of that country from re clnquering any pact of his dominions that had rejected his authority, they were hound in honour and in justice to make compensation,—the one by restoring the foreign settlements, the other by relinquishing the possessien of the provinces in Germany. The Noble Lord then proceeded to consider the provisions of the treaty of the 19th of May, 1815, which guaranteed the pay ment of the Russian loan, and argued that, according to its terms, the time for withholding the payment, as mtemplated by every party to the treaty, had begun with the separation of Belgium from Holland. He understood that the opinion had been advanc,d that judges and lawyers had nothing to do with treaties. To this he would answer that treaties could only be carried into effect by Acts of Parliament, and Acts of Parliament could only be interpreted by those who comprehentb-d them. The sth article of the treaty provided that the payment of the money should cease, whenever the posses -ion and sovereignty of the Belgic provinces should pass or be severed from the dominions of the King of the Ne therlands. In the French copy the word " dominions" was not to he found, but instead of it the word "domina tion" was inserted, which made the sentence more intel ligible. What was meant by the expression " the sove reignty of the Belgic provinces passing front the King of the Netherlands ?" Did it mean the sovereignty de jure, or the sovereignty de facto ? and then the question arose, were there two kinds of sovereignty acknowledged by law ? He contended that there were two two kinds of sovereignty acknowledged by the law of England— viz., the sovereignty de jure, and the sovereignty de facto ; anti the distinction first began to be made in this country in the time of Henry VII, The circum stances which attended the apprehenai.ot of Mr. Lau- rens, the President of the Congress, when he was pro ceeding from America to Holland for the purpose of concluding a treaty of alliance with, that country, proved that this distinction was practically admitted. He wa , seized, and by a mistake of the lawyers, committed to the Tower as a traitor. He subsequently demanded to be treated as a prisoner of-war, and not as a traitor, because the country in whose service he had been engaged was, de fucto, separated from England, and that separation had been acknowledged by a treaty for the exchange of pri soners. Mr. Burke gave notice of a motion on the subject in the House of Commons, stating that Mr. Laurens could not be considered such a subject of England as made him liable to a charge of treason ; but before the motion came on, Mr. Laurens was discharged from prison. It was a principle recognized by statesmen in all countries, and was conformable to the law of nations, that no man could Commit treason against a King de jure and out of posses sion. It was even stated by Comines that a King de facto might take advantage of a treaty concluded with a King de jure ; and the writer gave as instance the case of Henry VI., who was taken from the Tower and placed on the throne by the Earl of Warwick, and with respect to whom the elector of Burgundy thought himself bound to observe the terms of a treaty which he had concluded with the legi timate King, Edward IV. Another instance of the same sort was the treaty entered into with the Dutch by Henry IV. of France, before Holland was acknowledged as an independent kingdom by Sp fin ; and this conduct of the King of France was supported by the opinions of one of the greatest com mentators on the law or nation•, Grotius. He thought he had fully established that both a sovereignty de faeo and de jute were acknowledged by the municipal laws of all countries ; and the next question was, which kind of sove reignty was meant by the treaty now under the considera tion of the House. The King of Holland would unques tionably possess the sovereignty de jure over the Belgic provinces, until he consented to cede them ; but he (Lord Wynford) had no hesitation in saying, that the sovereignty alluded to was a sovereignty de facto. The object of the contracting parties was to secure a barrier on the frontiers of France, and that object would not be obtained by the King of the Netherlands merely possessing a sovereignty de jure over the Belgic provinces, while a real separatii n had taken place between the two parts of his dominions. f a sovereignty de facto was meant, and that .. , overeienty ad ceased to reside with the King of the Netherlands, ;hen both Holland and England were absolved from conL inuing the payment of that money for which they had made themselves liable under other circumstances. Sup- posing, however, that the question was one of doubt, he knew no better mode of proceeding than by submitting it to the twelve Judges. The Noble and Learned Lord then proceeded to contend that the Judges were the most fitting persons to be consulted on the case, as it arose out of a❑ Act of Parliament which was binding on the subjects of England, and which could nor, therefore, he regarded in any other light than as pat t and parcel of the municipal law of the land. It might, perhaps, be said that the pay- ment had been continued to Russia from equitable con;i- derations, but the proper judges of those equitable consi- derations were the two Houses of Parliament, and not :he 3linisters ; and if the Judges should report thit the payment was illegal, the 31inisttrs would be placed no- der the necessity of introducing a Bill to indemnify them selves, to which he should have no objection to agree, if they had been induced to act in this matter under the advice of the law officers of the Crown. He did not know, too, whether be should not feel it his duty, under those circumstances, to oppose a Bill or an address to the Crown, to prevent the further payment of any money in consequence of this treaty. The Noble and Learned Lord then cited several precedents in support of the course which he proposed to the House to follow ; and said that before he concluded he would mention what he thought was material in considering the meaning of the treaty, and was the way in which one of its framers understood it. Lord Castlereagh distinctly stated that his object in proMoting the treaty was to bind one of the most powerful States in Europe to the protection of the union of the Belgic pros inces with the kingdom of Holland ; and he went on to sty, that whenever the possession of those pro vinces should be separated from the King of the Nether lands, from that instant the obligations of Holland, and of course of this country, would cease. The Noble and Learned LOrd said there could be no doubt that the Belgic provinces had become independent. Holland had treated with them as a separate Power ; England, France, Russia, and Prussia, hail held communications with a Minister styling himself the plenipotentiary of the King of Belgium, and Prince Leopold had been acknowledged, in the speech from the throne, as King of that country. These were facts which sufficiently proved the independence of Belgium ; and he should now conclude by moving " that the Judges be directed to attend this House, to answer thefollo w i ng quest i ons :—Are the Colnini'sioncrs of his Treasury to au i t s b su o e ri a s n et y l s b u y in t o h f e m s o s n t e h y f G ro e m o. by any Majesty's ther la con solidated fund of Great Britai n 2 or any public money, for the payment o f any part of the principal or i n t eres t o ' f the loan mentioned in such Act, at any time after his Maj e sty the King of the Netherla n d s s h a l l have ceased ~,toanedxerc shallise any sovereign authority in th e B e l g i c have treated with persons exercising the powers of Go vernment therein ; and atter his Majesty shall have an !loomed from the throne the conclusion of a treaty be t ween his Majesty, in concurrence with the other Powers of Europe and the King of Belgium, and shall have ap pointed a Minister to treat with the King of Belgium ; and after the Ministers of Great Britain, France, Russia, and Prussia shall have treated with a Minister announcing him self as the plenipotentiary of the King of Belgium ?" The LORD CHANCELLOR, having previously r ad the motion from the Woolstck, proceeded to say that he had risen thus early in the debate for the purpose of stating to their Lordships what appeared to him insurmountable ob jections against adopting the proposition of his Noble and Learned Friend. In addressing himself to the subject, he should reverse the order which the Noble Lord himself had pursued, and come at Once to the reasons he had urged in recommendation of the immediate proposition before the House. Without referring to the actual merits of the case itself, it appeared pretty clear that the ques tion which the Judges would have to inquire into, pro vided the House assented to the motion, must relate to the construction of the sth article of the treaty of 1815, for the Act of Parliament authorized the payment "of the said money, if it came within his Majesty's engagements, accord ing to the words of the convention." 'ln substance, then, they would refer to the Judges the construction of thaw conventions. Now, even admitting that there were prece dents for laying a question before the Judges at a time when no cruse was pending, when no proceeding what ever, judicial or legislative, had been instituted—( Hear)-- it behoved them to pause and consider the principle on which they would thus apply to those learned personages. The Noble Lord advised the House to resort to these judicial functionaries, in order, no doubt, to procure the best information, and from the most eligible quarter. The House generally was supposed to be unlearned in these matters, while the Judges were not only practised and skilled in the lore becoming their station, but had acquired more than ordinary acumen by the daily habit of applying themselves to the abstruse and delicate cases which, con tinually came before them. A question of this nature, however, was not amongst those with which the twelve, or as he ought now to say the fifteen, Judges of England were conversant. Such a one might possibly be submitted to some of them now and then in the course of their judicial experience and after long intervals, but the civil law Judges, to whom their Lordships had it not in their power to apply, were pre-eminently skilled in the public law of nations in which their brethren were necessarily so deficient.—(Hear, hear.) It was one thing to put a right construction on a treaty according to the principles ef in ternational law, and quite another to expound or interpret an Act of Parliament. This, too, was fully acknowledged by the Judges themselves, who, whenever they had to grapple with the difficulties of a question which did not fall tvi bin their usual province, always availed themselves of the assistance of civilians. Indeed, they never happened to have any experience whatever upon subjects of this nature, except at the Court of Appeals, and to that branch of juris prudence very few lawyers ever devoted their attention. The Chief Justice of the Common Pleas perhaps might sit about once a fortnight on a question connected with public law ; but it was almost impossible for any of the other Judges to participate even in those scanty opportunities. If the matter could he sent to the Court of Admiralty, a pro posal to that effect would have been comparatively spe cious, but such a thing had never heen done before, and the Noble Lord himself would never think of suggesting it. But supposing that the appeal to the Judges in such a question were not absurd in heel, he would ask were there precedents for the proceeding ? The Noble and Learned Baron had referred to two, which, so far front sustaining his argument, furnished the best reasons possible for its comp'ete refutation. In one of the cases the question was propounded on the 21st of June, but a Bill upon the subject had been brought into Parliament on the previous 17th.—(Hear, hear.) The Noble Baron had adverted to the circumstance of the Bill in an under tone, as if it was an affair of no importance ; but that in fact involved the gist of the whole question.—(Hear, hear.) The other case was one in which a Bill had been brought in, rendering the chief Magistrate of Edinburgh ineligible for any trust under the Crown after the Porteous riot. He had a great respect for so profound a lawyer as Lord Hard • wicke, who took a prominent part in that question; but he must say, that such a precedent was more honoured in the breach than in the observance. The Judges of a Court of Justice in Edinburgh on that occasion were summoned in a most unseemly manner, and harshly questioned, for the purpose of impugning their own conduct in their judicial character after a criminal had been legally condemned to die according to the ordinary process of the laws. But, putting out of sight the evils which must at tend such a procedure as that recommended by his Noble and Learned Friend, he would ask, was it right to put questions to Judges on subjects which might possibly come before them hereafter ? It was maintained, that money had been paid contrary to law,— that an Act of Parlia ment had been violated. If so, some one must be account able for it, and an impeachment might he the consequence. Well, these Judges bearing no parry, listening to no argu ments, must find their way to a conclusion, and report it to the House, having seen nothing, heard nothing, known nothing beyond the tour corners of the paper submitted to them ; and afterwards when the whole affair might be again brought before them, they would hear counsel and discuss arguments, and might see fit, like many other Judges be fore them, to reverse their former opinion. But who could say that there would not be a strong bias on their minds in consequence of the solemn act to which they already stood committed ?—(Hear, hear.) Besides, the officers might refuse to pay this money the next time, in which case a mandamus would issue to compel them, and the subject would lie argued before the Judges of the King's Bench, with their former hypothetical opinion all the time staring them in the face. But the main body of the ques tion was whether the treaty was binding; for if so, the act, as he had already said, warranted the pay.. mew. The first article ran th us —Art. 1. His Majesty the King of the Netherlands hereby engage s to take upon himself a part of the capital and ar rears of interest to the Ist of January, 1516, of the Russian loan made in Holland, through the intervention of the house of Hope and Co. in Arnsterdatn, to the amount of 25,000,000 of florins, Dutch currency ; the annual interest of which stun, together with an annual tfied shall he n by nti become , payment j for the cr liquidation a of th e a charge same, as ,here up e i naf o re: s p t he kingdom of the Netherlands ; and his Majesty the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland en gages on his part to recommend to his Parliament to en able him to take ,upon himself an equal capital of th e slid Russian loan, viz.--25,000,000 of florMs, Dutch cur. a re n ricy, nual t p lT y annual ment for interest the l of which sutra, idation of og the sa e i t n he with e, r ashere aftern a specified, shall be borne by and become a charge upon the Government of his Britannic Majesty." Now this obligation was not voluntarily or gratuitously undertaken, hut in acknowledgement of a consideration already p a id_ by Russia ; and the knowledge of the fact, he should sup pose, might have led to more sound arid stateetnaulike views of our duty towards that power than his Noble Friend appeared to have taken. He would forgive him for sae ing that towards the beginning and the end of his speech he had been rather declamatory than argumentative. H e seemed to congratulate himself on the probability of his proving a much more extensive economist than Ministers, if he could produce a saving to the country to the amount of 2,000,0001. He hoped that the Noble and Learned Lord would succeed in his economical project, provided he could do so without any breach of honour or national faith.-- (Hear, hear.) While remembering the money, it was to be hoped that be would not forget the treaty, if it could be afiown to be a binding obligation. Russia bad per formed a great and essential service before the treaty had been ever entered into, having rendered such assistance in delivering a vast tract of territory from the power of the enemy. Ac,•ording to the convention of the 13th of Au- gust, 1811, we agreed to pay two millions against two millions from Holland for the erection of fortresses, and we also agreed to bear equally with Holland the further expences attendant on the settlement of the Low Coun tries, not exceeding 3,000,0001. In consideration of thee engagements we obtained the advantage of the cession by the King of the Netherlands of certain colonies, of which we were now possessed, and we likewise gained the advantage of rescuing Belgium from France. H e did not mean to argue in favour of the treaty—it was none of his, be was not even in the House of Commons when it was passed. Probably had he been there he should have op posed it. The Noble and Learned Baron had maintained that Russia was bound to protect the integrity of Belgium, and referred to the authority of Lords Liverpool and Cas tlereagh, but it was agaiiist France that she was expected to protect her, and no other Power than France could possibly have been meant. Two conclusions, then, might be drawn from these facts—the one, that Russia had performed her duty and paid her consideration ; the other, that France was the only Power contemplated through out the entire of the arrangements. As to Rus s ia, she had paid her part, she had joined in re-conquering her provinces from France, and she stood in the shoes of the Allies. Without recurring to the Judges, who could know nothing of public law, any one must see it was a prin ciple of all law .that the party who has paid has a r ight to as liberal a construction of the contract as the words in which it is constructed will admit of. Vattel, in his chapter on the construction of treaties, had laid it down that every thing not strictly expressed should he taken against the promiser and the party bound. Now in the present case Holland and England were the parties pro mising, and the obligation, therefore, should be inter pleted strongly against us. He argued this a Russian diplomatist might be supposed to do it ; but an exception had been introduced for our benefit, not for that of Russia. The Noble Lord had quoted Grotius, to the effect that we should always look to the condition of the contracting par ties, to which he would add, from Vattel, we should also " look to the views of the parties when any unfore seen conjuncture might arise." The independent establish ment of Belgium, and not its transfer from one Sovereign to another, was precisely such a conjuncture as the jurist had described. Looking, then, to the views of the par ties, without reference to one protocol, conference, or de spatch,—without even examining the progress of the ne gotiation, which, in construing doubtful treaties, was al lowable,—it was notorious, from the state of Europe and the projects of France at the period, that France only was the Power contemplated in the treaty as the possible usurper of Belgium, by wresting it from the crown of Holland.—(Hear, hear, hear.) Supposing, how ever, that the most literal and technical construction of the treaty should be taken. The words were " se vered from the possession and sovereignty.' The sovereignty being added to the possession, gave a perfectly different complexion to the case. The sovereignty could only be legally severed by recognition,—by an act decla ratory of the recognition of the separation. Upon this point he would direct the attention of their Lordships to one or two decisions which had been given by the tribu nals, which affected the question of the transference or changing of sovereignty. One of these decisions was made by the highest court of the law of nations in this country—he meant the Court of Privy Council—no longer ago than ISOS. It was notorious that sixteen year. before that period St. Domingo had been severed from France, not only de facto, but to all intents and purposes. Tile French exercised no one power in St. Domingo. It had been subject to a variety of sovereignties, and amongst others to the Crown of this country. Never; heless, it was laid down by the Lords of the Privy Council in the appeal which came befor-- them, that St. Domingo was, in the contemplation of public law, still under the sove reignty of Fran e. He begged the House to observe that he did not voluntarily have recourse to this literal con struction of the terms of public acts, but he was driven to it by the Noble and Learned Lord. He was desirous of giving a liberal and common sense construction to the words of the treaty—he was disposed to look at the con dition and views of the parties at the time of their enter ing in'o the compact, and then he found that the case did not embrace the question of separation, but only that of transference to France. If, however, he was called upon to abide by the letter of the treaty, he must rake the strict technical rule of the Courts of Law. He limn.] that though the sovereignty of France had been severed from St. Domingo for sixteen long years, it wa-5 in the contemplation of the law, still a French colony, because France, at the period of that decision, had not recognized its independence. In like manner a Learned and Reverend Judge (Lord Stowell), whose ab sence upo❑ the present occasion he much regretted, be cause he, more than any other Judge of the land, was qualified to enlighten their Lordships on this subject, bad decided a case which arose from circumstances of a pecu liarly stringent nature. It was a qestion of piracy. A Colombian cruiser which had taken a Spanish ship, was afterwards captured by an English vessel, and brought into one of our ports for condemnation. The Spanish Ambassador put in a claim for the property found on board the Colombian cruiser, on the ground of piracy. He contended that Colombia was a part of Spain. Although there had been a severance of the colony de facto, the Learned Judge to whom he had alluded, because the seve rance had never been recognized by Spain, ordered the goods to he given up to the Spanish Ambassador. The Noble and Learned Lord had referred to the exchange of Ambassadors between this country- and Bigium, and the mention of the King of Belgium in his Majesty's speech from the throne. This objection could be valid only against the parties making the recognition; but he knew of no case in which the exchange of Ambassadors might have been for the very purpose of negotiating respecting the independence of the State. But suppo•ing that there had been a recognition as far as regarded u,<, was that a recognition as tar as regarded the sub. ject matter of the debate? It was one thing to say that we should be bound by our own act, and another to say that Russia shouid be bound by it also. Was Russia to be bound and concluded by an Act to which she was no party, but which began and ended with our selves? Besides, he was warranted by the opinion of the eminent Judge to whom he had already referred, in saying that a treaty, until it was ratified, had in public law no legal effect whatever. This decision of Lord Stowell was r ither the recognition of a law which had never been dis puted, than the I Tying down of a new rule. The case in which the decision took place was one of a peculiar nature: A capture had been made on the coast of Sweden. This capture took place not only after the signature of the de finitive treaty by the two contracting Powers, but after the eatleition of the treaty by one of those Powers. Eng land had ratified the treaty before the question arose, but Sweden did not ratify until after; and because the ratifi cation was not completed by both, Lord Stowell held the treaty to be good for nothing. His expression was, that " the ratification was reciprocal, and that under the cir cumstances it must he consider - id that there was no treaty at all." The effect of this judgment was, that Sweden was considered as in a state of war at the tune the capture was made. Now the treaty with Belgium had not been ratified by us till after the payment had been made to Russia, and it had not been ratified by Russia up to the present moment ; and therefore it could not be expected that Russia should be bound by our recognition. The Noble and Learned Lord said that this was a CagUs ontissus, and that Ministers ought to have applied to Par liament for a declaratory act. If there had been a cases omissus with respect to the obligation, such a course would have been proper; but this was only one with re spect to the exception. Ministers had had recourse to the best advice they could obtain. They had re ferred the question not only to the Attorney and Solicitor-General, but to the King's Advocate, who, after the most mature consideration, had given the opinion on which Government lied acted.—(lle ir, hoar.) Upon that opinion the Government rested u'eir case. That opinion went along with his own, however unworthy it might b e of baring stated in company and in subsequence with the former. He should like to know what would have been said to Ministers if they had acted differently front what they had done. If, atter having obtained the hest advice, they had acted in opposition to it, would they not have been told of their scandalous and gross breach of faith ?____.(Cheers.) It would have been said, " Thin is all jealousy of Ros , ia.—(llear, hear)—you are afraid of that great Power—if it bad been France, now, the money would have been paid immediately—(Much eh ering and laughter)—you never can forgive Russia for the services which she has rendered to the common cause ; if it bad been the common enemy, you would at mice have followed the opinion of the law officers, the constitution a l law ad visers of the Crown ; but because it is Russia, you will not pay what you are bound to pay. You fling the opi nion which you have received behind the fire, and act upon your own prejudices."--(Cheers and laughter.) Then a Noble Lord, not far off from him, would have designated the proceeding of Ministers as a piece of handywork-. He would have told them they ought never to have quibbled about the words contained within the four corners of the treaty, but should have, accord'ng to Grotius and Va'tel, looked at the condition and views of the partiea at the time the treaty was signed, and given a liberal and common sense construction to it. Further it would have been re marked, that it was easy to account for the conduct of Ministers in refusing to pay the money to Russia,—the tee sty was none of theirs,—it was framed by far wiser and better men who had gone before them—(A laugh)—and of whom they testified captious jealousy by riving a strict and irrational construction to the treaty, instead of an ample, rational, fair, honest, and manly one.—(Hear.) True it was that 'Ministers were not the authors of the policy which dictated the treaty, they had no share in ad vising it, no share in approving it ; but if the country was bound, if the obligation continued, he would excuse it, without considering whether it would not have been better never to have contracted it. He apologized to their Lord ships for having occupied so much of their time, but he had thought it necessary to enter at considerable length into the question, because it was probable that the treaty might again come under the consideration of Parliament. The Loan CHANCELLOR., with the permission of their Lordships, retired from the woolsack, and in about fifteen minutes resumed his seat. The Earl of ELDON could not altogether assent to the motion submitted to their Lordships' consideration. He could not bring to mind any occasion in which the opinion of the Judges had been asked in the first instance. He did not hesitate to say, that the conduct of Government towards Belgium and Holland, and with respect to the payment of the money to Russia, was one of the most objectionable modes of proceeding that could he adopted. He did not mean to say that if the peace of Europe were endangered, Ministers ought not to proceed upon their own responsibility; -but he would say, that if time per mitted, it was their duty to apply for an Act of Midi,- merit, and if the exigency of the moment did not not allow of such an application, they should afterwards seek for an Act of Indemnity. In 1816 the Powers of Europe had entered into a treaty ; this treaty was laid before i'arlia !new and adopted by it, and so long as Holland and Belgiu►n were united, and not separated, so long was `Great Britallk to povole for the pymeut of so much money to Russia. The treaty being thus sanctioned by Parliament, it was asked how much further should Ministers go? They had gone to Mr. Attorney•Genera' and Mr. Solicitor-General, and he (Lord Eldon) would venture to say, that if they had questioned tho-e law officers of a former day, their only answer would have been upon the Act of Parliament, and upon nothing else. Beyond the Act they had no right to go. All they were authorized to declare was " Is this legal or is it not?' But it was said that the treaty being to a certain extent sanctioned by the Parliament, therefore they were entitled to do what they conceived the Parliament of 1816 wished to lee done. But could there lee a questiose as to the propriety of their acting under the interpretation of the treaty, or under the greater sanction of an Act of Parliament? They hail been told that Belgium and Hol land were not separated. He was surprised how any man could make such a statement, after the King of this country had recognized the King of Belgium.—(Hear.) Most readily would he stake any credit he possessed to back the opinion, that after the passing of the Act of Parliament in 1816, the Ministers of this country had no right whatever to advance any money to Russia subse quent to the separation of Belgium and Holland. He was art old lawyer, not a novice in the knowledae of either equity or politics, and he considered this proceeding as one of the most unpardonable acts any Minister ever did. —(Hear.) If there were time to come to Parliament, Ministers ought tee have come to it: if there were not t . me, they might take measures, but they would need on Act of Indemnity. It appeared to him an imperative duty to record his opinions on one of the grossest violtvions of Ministerial duty that he had ever re. membered in the whole course of his public career. Who, he would ask, after the recogn.tion of the King of Belgium by our Sovereign, could receive the paltry, the unfounded doctrine that Belgium and Holland were not separated ? Under the considerations • which he had stated, if the motion before their Lordships went simply to ask the Judges what regard was to he bad to the Act of Parliament of 1816, whether the payme .t were legal or not, he would have lead no objection tee that, because he did not believe that among the fifteen properly constituted Judges of Engl a nd there could be found a man so great an ideot as to say that the continuance of the pay ment of the Russian loan was not contrary to the statute. He would bet his life—and he would du so were i.e fifty years younger than he was—that not one of the 15 Judges would advance such an opinion. They would say "We have nothing- to do with your treaties ; here is the Act of Parliament framed for the guidance of all the King's sub jects,—Ministers as well as others."—(Hear.) Lord WYNFORD replied, and the House adjourned at a Quarter to Eleven o'clock. --- IMPORTANT STATE PAPER. ;LAID BEFORE PARLIAMENT LAST NIGHT.) TREATY RELATIVE TO THE NETHER LANDS. The Courts of Great Britain, Austria, France, Prussia, and Russia, taking into consideration the events which have occured in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands since the month of September of the year 1830, the obligation which they are under to prevent these events from disturbing the general peace, and the necessity which arises from these events of making certain modifications in the transactions of the year 1815, by which the United Kingdom of ;the Netherlands was created and esta blished; and his Majesty the present King of the Belgians participating in these intentions of the above-mentioned Courts, they have named Plenipotentiaries, &c. &c., who, atter having exchanged their full powers, found in good and due form, have agreed upon and signed the following Articles : Article I.—The Belgian territory shall be composed of the provinces of South Brabant, Leige, Namur, Ilainault, West Flanders, East Flanders, Antwerp, and Limbourg; such as they formed part of the United Kingdom of the. Netherlands constituted in 1815, with the exception of those districts of the province of Limbourg which are designated in Article IV. The Belgian territory shall, moreover, comprise that part Of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg which is specified in Article 11. Article I I.—ln the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the limits of the Belgian territory shall be such as will be hereinafter de scribed, viz. : . Commencing from the frontier of France between Rodange, which shall remain to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, and Athus, which shall belong to Belgium, there shall be drawn, according to the annexed map, a line, which, leaving to Belgium the road from Arlon to Longwy, the town of Arlon with its dis trict, and the road from Arlon to Bastogne, shall pass between Mesancy, which shall be on the Belgian territory, and Clemancy, which shall remain to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, terminating at Steinfort, which place shall also remain to the Grand Duchy. From Steinfort this line shall be continued in the direction of Eischen, Hccbus, Guirsch, Oberpalen, Grende, Nothomb, Parette, and Perle, as far as Martelange : Hecbus, Guirsch, Grende, Nothomb, and Parette being to belong to Belgium, and Eischen, Oberpalen, Perle, and Martelange to the Grand Duchy. From Martolange the said line shall follow the course of the Sure, the water way (thalweg) of which river shall serve as the limit between the two States, as far as oppo site to Tintange, from whence it shall be continued, as directly as possible, towards the present frontier of the Arrondissement of Diekirch, and shall pass between Surret, Harlange, and Tarchamps, which places shall be left to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, and Honville, Livarchainp, and Loutremange, which places shall form part of the Belgian territory. Then having, in the vicinity of Doncols and Soulez, which shall remain to the Grand Duchy, reached the present boundary of the Arrondissement of Diekirch, the line in question shall follow the said boundary to the frontier of the Prussian territory. All the territories, towns, fortresses, and places situated in the west of this line, shall belong to Belgium ; and all the territories, towns, fortresses, and places situated to the east of the said line, shall continue to belong to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. It is understood that in making out this line, and in con forming as closely as possible to the description of it given above, as well as to the delineation of it on the map, which, for the sake of greater clearness, is annexed to the present Article, the Commissioners of demarcation, mentioned in Article V., shall pay due attention to the localities, as well as to the mutual necessity for accommodation which may result therefrom Article lII.—In return for the cessions made in the pre ceding Article, there shall be assigned to his Majesty the King of the Netherlands, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, a terri torial indemnity in the province of Limbourg. Article IV.—ln execution of that part of Article 1., which relates to the province of Limbourg, and in consequence of the cessions specified in Article 11., there shall be assigned to his Majesty the King of the Netherlands, either to be held by him in his character of Grand Duke of Luxembourg, or for the purpose of being united to Holland, those territories, the limits of which are hereinafter described. F. On the right bank of the Meuse : to the old Dutch en claves upon the said bank in theprovince of Limbourg, shall be united those districts of the said province upon the same bank, which did not belong to the States-General in 1790 ; in such wise that the whole of that part of the present province of Lim bourg, situated upon the right bank of the Meuse, and com prised between that river on the west, the frontier of the Prus sian territory on the east, the present frontier of the province of Liege on the south, and Dutch Guelderland on the north, shall henceforth belong to his Majesty the King of the Nether lands, either to be held by him in his character of Grand Duke of Luxembourg, or in order to be united to Holland. . On the left hank of the Meuse : commencing from the southernmost point of the Dutch province of North Brabant, there shall be drawn, according to the annexed map, a line which shall terminate on the Meuse below Wessein, between that place and Stevenswaardt, at the point where the frontiers of the present Arrondissement of Ruremond and Maestricht meet, en the left bank of the Meuse ; in such manner that Ber gerot, Stamproy, Seer Itteren, Ittervoord, and Thorne, with their districts, as well as all the other places situated to the north of this line, shall form part of the Dutch territory. The old Dutch enclaves in the province of Limbourg, upon the left bank of the Meuse, shall belong to Belgium, with the exception of the town of Maestricht, which, together with a radius of territory, extending twelve hundred toises from the outer glacis of the fortress on the said hank of this river, shall continue to be possessed in full sovereignty and property by his Majesty the King of the Netherlands. Article V.—lt shall be reserved to his Majesty the King of the Netherlands, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, to come to an agreement with the Germanic Confederation, and with the Agnates of the House of Nassau, as to the application of the stipulations contained in Articles 111. and IV., as well as upon all the arrangements which the said Articles may render ne cessary, either with the above mentioned Agnates of the House of Nassau, or with the Germanic Confederation. Article Vl.—ln consideration of the territorial arrangements above stated, each of the two parties renounces reciprocally and for ever all pretension to the territories, towns, fortresses, and places situated within the limits of the possessions of the other party, such as those limits are described in Articles 1., 11., and IV. The said limits shall be marked out in conformity with those Articles by the Belgian and Dutch commissioners of demarca tion, who shall meet as soon as p oss ibl e in the town of Maestricht Article VI I.—Belgium, within the limits specified in At . .. ticles 1., 11., and IV., s h a ll f or m an independent and perpetually neutral State. It shall be bound to preserve such neutrality to. wards all other States. Article VIII.—The drainage of the waters of the two Flanders shall be regulated between Holland and Belgium, according to the stipulations on this subject, contained in Ar ticle VI. of the definitive treaty concluded between his Ma jesty the Emperor of Germany and the States-General on the Hai of November, 1755 ; and in conformity with the said article Commissioners, to be named on either side, shall make arranw ments for the application of the provisions contained in it. Article IX.—The provisions of Articles 1 08 to 117 inclusi ve , of the General Act of the Congress of Vienna, rel a ti ve t o t h e freen rivers avigat whichionofnav separateigalileri t ers h , shall be appli e d to those navigable , e Belgian and the Dut c h territories, or which traverse them both. So far as regards specially the navigation of the Scheldt, it shall be agreed that the pilotage and the buoying of its chan nel, as well as the conservation of the channels of the Scheldt below Antwerp, shall be subject to a joint superintendcmc that this joint superintendence shall be exercised by CoP missioners, to be appointed on both sides for this purpose; that moderate pilotage dues shall be fixed by mutual agree' ment ; and that such dues shall be the same for the Dutch o for the Belgian commerce. It is also agreed that the navigation of the intermedo channels between the Scheldt and the Rhine, in order to re', coed from Antwerp to the Rhine, and vice versa, shall contio o reciprocally free, and that it shall be subject only to modeeo tolls, which shall provisionally be the same for the commerce the two countries. Commissioners on both sides shall meet at Antwerp in t space of one month, as well to determine the definitive and p manent amount of these tolls as to agree upon a general regu tion for the execution of the provisions of the present Artie and to include therein a provision for the exercise of the ri of fishing and of trading in fish, throughout the whole exte of the Scheldt, on a footing of perfect reciprocity in favour the subjects of the two countries. In the mean time, and until the said regulations shall be pr, pared, the navigation of the navigable rivers above mentiont, shall remain free to the commerce of the two countries, whit!' shall adopt provisionally, in this respect, the tariffs of the Co( vention signed at Mayence on the 31st of March, 1831; for free navigation of the Rhine, as well as the other provisions er' that Convention, so far as they may be applicable to those mad gable rivers which db - ide the Dutch and Belgian territories, traverse both. Article X.—The use of the canals which traverse both con tries shall continue to be free and common to the inhabitan of both. It is understood that they shall enjoy the use of tl same reciprocally and on equal conditions, and that on eithC side moderate duties only shall be levied upon the navigation these canals. Article Xl.—The commercial communications through tl town of Maestrieht, and through Sittardt, shall remain entire free, and shall not be impeded under any pretext whatsoever. The use of the roads which, passing through these town lead to the frontiers of Germany, shall be subject only to tl payment of moderate turnpike tolls, for the repair of the as' roads, so that the transit commerce may not experience an obstacle thereby, and that by means of the toll.; above mentione these roads may be kept in good repair, and fit to afford facilitit to that commerce. Article XII.— In the event of a new road having been cot structed, or a new canal cut in Belgium, terminating at th Meuse, opposite the Dutch canton of Sittardt, in that case Be gium shall be entitled to demand of Holland, who, on the otht hand, shall not in such case refuse her consent, that the sai road, or the said canal, shall be continued, according to th same plan, and entirely at the cost and charge of Belgiure through the canton of Sittardt, to the frontiers of Germany. This road or canal, which shall be used only as a commercit communication, shall be constructed, at the option of Hollanj either by engineers and workmen whom Belgium shall obtai' permission to employ for that purpose in the canton of Sittard`• or by engineers and workmen to be furnished by Holland, an , who shall execute the works agreed upon at the expence Belgium ; the whole without any charge whatsoever to Holland and without prejudice to her exclusive rights of sovereign( over the territory which may be traversed by the road or cans in question. The two parties shall fix, by mutual agreement, the amour) and the mode of collection of the duties and tolls which shormr? be levied upon the said road or canal. Article X In—§ 1. From and after the Ist of January, MI:. Belgium, with reference to the division of the public debt of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, shall remain charged wit` the sum of 8,400,000 Netherland florins of annual interest, the capital of which shall be transferred from the debt of the Gres Book at Amsterdam, or from the debit of the general Treasur! of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, to the debit of the Great Book of Belgium. § 2. The capitals transferred, and the annuities inscribed upon the debit of the Great Book of Belgium, in consequence of the preceding paragraph, to the amount of the total sum of 8,400,00 2 Netherland florins of annual interest, shall be considered forming part of the Belgic National Debt; and Belgium engage/ not to admit, either at present or in future, any distinction be• tween this portion of her public debt arising from her unior , with Holland, and any other Belgic National Debt alreadf created, or which may be created hereafter. § 3. The payment of the above-mentioned sum of 8,400,00 C Netherland florins of annual interest, shall take place regularl) every six months, either at Brussels or at Antwerp, in read)' money, withcut deduction of any kind whatsoever, either al present or in future. § 4. In consideration of the creation of the said sum of 8,40 0 ,0 0 4 florins of annual interest, Belgium shall be released from all nb• ligation towards Holland, on account of the division ofthe public debt of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. 5. Commissioners to be named on both sides shall meet within the space of fifteen days in the town of Utrecht, in order to proceed to a settlement of the accounts of the fund of tht syndicat d'amortissement, and of the Bank of Brussels, charged, with the service of the general Treasury of the United Kingdos of the Netherlands. No additional charge shall result to Bel' gium from this settlement ; the sum of 8,400,000 florins of all' unities comprehending the whole of the charge which she is to take upon herself But if it should appear from some settle meat that there is a balance to be received, Belgium and Hol land shall share the same in the proportion of the taxes pai 4 by each of the two countries during their union, according to tbl Budgets voted by the States-General of the United Kingdom Ui the Netherlands. § 6. In the settlement of the Administration of the sinkial fund shall be compris&l the credits secured on the public lands called Domein los renten. These arealluded to in the presen t Article only for the purpose of record. § 7. The Dutch and Belgian Commissioners mentioned in § 3 of the present Article, and who are to meet In the town- 0 Utrecht, shall, in addition to the settlement with which the) ! are charged, proceed to the transfer of the capitals and an nul.' interest which, upon the division of the public debt of the l United Kingdom of the Netherlands, are to f a ll t o th e c h a rge) of Belgium, up to the amount of 8,400,000 florins of annual irate'' rest. They shall all proceed to deliver up the archives, maps, piauF , and other documents whatsoever which belong to Belgium, o f which relate to her Administration. Article X 1 V.—Holland having, since the Ist of November , 1830, exclusively made all the necessary advances to meet the charge of the whole of the public debt of the kingdom o f the Netherlands, and having still to make those advances, for th e half year ending the Ist of January, 1832, it is agreed that the said advances, calculated from the Ist of November, 1830, the Ist of January, 1,5.30, for fourteen months, a t th e ra te „ . _ _ 8, , 100,004,) Netherland florins per annum, with which BelgiUrS remains charged, shall be reimbursed by thirds to the Dutch Treasury, by the Treasury of Belgium. The first third of this reimhursement shall be paid by the Belgian to the Dutch Trek sury on the Ist of January, 1&32, the second on the Ist of Apri l ' and the third on the Ist of July, of the same year. On the tW° last thirds, interest at the rate of five per cent. per annum shs ll be paid to Holland, until they are completely discharged at th e aforesaid periods. Article XV.—The port of Antwerp, in conformity with the stipulations of the 15th Article of the Treaty of Paris, of the 30th May, 1814, shall continue to be solely a port of commerce , Article XVL—Works of public or private utility, such e S canals, roads, or others of a similar nature, constructed whoa or in part at the expence of the United Kingdom of the Nether' lands, shall belong, together with the advantages and charg e thereunto attached, to the country in which they are situated• It is understood that the capitals borrowed for the construe' tion of these works, and specifically charged thereupon, shall bg comprised in the aforesaid charges, in so far as they may 11 1 : 4 yet have been repaid, and without giving rise to any claim 00 account of repayments already made. Article XVII.—The sequestrations which may have beer' imposed in Belgium during the troubles, for political causes, o n any property or hereditary es t a t es w h atsoever, shall be taken if without delay, and the enjoyment of the property and este/ above-mentioned shall be imm e di a t e ly res t ored to the lar d° owners thereof. Article XVI I I.—ln the two countries of which the separatiO takes place in consequence of the present Articles, inhabitant 6 and proprietors, if they wish to transfer their residence from on e country to the other, shall, during two years, be at liberty l a dispose of their property, moveable or immoveable, of whateve‘ nature the same may be, to sell it, and to carry away the produe e of the sale, either in money or in any oth er s h a p e , w ithout hindrance, and without the payment of any duties other tho those which are now in force in the two countries upon change and transfers. It is understood that the collection of the droit d'attbaine de detraction upon the persons and property of Dutch i n , Belgium, and of Belgians in Holland, is abandoned, both now and for the future. Article XlX.—The character of a subject of the two ( 4 ; rernments, with regard to p roperty, shall be acknowlelged maintained. Article X X.—The stipulations of Articles from 11 to 21, elusive, of the Treaty concluded between Austria and Russia' on the 3d May, 1815, whi c h forms au integral part of the gene', Act of the Congress of Vienna, stipulations relative to person'' who possess property in both countries, to the election of re 6l " deuce which they are required to make, to the rights which their r shall exercise a s su bj ects of either State, and to the relations neighbourhood in properties cut by the frontiers, shall be sr i : plied to such p ropr i etors, as well as to such properties in llf° land, in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, or in Belgium, a t shall b e f ound to come within the cases provided for by the afofe said stipulation s o f th e A cts o f t h e C ongress of Vienna. be, droits d'aleboine et de detraction being henceforth abolished, a' between Holland, the G ran d D uc hy o f L uxem b ourg, an d Bel , glum, it is understood that such of the above_mentioned stij' lations as may relate to those (Jutish, shall be considtre.l null a , ' void in the three countries. Article XXL—No person in the territories which chang C domination, shall be molested or disturbed in any manne r whatever, on account of any part which he may have take'', . . directly or indirectly, in political events. Article XX IL—The pensions and allowances of expectant'' of persons unemployed or retired, shall in future be paid, 47r' i either side, to all those individuals entitled thereto, both eis l and military, conformably to the laws in force previous to the lit Nov., IS3O. _ It is agreed that the above mentioned pensions and a lloo' antes to persons born in the territories which now constitO te Belgium, shall remain at the charge of the Belgian Treasury,' and the pensions and allowances of persons born in the tri l `f tories which now constitute Holland, shall be at the charge c' the Dutch Treasury. Article XX 111.—All claims of Belgian subjects upon sPt private establishments, such as the widows' fund, and the 1 1111‘ f known under the denomination of the fonds dcs leges, anti the chest of civil and and military retired allowances, shad examined by the Mixed Commission of Liquidation mentiolw.