The Sun.
London, England, 1831-11-19 00:00:00

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SPIRIT OF THE lelsigeiC
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We yesterday publishedlitm*h4Thesealge of
the King of Holland to the Stres: 'al, regard-
ing the treaty of separation between Holland and
Belwium. Instead of frankly presenting to that.
body, like his neighbour King Leopold, a project of
law to authorize his definitive consent to the propo-
sitions of the London Conference, and lamenting
like him that he was compelled, from a regard to his
Allies, to accept conditions to which his perscnil
opinion was repugnant, he entertains the aesembly
with the steps which he had taken to postpone the
conclusion of peace, and to procure a hopeless mo-
dification of a convention declared by its authors to
be final. England, which, like the other four
Powers, is sincerely desirous of peace, and is con-
vinced that the general tranqiiillity cannot be main-
tained if hostilities are permitted in such an inviting
field of foreign adventure as the Netherlands, has
shown a just displeasure at this selfish obstinacy or
temporizing. ambition. Sr; Charles Bigot, our Am-
bassador at the Hague, is said to have demanded his
passports, unless his Dutch Majesty would immedi-
ately adopt the 24 articles. His Majesty's answer
is said to be, that he would not accept them; but
that he would consult the Sates-General. If this
be really his answer, lie shows more duplicity than
any but his enemies have hitherto ascribed to his
character. When, in the beginning of September,
1830, deputations from Brussels and Liege waited
upon him, with their complaints, he offered to
convoke the States-General to deliberate on the re-
dress of their wrongs. The States-General accord-
ingly met, and, though very equivocally, he called
upon them to determine the question of a separate
administration for the northern and southern pro-
vinces of his kingdom. He showed no d.reetness
or frankness in his proceedings; the Belgians dis-
trusted him, and suspected that he wished to evade
their demands; the conflict of Brussels was the
fruit of this temporizing policy, the bombardment of
Antwerp followed, and Belgium was lost for ever
to the Nassau family. On the present occasion he
has not even laid the propositions of tie Confete
ence fairly before his Legislative Chambers, think--
UT, no doubt, that he can treat his Allies ivieli4
more contempt than he did his revolted subjects!.
What is the secret of this conduct—what is the key
to this enigma ? It cannot be sheer stupidity, for his
,Majesty is an " enlightened" Sovereige; it cannot
be any well-grounded reliance on Russia or Prussia,
because we have proved before t ha- they are zealous
parties to the treaty. It must therefore be either
tile pure chapter of accident, or a calcitfarion of
some speedy change in the councils of Eiieland,
which warrant his Majesty in sanding (tot against
the award of the London Conference. Sir Charles
Begot is said to stand recalled, if his Dutch Me-
jesty proves refractory. But why was Sir Chalks
not recalled long ago ? 'Why was he at the Hope
on such an occasion, and may not his Majesty hive
oroved refractory because he was there ? Oar
highly raid Dutch Ambassador is, indeed, nor likely
to kindle a war, or to prevent ihe cenelu•ion of a
peace in Europe by his own abilities; but he may
have acted under the inspiration of abler intriguers
than himself, in counteracting the objects of iris
mission, and may have been considered by his
Dutch Majesty as the lingering pledge of a re-
.urning Tory .Administration, ,sith whom he might
orm a league for the recovery of his former demi-
iiions, and the expulsion of his ri,ai from 13,1giurn.
Let Sir Charles, therefore, be reeled at any rate,
to show that our present Government is as sincere
as it is powerful, to punish his Dutch Alesje-ty; if
necessary, for his long procrastination, and to re-
lieve ourselves from the expences of an Envoy who
belongs to the party opposed to the present Go-
vernment.—Tinter.

Nothing in the Gazette of the last night of the
meeting of Parliament ! There are form, no doubt,
which must be gone through. There must be a meet-
ing of the King in Council to fix the day ; and this,
it is understood, is to be held at Brighton on Mon-
day next, whither Ministers will go for the purpose.
It is on Tuesday that the nroroaation terminates.
Conversions are talked of! This is all babble.
There is but one conversion on which Ministers or
the country can place the least reliance; and that is,
the conversion of the House of Peers into u some-
what more numerous body. And this, in fact,
ought to take place even upon general principles,
even if there was no great public object to carry.
What harm can accrue to the Peerage from what we
must esteem an accession of force as well as an in-
crease of numbers, and consequently an extension of
interests throughout the various classes of so-
ciety ? The new Peers may be unanimous upon
the one subject of Reform, for it is for the
sake of that unanimity that they are now chosen ;
but it does not follow that they will be unani-
mous upon any other subject, or habitually
throw all their weight into one scale ; and men
advanced to any station are ready enough to assume
the feelings, and identify themselves with the in-
terests, and defend the privileges, of that order into
which they are elevated. The probability, therefore,
of the meeting of Parliament before Christmas, we
must not disguise from ourselves and the public,
seems now to be painfully diminished. We have
humbly given our opinion on the subject, founded
only, it is true, on reasoning. We know nothing
of facts. If it were certain that the Bill could be
carried after Christmas, and not before, why then
we should either remain silent, or might even re-
commend patience under the delay. But as we
possess no such certainty, we are driven for comfort
and hope to the acknowledged firmness of his Ma-
jesty and consistency of Earl Grey ; arid there, for
the present, we must shelter ourselves. The people
also will, we trust, continue to keep their eye upon
their favourite object. The Birmingham Union at-
tracts some notice. The titles of the various officers
in the establishment are curiously chosen. A con-
stable, without a legal staff of authority ;—a tithing-
man, who has nothing to do with tithes;—arid,
though last not least, an Alderman, who has no
eating to perform I— Times.

The circumstance of Ministers delaying to an-
nounce the day when Parliament is to meet for the
" despatch of business" is not calculated to inspire
the country with confidence as to the progress which
they have made in clearing away the obstacles
which were opposed to the success of an efficient
measure of Reform. The disappointmeat is the
greater because some of those Journals which pro-
fess to be M.nisterial oracles positively asserted that
the Gazette of last night would contain the ex-
pected announcement ; and a Morning Paper that,
until a few days ago, was most vehement in calling
for political unions and armed associations to supply
the deficient energies of Government, by constitut-
ing art imperiwn in imperio, announced, as from
authority, that Parliament would meet for the des-
pleb of business on the 2d of December. Finding
that no announcement, one way or the other, has
yet been officially made en this engrossing subj-,ct,
we cannot wonder that the public consider Go-
vernment to have met with unexpected .x
culiies, or to be, from some unknown reason,
in a state of indecision, which is peculiarly
unfortunate at the present momentous crisis,
Surely Ministers must be aware that the business of
the country is materially impeded by the uneertainty
which exists with regard to the question of Reform.
In
in acommercialtlike Eii4land such uncer-
tty is
Mated
the
the
most co
injurious consequence-3. It
was
ul itry
nist,-..rial Paper- very recen'ly
bythat the new Reform Bill would have the benefit of
three weeks of discussion before the Christmas recess.
If such is the intention of Government, the people
of England ought before this time to have beet, offi-
cially apprised of it. The Lord Cnaucellor having
asa
stated in the Court of Chancery yesterday morning
that he should not be able to sit on Mondey next,
in consequence of his Majesty holding a Council at
Brighton on that day, for the purpose of iso.u4i a
prochmation for the further prorogation of Parli,e7
meat, we presume that more tune will elapse tit Joie
the new Bill can be considered ready for public dis-
cussion than Lord Grey and his colleagues originally
anticipated. What the cause of this delay may be