The Sun.
London, England, 1840-01-01 00:00:00

EVENING-

STA'fr 01' HOLLAND.

For the list nine years the King of Holland, in order to
k( t p up i standing army out of proportion with the re-
sou: ces of the country, has increased the national debt
upaiards of 100,000,000 florins ; but the most extraordi-
wiry fact of alt is, that these loans have been contracted
without the aid and even knowledge of the States-General.
The Kit.: had no control to encounter on the part of a
mere nominal ehantber of accounts, and besides an article
of the Constitution gave him the exclusive (tire( thin of
the colejes. The alarming increase of the debt bad been
conce•tlett from the States by contracting loans on the pro-
due, of the col, ni,s_ and the Minisier of Finance. informed
ihe Sae - d Unan her early hat the produce of Java aais
auili..•.ent .i, ~..• .., ;. ti, it At , r lie ;Iji-.Z 111,-, it.o
Co:limber ini4lit ~:, it b, astoiii,heu wii.-ii it was id.), ined
of the critical situation of public credit. The pragraph
'n the R lal speech, stating that the finances wete in a
' better situation than could be expected, at course pri pared
the public mind for the avowal of a deficit, but it was not
possible to suspect emit it would be one of such magnitude.
The financial state of the kingdom was brought to light
, by a discussion which arose on the prasentation or a bill tor
! tne loan of 36 000,000 florMs on the prod ace of Jtva ; aid
i it appeared, from the atiswers that Ministers were t,bio,,n
i to make to the Committee, that 40,000,000 et this luau
I were to be given to the S,ciety of Commerce to redeem
that sum which had been lent oa the ev • ntual produce V
Java, in the year 1840; that the Sinking Fund .squired a
new annual supply of 4,000,000, which, forming a capital
of 60,000,000, coustitutuct 120,000,000, which had been
expended without the consent of the States. Moreover,
the Government two years ago brought in a bill for a rail-
road from Amsterdam to Araheim, which was rejected by
the Chamber, and the King, a short time after opened, by
ordinance, a credit ut 10,000 000 for that purpose ; but it
appears that this sum has, like the rest, been absorbed by
the expenses incur r..el by the great war establishment.
In this position, the Second Chamber has acted with
et4ergy, and even w,th excessive severity, stating that it
w cult' grant the ci edit demanded, but not unconditionally,
nor witheut the certainty that such measures should never
be repeated. It demands the suppression of the sinking
fund, a more regular system of finance, and, in fact, a re-
vision of the fundamental law ; and that measurca of eco-
nomy, not loans, should cover the present deficit.
The King made some concessions, and replied that he
would modify the 60th article, and would give an annual
account to the Chamber of the surplus of the revenue de-
rived from the colonies, and would allow that overplus to
be disposed of by a loan, and would, moreover, in the course
of the Session, bring in a Bill for the suppression of tha
sinking fund. .
These concessions did not satisfy the Chamber, which
demanded guarantees for the future, the suppression of the
tiOth article, and the revision of the fundamental law. The
Ministers cf Finance and of the Colonies did all in their
power to calm the irritation of the Chamber, but in vain,
nod the 8,11 was thrown out by a great majority.
After this it was but natural to expect that the King
would prepare a new financial system for 1840, but this was
reckoning without any knowledge of the character of King
William. Immediately after the rejection of his first Bill
he prepared another,;which was to add 16,000,000 florins
I to ti c national debt. This was nothing less than plotting a
permanent debt in the room of the proposed loan on the
If;olunies The Chamber was as obstinate as the King,
sm.! the ri sult has been the rejection of the budget for 1840.
‘ The last legal step of opposition to the will of the King
lois be. ti taken—beyond that there is only revolution.
T.,:e is not a Ire r.: question of finance ; the object aimed at
is a rat:cai reform of the Constitution. In the discussion
oil the lead, fundamental questions, such as the prin-
,. eiple of ministerial respon:ibility, the right of initiative
1 io the Glitiehers, and direct elections, have been
bring
floiland within the number of constitutional countries.
;let, on examining the question inipartially, we cannot
lici, thitiking that the States-General have overstepped
I their object. They have confounded two things which
1 aright to have been kept separate—the refusal of the
I bu Jg.,., and the rejection of the colonial loan. We do
tet their rightrejecting the budget, for the
not contest •
s
~, between it King and the Chatnber had been
( .t
emoted so far that a.streme measures were necessary. In
this affair the Cl:audio.- has only asserted its prerogative
must, give way or dissolve the Chamber, and pre-
' the King
reed to a new election. Each party has acted upon the
1 le,; right ; but the question V t
to cri-i loan
eate a n was
new debt
f a very
eliireut nature. It was not proposed
but to,get rid of an old one ; and the reftis,l to make good a
deficit, which was cata,ed by eatraordinary eircumstare2s,
• is to prototig indefinitei; the consequences arising from
at, —Frea,;ll Paper.
-------
THE VOLUNTARY PRINCIPLE.—The expense
of crpa:riug the parish Church of Leeds will be 19,0004,
,i,,, ,eels of which is very nearly subscribed without
n ~hillttic; being' levied in a compulsory manner. The
. seolli,k pilot ;..ays :—" We record with much pleasure
a noble instance 0f the power of the Voluntary Princi-
ple, in the case of the United Secession Congregation,
i,
Oakshaw-street, Paisley, under the pastoral superin-
t,sudence of the Rev. W. France. That congregation
Ll:iv.? resilved, at a late meeting to reduce their debt to
i the ex'ent. of 1,0001. by subscription. Already upwards
o: 600/. has been subscribed, and not many more than
i do half of the congregation have been called on
Leeds Times. 1,
'lwo CHILDREN BURNT TO DEATH.-On
Thursday another inquest was held before Mr. Palmer,
dr, the body of a fine boy, aged about five years, name
on
d
dreuntl Walsh, who had been so dreadfully burnt
i:l., p, ,ivious day, that he expired in a few hours after-
i",,, It appeared from the evidence of the mother,
wari
thatt, siact, ,had gone into a neighbour's house, leaving
the child (Ilene by the fire-side. Whilst she was thus
absent, the 0100ing of the child caught fire. Verdict—
Accidental Death. —Will nothing make parents more
upon so average throughout the winter
i cautious?
er week. are burnt to death in Pres-
nearly two children p Within the present month
. i ton and its neighbourtiooe•
years,. have been
three children under the ag• of five
burnt to death in Preston alone,
\
similar to the above, viz., their math,
alone in rooms where there has been
,all under circumstances
rs having left them
fires. left