The Sun.
London, England, 1847-02-10 00:00:00

FLANDERS MAIL.

BRUSSELS, FEB. 4.—The Chamber of Representativo
voted to-day a project of law relative to the export duties at
horses, &c. In the discussion of this project M. Leban
having manifested an apprehension that the Government
might make use of a prohibitory vote of the Legislature on
this insignificant object, as a precedent to obtain in the
sequel a law prohibiting the exportation of flax, the Minister
of Foreign Affairs positively declared that the Government
will not propose any law containing measures prohibiting or
restricting the exportation of flax. The Govern,nent, said
the Minster, believes that the cultivation of flax might re-
ceive a mortal blow by prohibiting the exportation ; since
at present the cultivation of flax is so considerable that it has
been necessary to have recourse to importation.
The Chamber will discuss to-morrow the'project of law re-
lative to t:,e cultivation of waste lands. _ .

A deputation of the principal persons of the town of Alost
waited to-day on the Minister of Public Works, to urge him
to hasten as much as possible the preparatory works for the
construction of the railway from Ghent to Brussels by way of
Most.

The first ball given yesterday evening at Court was very
brilliant ; the number of persons invited was very great.
The King ai.d Queen, accompanied by the Duke of Brabant,
who wore the tn.if of a lieutenant of the regiment crEllre,
•;n,: the C. out i,f Flanders in the uniform of les Guides,
with inanysuperior officers, ;:rrived a' half-past eight o'clock.
The young Princes were the object of general attention.
Their Majesties conversed with a great number of persons,
and the ball did not break up till two o'clock in the morning.
The King and Queen eid not leave Paris till eieven o'clock
on Tuesday morning, and arrived at Valenciennes at half-
past seven in the evening.
BRUSSELS, FEB. s.—The Chamber of RepresentativeS
commenced to-day the general debate on the project of law
relative to the clearing of the waste lands. At the com-
mencement, of the sitting the Minister of War presented a pro-
ject of law for granting a pension of 12,000 f. to Major Borgne,
as a civic reward ; it was referred to the central section on the
budget of War Department, with a request to make
speedy report. Messrs. de Haerene and Rodenbach called
the attention of the Government to the deplorable condition
of the indigent class in East Flanders, where in some com-
munes, out of 15 deaths 13 are poor people, and where the
deaths are double or triple the number of births. The Mi-
nister of the Interior replied, that the Government directs
its moat serious attention to the question of pauperism in
Flanders, and that it has employed extensively and prW
dently the resource which the Legislature has placed at itS
disposal, that it has performed its duty, and will continue to
perform it with the most anxious solicitude. In answer to a
question from Rodenbach, the Minister of the Interior an-
nounced that the benefits of the projects of law would be
extended to all the uncultivated lands in Belgium, and that
he has applied to Mr. Kainner, the engineer, for a report on
the cultivation of the Vee Gerveyde, near Lichterwald,
West Flanders.

The Chamber, proceeding to the general debate, received
several amendments, which the Minister of the Interior pro-
posed to the original project. It then heard several Members
in favour, and others against the proposed law.
Mr. Shoffschmeett declared that the project of law was
unconstitutional, being in direct violation of the practices of
the communes, by the right of expropriation which it grants
to the Government.
The debate adjourned till to-morrow.