The Sun.
London, England, 1824-04-20 00:00:00

[MORNINO ClinorrOLL]

A rilost important pamphlet has just been pub-
lished. by Mr. ilatch,ard, undet.the title of "
servations on the Administration of the Poor.
Laws in Agrieultural Districts." The author is
the Rev. C. D. Brereton, A. M., Rector of Little
MassinghaM,Norfolk. \Ye have in this pam-
phlet the fruit, of. the observations of an able and
enlightened Gentleman, whose
,situation has given
him peculiar, facilities for obtaining an inti-
mate knowledge of the Situation of , the
peasantry of England,
,once " their country's
pride ;", and. Who has skilfully availed him-
self . of these. facilities, By, this publica-
tion, the Reverend Author has,. in our opinion,
rendered..art invaluable service: to his country-
men, the greater part of, whom:are ignorant of
the condition of the peasantry, and the enlighten•
ed of' whom the , appalling picture which he
draws of 'the demoralization of this unfortunate
clasS of our population, Will, we should hope,
rouse to arrest, if possible, the progress of the de-
structive 'disease, which has. already produced
such havoc in our` villages. We would earnestly re-
commend the perusal of this:. pamphlet to Lord
Liverpool in partiCular. The declaration which
lie lately made in his place in,the House of Lords,
that Ireland would be benefited .by a system of
Poor Laws, similar to that of which Mr. Ilrereton
has slieWn us the working, only proves that his
Lordship is as imperfectly acquainted with his
own country as with Ireland. To Poor Laws and.
POOr Rites we are not inimical, deeming some
provision for the aged and infirm essentially ne-
cessary in an industrious and civilized community;
but the English Poor Laws, as now interpreted in
theagricultbral-distriets,have the effect of red ucing
old and youug to a state of the most abject slavery,
of placing them,'with,respeet to-the reward of la.=
bour, hi a far worse. situation than that in which'
they would be were there no rates,of destroying
eve,ry motive, to virtuous .exertion, honour, and
`honesty, 0414 pf generating vice and!clemoraliza-,
Lion to•a most_ alarm England,. at,ihis
moment, presents a curious contrast. The.populit-

tion of her towns is becoming every day more moral,
more orderly, more industrious, and more enlight-
ened ; the population of the country is, on the other
hand, becoming every day more vicious, brutal,
and disorderly. The latter are sunk far beneath
the former in character and conduct ; and were
the moralist to derive his notions of the inhabi-
tants of Town and Country from what he sees in
England, he would reverse the usual picture, and
assign vice to the Country
,and virtue to Towns.

DECREE OF THE KING OF THE NETHERLANDS.

We, WILLIAM, by the Grace of GOD, King of
the Netherlands, Prince of Orange Nassau, Grand Duke of
Luxembourg, &c. &c. &c., having taken into our considera-
tion that, since our accession to the Throne, Commerce has
not acquired that extension, and been carried on with such
vigour as the re-establishment of a general peace and our
amicable relations with -all the world had promised ; that,
consequently, the trade of ship-building and the equipment
of ships, and our home manufactures, have not reached
the state of prosperity of whick they are susceptible ; that the
trifling success of our shipping interest ands q
trade be-
yond sea, but above all our Indian trade, may be imput-
ed to these circumstances ; that commerce and navigation
have not in every respect answered our expectations, nor
acquired the stability to be desired by commercial men • that
hitherto they have been in a great measure supported by
our Government, but even this support has been found insuf-
ficient to some of the merchants; the result shows that the
mother country has not reaped the advantages of naviga-
tion and commerce established on a proper basis, at the
same time that our transmarine possessions have been expos-
ed to great deprivations. We have therefore taken into- our
most serious consideration, and it is the object of our constant
solicitude, to apply a remedy to this state of things, to encou-
rage agriculture and every branch of industry, and to give to
the kingdom, with the assistance of God, all the advantages
which its rank amongst nations, its geographical position, and
the importance of its Colonies demand. For this purpose we
must not, like some other nations, have recourse to a system
of prohibitions, but, on the contrary, endeavour to maintain
an unrestricted navigation under our flag and that of other
friendly nations, and a judicious employment of capital and
labour, so as to give life and vigour to the whole. That a
Company in which the native, and the foreigner may each
contribute to the welfare of" the kingdom, is particularly
adapted to these- objects. That such a Company should have
alone for its objects commercial pursuits, without interfering
in State affairs either in this kingdom or in the colonies, and
that its operations should not be restrained by the Govern-
ment, nor its connection with the Government, other than by
law established, in respect to all Joint Stock Companies. It
being our Royal pleasure to assist in the establishment of such
a Company, and give all persons an opportunity of participat-
ing in its advantages, we decree as follows :-
1. There shall be opened in the Chambers of Commerce in
the following cities, viz. Amsterdam, Antwerp, Bruges, Brus-
sels, Dordrecht, Ghent, Leiden, Middleburg, Ostend, and Rot-
terdam, subscriptions for a Netherland Commercial Company,
which shall be established for a term of '25 years, conformably
to the law concerning Joint Steck Companies, with permission
to apply.for an extension of the time limited, at the expiration
of the 25 years.
2. The stock of the. Company shall be, in the first instance,
twelve millions of guilders. However, it may be increased to
24 millions, should the subscription exceed the sum limited, or
should the Company deem it expedient.
Should there be an increase in the sum limited, the first sub-
scribers shall be at liberty to add to their subscriptions in pro-
portion to the original sums subscribed. '
3. The shares of the Company shall be for 1,000 florins
each ; they may, however, be subdivided into fractional parts
of five hundred and two hundred and fifty florins.
4. The sums subscribed shall be paid by instalments at the,
times to be hereafter mentioned ; and five per cent. on each
share shall be paid 15 days after the books shall be closed.
5. The books shall be opened tbr subscriptions at the Cham-
bers of Commerce above mentioned, 15 days after the date of'
the present Decree.
The Chambers shall render accounts daily of the progress of
the Subscription to the Department for National Industry and
ng the Subscrip-
mthaeyC.beolodnecriese.edinaGraddrhethutetb4l..eastafobrliiisrantliof the Company
tion. Should: the whole Subseriptim exceed the sum required,
the first Subscribers, in point of date, shall be preferred.
O. Two menthe after the Subscription shall be opened, or
earlier, should the sum of twelve millions have been sub-
scribed, the Colonial Department shall invite the Presidents
of the Chambers of Commerce to call a meeting of the Share-
holders, in order- that they may depute some' of their body to
meet at the Hague, to concert with a Cominmission which we
shall appoint,.a plan of operations tbr the said Company, which
shall then he submitted for our approbation.
The number of Deputies for each Chamber shall be fixed by
us agreeably to the number of Subscribers. The books shall
be closed the lastday of June, 1824. Should the Subscriptions
amount to more ten twelve millions, the surplus shall he ap-
plied as directed.in Article 2.
7. There shalt not be allowed to this Company any exclusive
privilege whatever. We declare, notwithstanding, that we will
grant every protection which an establishment of so much im-
portance raeritS.
8. The, Deputies will take into consideration every thing that
can tend to the encouragement of commerce, navigation, the
fisheries, agriculture, and the manufacturing industry of the
nation.
9. The Company will also extend its Views to the trade of
the Bast, Indies, the extension of commerce and navigation to
our own possession and every other part of rndia, and the
neighbouring countries, the tea trade of China, and the fisheries
in the Indian seas.
10. Tke Society will give the preference to the national ma-
nufactures, iii, all.cases, except where they cannot be applied to
the purposes required.
11. The Company shall employ for transporting' goods,
whether for their own account •r for the account of others,
.national ships only, sailing under, the Netherland flag, and
shall give a preference to Netherland-huilt ships. I
12. The Company shall have a preference in the shipment
of Stores for the use of the Colonies, and for the transporting
of Stores and Merchandize from thence to the Netherlands.
,Por these purposes the Company shall communicate with the
Administration. _ _ _

13. To sliew our desire to promote the welfare of the Com-
wOguarantee to the Shareholders an Annual Interest of
4i per Cent. to continence from the second• year, that is to say,
1125-1826, and the profits shall
be divided in such manner as
to secure the stability of the Company.
14. Being desirous still further, by oar example, to promote
the establishment of the Company and the national prosperity,
We put our name and that of our house at the head of the Sub..
scription, for the sum of four million guilders ; and should,
contrary to all expectations, the amount not be subscribed,
before the 30th June, 1824, to the, extent of twelve millions,
we will subscribe for our own account to make up the defi-
ciency.
Our-Minister of Public Instruction, National Industry, and
the-Colonie9, is charged with the execution of present Decree.
(Signed) WI LLLIAM.
By the King,
J. G. de mey Van STREEFKERK.
A true copy—The Secretary of State,
L. H. ELIAS SCHOVEL.
Given at Amsterdiim, 29th March, 1824.

COACIi FRACAS.--The line of the new road
froth Iliiiinster to .}loniton haw,. for several days past, been the
scene of an extraordinary- fracas. It seems that Mr. Lotkring,
jun., the landlord of the Heathfield Arms,,Yarcoinbe, Was part
proprietor of one of the Landon: and Exeter coaches, but; it
was stipulated among the prOplieters that any one of them
was dismissible from the concern by receiving a month's no-
tice from the others'. Louring having patronized a recently
established opposition coach, he received his notice of exclu-
sion ; but not having; ache conceived, forfeited hiS interest in
the partnefship, he insisted on continuing to supply the horses
as usual. Accordingly, when the coach was passing his inn,
he forcibly, with'. the' assistance .of a number of persons col-
lected for tliepurpose, opposed its farther progress until his own
'horses were attached to the coach: The driver was diSmounted,
and one of Loarinfes servants stationed on the box. These
daily altercations having impeded its due course, the passen-
gers and their luggage, have been forwarded from the Heath-
held-arins to Exeter iti chaises. The-contention between the
partitia has been so furious, that Waggons have been drawn across
the road in some parts of • the route, for the purpose of block-
ading it.up at the time the coach-arrived. It was attempted to
go round a by-Mad, so . as.to accomplish the journey without
molestation, but the activity' of the opponent baffled the design,
and intercepted' the "'leathern vehicle." The traces were cut
—ptigelistio encounters ensued, in one of which Bond, of goni-
ton, one of the proprietors,. lost' part Of his thumb, and constant
bang up rbws have been the disorderly order of the day" for
theltst-fettnieft. In the Mean time the public are seared from
thq coach,. arid 'a valuable property. is thus, for want of harmony
afid co-bperation among- its:owners, fit a fair way of utter .de!
stt uction.—( Taunton Courier.)