The Sun.
London, England, 1838-05-07 00:00:00

HOLLAND AND BELGIUM.

THE HAGUE, APRIL 30.—1 n the sitting of the Belgian
Chamber of Representatives, on the 28th inst., M. Metz read
the following letter, written from Strassen, a league from
Luxemburg, which he warranted as authentic; —" You have
seen the tree of liberty planted before the house of our burgo-
master, at his recent installation, and Belgian national colours
again hoisted as a sign of our protest against the partition
with which we are threatened. Well, at the moment of my
writing to you (four o'clock in the afternoon), both the tree
and the colours of the revolution have since disappeared.
Satellites of despotism have sullied with their liberticide hands
the noble colours of our hope."
The following is the fact :—" Just now a battalion of
Prussian infantry, complete, with its van and rear guard, its
commander at its head, escorted by his staff, a company of
hussars, as many lancers, some pioneers armed with hatchets,
arrived here in the absence of the burgomaster, and summoned'
the secretary to take down the colours. On his refusing to do
so, as well as to order another person to do it, Major • • •
ordered the pioneers to use their hatchets, and in less than
five minutes the tree and the colours lay on the ground, the
colours were taken off and carried into the fortress.
" If it is discouraging to see Belgium nationally despised,
and its noble rallying sign trampled on, something at least
must console us for this act of German despotism, and make
us hope that it proceeded from the fear which the tricoloured
flag inspires. This fear was so great, that for two days' ex-
ploit the commandant thought it necessary to set a little army
in motion; 1,000 men manoeuvred, with all the precautions
used in time of war, on the road which passes through
Strassen, while some hundreds of soldiers preceded this body,
and nearly as many followed it. This was not enough ; the
whole village was guarded, at the distance of a quarter of a
league all the road. It is affirmed that there were cannon, and
that every soldier had ten cartridges. The last circumstance
has been confessed by the soldiers themselves ; as for cannon,
none were seen.

" I need not tell you that, being too few In number, we
could only protest against this act of violence but I know
that preparations are making to hoist the tri-coloured flag
again to-morrow on the top of the steeple. If it should be
done I will write to you immediately."
After reading this letter, M. Metz moved that the follow.
leg address be adopted on the spot :—.

" PROJECT OF AN ADDRESS TO THE KING.
" Sire,—ln 1831 unfortunate circumstances threatened Bel-
gium with the affecting sacrifice of our brethren of Luxem-
burg and Limburg. Can it be consummated now, after years
have attached them to Belgium ? The Chamber, Sire, ven-
tures to hope that in the negociations with Holland, the in-
tegrity of the Belgium territory will be maintained,
" Done in the Palace of the Nation, 28th April, 1838.
(141010) The Deputies of Limburg and Luxemburg.
" METZ DE RENESSE JADOT,
SCIIF,ZYEN,
POLLEN US,
D'BOFFSCHMIDT,
DE PUYT SIMONS, and
DR LONOREK."
On the motion of M. de Brouhere a committee was imme-
diately appointed to examine the proposal of M. Metz. It is
composed of Messrs. Fallon, do Renesse, Deschamps, Dubuc,
sen., Delanghe, and Desrnunet de Bresme.
Messrs. Merote and Lcbeau moved that the debate on the
proposed address should be adjourned to Monday, which wa3
agreed to.—Journal de la Hague, May 1.

ANECDOTE OF GEORGE THE THIRD.--As
far back as 1755 Captain-Lieutenant Gordon, of the 67th Regiment,
brought forward his method of using the bayonet; and his scheme fell
to the ground, partly through an odd circumstance, which we shall re-
late.—Gordon, then quartered at Chatham, having drilled the squads
of the different regivnts in the garrison, handed over to him for the
purpose, was directed to parade his men on a certain day at the Queen's
rldhig-house, in London ; and, full of anticipated success, he appeared
at the appointed hour--drew up his men outside—entered the building
by himself—and found only one person in the interior, whom he took
for one of the attendants belonging to the establishment. This
Individual was a homely.looking, elderly fellow, in a bob.wig
and cut.vtivet coat, rather worn ; a broom was in his hand,
and, as he walked up and down, he whisked off any impediment
that happened to lie in his way with the broom. Gordon, to
while away the time till the authorities should appear, entered into
conversation with him. The attendant happening to ask Gordon if he
had ever been in Ireland, led to a discussion on Irish politics, in which
they both waxed warm ; and Gordon thought the individual in the
seedy cut_velvet coat was inclined to be disputatious beyond what his
appearance warranted. Presently the latter, reverting to Gordon's
pusjliess ttt the ritling.house, observed that he had understood
every essistanee had been given him at Chatham in the prosecu-
tion of his objeet. Nettled at this old boy's obstinacy about Irish
affairs, Gordon flatly replied that the faet was quite the reverse;
and, on the contrary, every obstacle had been thrown in his way
by old General Fox, old Marsh, and others, who were jealous of
any one's doing any thing but themselves. He of the cut-velvet
then pointed out a part of the riding-house which, he conceived,
would be most favourable fur the performance of the bayonet exercise;
but Gordon, determined to contradict him in everything, abruptly an-
swered that it was Just the very worst spot In the whole place. At this
moment, in came Sir William Fawcett, Adjutant-General to the Forces;
who, taking no notice of Gordon, approached his companion hat in
hand, and apologised to "his Majesty" for having detained him so long.
Gordon was paralysed ; the bob-wig and cut-velvet coat belonged to none
other than King George 111. Thu Captain-lieutenant had been as rude
as he could be to his Sovereign. Abashed, confounded, incapable of put.
ting the men through the exercise with his usual precision and energy,
he bungled, stammered, failed; and eventually returned to Chatham,
cowed and crestfallen, never more to teach the proper use of the bayo_
net,—Fraser's 3lagazsne.
ROMAN RELICS.—The celebrated tumuli at Bart-
low Hills, six miles north of Saffron Weida), were again visited on the
17th inst. by Lord Maynard (proprietor), Lady Maynard and family,
Lord and Lady Braybrooke and fancily, Professors Sedgwick and Ilene-
low, of Cambridge, &c., by whom an archreological research was com-
monced, and the easternmost hill of the upper range of tumuli was
entered by arm excavation in form of a tunnel, three and a half feet
wide, seven feet high, and forty-four feet in length to the centre of the
hill, where was discovered, incased in strong Roman cement, a wooden
ohm (which crumbled to dust on the admission of air) about three feet
square, in which were toned deposited the following curious antique
relics Roman urn of red earth, in fine state of preservation and
beatitiful shape, containing charred bones and ashes; a bronze lamp with
stem, acting on a swivel, with hook, by which it may have been suspended;
a square yam; amphora, orglass vase, with two handles, beautifully ribbed
holding about half a gallon, tilled with small hones and other matter not
yet known ; two paterne, or cups without handles, of fine red earth,
used by the Romans in taking wine; two red earthern dishes, for per.
fumes and spices, used at their funeral ceremonies; a small lagena, or,
flagon, for wine, of bronze, (Idle most beautiful form and workmanship,
the foot of which wan broken off in tne removal; a small bronze thu-
ribulum, or censer (for burning incense,) with horizontal handle, most
exquisitely wrought, but broken off' in the removal ; an oblong vltrea
amphora, or glass vase (with two handles,) holding tIVO quarts, half-filleA
with ft pale straW,onlotired end transparent liquor, supposed to consist
of mipgied water, wino, gild oil, Part of which had probably beet' used
as a libation, and sprinkled as a last tribute of friendship on the ashes qr.
the deceased, as was the custom. amongst Oa Haman
Borne miriappreliendon having occurred as to a
supposed connexiou between the lectures now delivering by Dr.
Chalmers, at the Hanover-square Rooms, and the application about to
be made by a deputation from Scotland to Scotchmen 1-F;idifi4
dqo in ffid o!' the etitens,en tho vliurch 1,9 that country, IV ace re-
quested to state, that FonpectFd "pe. tlyp f 906,4 may appear tai ‘3,0 iii
their intrinsic nature, the occur:ience t' bold at • the Sore' periOd is
wholly undesignecf, the origin. and object of fire' two I,eipg' to al Vf-
tinct. The lectures were Most unffer4ep.by, Di•:chalmers upon
the request of the tiristian Influence Seeietif, by Whom also all the
arrangements for the eceommediition of the Public are made.—Morn.
Prirrr,

Silt GEORGE ARTHUR AND THE

REFORMERS OF UPPER CANADA.

( PROM A CORRESPONDENT.)—On the 24th ult. a
numerous body of the Constitutional Reformers of To •
ronto (Upper Canada) waited upon Sir GEORGE
ARTHUR with an Address, in which, after stating that they
" wish not to oppress his Excellency with the reiteration of
complaints," with discussions upon which " men's minds
are at present quite unfit," they thus point out the
policy which it, behoves his Excellency to adopt :
" have Observed, With feelings of unmixed pleasure, the desire
tilsnifested by all parties in England, that severe punishments should
not be inflicted upon the unfortunate persons engaged in the late la.
mentable rebellion, and that in deference to this universal feeling, and
in obedience to the dictates of her own most gracious and amiable die-
position, her Majesty has been pleased to authorise the proclarnath Is of a
general amnesty for political offences. In carrying into effect the gra-
cious inclinations of her Majesty in this province, your Excellency will
have the noblest gratification of an elevated mind, the announcement of
pardon to the miserable and guilty ; and we venture to assure that an
administration thus begun will be hailed as the commencement of a long
course of general confidence, peace, and prosperity, and we sincerely
pray that it may be happy and glorious to yourself, and both satisfactory
and honourable to her Majesty, and the noble-empire over which she
promises so worthily to reign."

- -
His Excellency's answer was not calculated to inspire the
Reformers of Toronto with the most sanguine hopes of
the mildness of his Administration. After condemning in
no measured terms their appearance before him in the sus-
picious character of Reformers, the ex-Governor of a pe-
nal settlement thus replies to their prayer for mercy :
" In considering the cases of the unfortunate persons to whom you
have alluded in your Address, it is of the greatest consequence that
the Executive Government, having regard to justice as well as mercy,
should have no misgiving that there exists any probability of a renewal
of the disgraceful scenes which have so recently disturbed the tranquil-
lity of the Colony, through the malignant recklessness of men whose
professed object was Reform.

" Punishment can never be justifiably resorted to as an act of ven-
geance. It is only to be sanctioned as the necessary means of pre-
venting the recurrence of crime ; and this necessity would plainly be
much obviated, if attachment, and a spirit of obedience to the SCAT-
reign and the Laws, were known to exist amongst all classes of the
commun./ y."

Such language as this admits of only one interpretation,
and that is, while the Government has fears it is necessary
that there should be victims. When the Government
ceases to have " misgivings" it can afford to be merciful ;
in other words, a pardon may be hoped for by those who
are neither guilty, nor suspected of guilt, in either the past
or future tenses? But it•will not be long before the Earl
of DURHAM arrive in Canada, and we will then see the
extent to which Sir GEORGE ARTHUR has presumed thus
early to depart from the spirit of the instructions which he
received from the Supreme Government..