The National Register.
London, England, 1817-01-06 00:00:00

SEfOND CHAMRER OF THE STATES-GENERAL.

The President announced, that the order of the day
was the discussion of the Law, relative to the celebra-
tion of Marriages, and on the Project of a Law for
the Prohibition of the Exportation of Corn by the land
frontiers of the kingdom. The first law was passed
unaniinonsly.
On the discussion being opened on the second law,
Mr. Motlencamp spoke in the Dutch language ; Mr.
Reypinins followed him in a speech, which is a curi-
ous one, and which we give as illustrating the spirit
of disunion that prevails between Belgium and Hol-
land :----
" Gentlemen, the discussion which arises we this new pro-
posal of the King is not perhaps susceptible of new develo,te-
meats t twice the question of the export ofgrain has 'wen agi-
tated, first in regard to the particular inset est of a 111 uvincts.
'neat with a general view to the weittafof the kingdom : the
diversity of opinions which you manifested has not at all sur-
prised me. For along time past, I have known and cal. Witt-
ed the effects Of the forced state In which we are placed, and
the results appeared to me inevitable : when the union of
provinces was pronounced which had for axes been separated
+by opinion, interest, and by modes of existence, it was easy
torapeet this shock of ideas.
" On the examination and disceissinn of the law and the
tariff of customs, I had the honour to present to you some ob-
bens suggested by the mode In which these important
points of our Niistation were viewed. The name of the pro-
vince of diet member, which ought not, and in fact would
• have any influence on the opinion of the Chamber. it'
our ninon were well aiserted, indicated almost beforehand
the vote be would give. Since that period, the ideas
which I then delivered have been strengthened as often as a
sohjectordiscussion has excited a diversity of opinions almost
eyie' to that which we remarked on the customs ; but none
of them has so deeply impressed this alarming trnth, as the
question about the export of grain. On the one hand, its iin-
bunMied liberty of export has been considered as the most
unequivoeal source of happiness, abundance, and tranquillity ;
telvilv, on th • other hand, it is asserted with still greater con.
Attritive, that it is the infallible cause of the mast iberribie
desert, awl of all the calamities which it briars is Its train.
" 1 du not believe that there ever was a kingdom, what-
ever its extent, where the national representatives were di-
vided in opinion in a way so strongly marked. Those who
do not know the physical and moral situation ofthe two great
portions of the kingdom, would doubtless suppose, that we
were assembled lire only with the view of combating the
propositions which proceed front ns reciprocady. It hats a..-
peered to me itecesssty to the honour of the Chamber, to rail
your attention anew to the cause of that diversity of opinion
which originates in an tmiun at the formation of which *is-
deist did hot preside. I suppose for aln ;it, that the two
great divisions of the hitegthim had been muted by federate
tics, and that each of them had talented for its owu existemo•
and welfare, upon lessons which the experience of ages
dictated to it ;• in that case, would the southern provinces
have hesitated a moment to prohibit the export ofgraiit, when
the Viler Ut• that necessary of life had Helen to a height which
the more ninitrion, classes of the people could not reach ?
Would they have proposed to that people to suffer with resig-
nation the espurt of the vt ry last grain that must serve for
thi'ir subsistenee, while be the meat; time they fed upon the
shadowy hope that commerce wrath' substitute fur 'halve corn
that which rapidity would have furnished? We know the
comae that government would have adopted ; it would nut
have waited for the obsehde necessity in orderto fix the period
of prohioitiou; the high price welsh' have !tended it. aim it
would have conciliated the happiness of me people with the
interest ut the lentlownt rs and cultivators in tenaiary emi-
nently aviculture!. In the northern provinces, on the con-
trary, the opinions manifested by their deputies, which
that of the government, for the tothortitleJ freelont If fruit-,
world never have there ',croon, a twitter doubt ; the high
price of corn in alines, all parts of Europe would there :save
been viewed as a source ut immense wealth I the 'tattle trade
*fluid have bi en euesid :cell as a mine, the we. kite; ut which
would be more vamau.e than thosi of rotesi ; and rouse.
Tired!, the idea el throw Mg any iu Ito ut ex-
horting such a it ainable commodity woithl have het a deemed
incereilent and a:rintri. In each portion of the kingdom the
rt spectiie lie4oilattoro-, wield only have had to follow iinblic•
ices at:( •(1 fly expel ience, and the p, aide
a.iiild have ilepheldi dti ‘v,..1,,it of owl, „.,„
pve; Ise!, lout tare Mason Of rhr twopeople has bee', vi islii d
to be earri. d into effect by proclaiming principle, n Inch suit
the one, and ar.• ram glum to the interests other : and,
as fit very comae utinstnrt,ne, it Is wished to mete the
strangest portion :is way to the weakest. venture to as-
sert, that if we encourage such doctrines, we are treading on
the brink 'via pree;Mee.
" The only as•galmslit I have heard on the other side is,
that unless we ins art:Oily adept tile principle
exportatiun, we can never chi ri•li the ft. p. tit scenic runt-
merchants:, both foresc tiers and nab. es, esehilivb their speen-
Wimp. in a Vt3y that will lie certain to increase the reCIIIINts
Width of iiiir pruvuurs, by those. hal.lty rypnrfs wlnieb kcl•p
:al

ü thie.re- nit. high price. 'l'o thi• t would again 1 tlls. wl.lpottleiTe
D-41 Min of being ili4ov.ioril Ivy my emititty, tort it I I ti.,ttnre,!.l this ht-
rioted. I crease of wealth, if only to he stegotrtql at the e‘iteriee a the • "1.1" 11110 t,
thii dill aridly% the Wail., and perlia:nt even the death ut her ettildtea l . •
•
We eintsiiit to be levi rich in capitals; we a‘inie only after ,4.4 ,_•. 4,
~ E„,,
that top-,,iite.. which ditrose. into nal tiancioility, the fruit ii•
.'"*Ni• • •
'moan Cott- of that easy ettenmstanee. whit It the !wooly enj,“ . , , IV felt.
de ceile de " icon' dad, that that is a real geareity where the working r , •.•
ciao-ars ate placed hi the inah.d.ribility of gaining a animist- f•P V4.,..--t, s%,
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