The Sun.
London, England, 1833-10-24 00:00:00

rule for the classification of offenders. Perhaps
of all the reforms introduced of late years into
prison discipline, that of the classification of
offences is one of the most beneficial and
humane.—Morning Advertiser.
The Speech of the King of the Netherlands,
which appears in our general summary of foreign
intelligence, is a document to which we deem it
our duty to direct the special attention of our
readers. The King of the Netherlands is a
Monarch sui generis ; he commands the esteem,
confidence, and affection of his subjects, in a
degree to which no other Monarch in Europe
can approach, and he does this without resorting
to any of the arts by which Monarchs less pru-
dently advised, having a less solemn sense of
their duty, or ruling over subjects less consi-
derate and enlightened than those who acknow-
ledge the sceptre of Nassau, have deemed it
politic to grasp at a vulgar and ephemeral popu-
larity. In no circumstances could the address
' of such a Sovereign as the King of the Nether-
lands, to such subjects as constitute the Dutch
nation, be a matter of indifference to the rest of
Europe. At the present moment the words of
the King of the Netherlands acquire all the
additional importance that can be derived
from the consideration that the interests of
Europe at large are intimately connected
with the policy which may prevail at the
Hague, and that the peace of Europe has been
brought, by a succession of iniquities and blun-
ders, to depend upon the moderation and for-
bearance which may characterise the Councils of
Holland. We rejoice to find in the speech of
the King of the Netherlands what we expected,
and what we ventured even to announce amidst
the sneers and sarcasms of some of our unin-
formed or prejudiced contemporaries. His
Majesty makes the distinction which we had
previously made between the European Powers.
" Our present relations with the different Powers
inspire tranquillity. From some of them," he
continues, " I have received, even very recently,
proofs of real friendship." Will it be conve-
nient even now for the organs of Lord Palmer-
ston to believe that we knew something of the
instructions of Prince Schwartzenburg carried
with him to the Hague ? The King of the
Netherlands expresses the hope that the
discussions of the various questions between
Holland and Belgium will be brought to a rea-
sonable termination, and thus announces his
determination to remove an impediment, which
the insidious artifices or the arbitrary disposi-
tions of others had interposed, to the progress of
the negotiation. We yesterday informed our
readers that such was the determination of his
Majesty. With respect to the financial and do-
mestic situation of Holland, the King of the
Netherlands speaks a language which must be
gratifying to all who desire that national confi-
dence and national prosperity should be the
invariable meed, as they are the usual and pro-
per consequences, of that degree of public vir-
tue which imparts to the governors and the
governed a perfect and constant harmony of in-
terest and feeling. His Majesty alludes to the
coercive measures resorted to as a substitnte for
negotiation, by those who, in the confusion of
their intellects or the depravity of their wills,
confound the ideas of power and of right, in such
terms of calm and dignified rebuke as are best
calculated to increase the confidence and affec-
tion of his friends, and to implant among his
enemies everlasting sentiments of shame and
remorse.—Morning Post.