Star.
London, England, 1830-05-14 00:00:00

BELGIUM.

It would appear from the Belgic papers of Wednesday,
that the Government of the Netherlands is proceeding
with the reduction of the interest on the higher cla,ses of
its stock, as the English Government has lately done,
and as the French is about to do. On the 7th instant
the Minister of Finance introduced a project of law
into the Second Chamber of the States-General, for
the conversion of the Stock bearing four and a half per
cent. into one bearing interest of three and a half.—
They are to have a bonus of 5 per cent. of increased ca-.
pital to induce them to accept of the lower interest.
Some opposition was offered to the project in the Cham-
ber, but the majority of the members declared in its fa-
vour, after a debate of three days. The numbers were-
-47 for the project, and 31 against it. The saving to the
state will amount to nearly a million sterling if the opera-
tion completely succeeds.
In the Brussels papers of Sunday we find the following
modified project of law on the press. The legislation of
the press was supposed to be settled by tho very liberal
enactment of May last year. The Government, however,
has ever since complained that the act in question is in-
sufficient to repress abuses. Six months, therefore, had
not elapsed before the Dutch Administration proposed
either to repeal it altogether, or to heighten its restraints,
and to aggravate its penalties. Accordingly, on the 9th
of December, a Royal message was sent to the Chambers,
emblazoning the licentiousness of the press, and con-
taining the project of a severer law. This project, '
after being under discussion in the sections or commit-
tees for some months, was withdrawn and amended, on
the apprehension that it would not pass in its original
shape. Even in its modified form, it appears liable to
great objections, as it is to be administered without a
jury, and by judges who are still liable to be removed
at the pleasure of the Crown. The late cruel sentence
on M. de Potter and his associates, shows how far such
judges will go, and how unsafe are the public rights
in their keeping.
" HAGUE, MAY 6.
" MODIFIED PROJECT OF LAW rog THE REPRESSION OF

THE CRIMES OF INSULT AND CALUMNY.

" We, WILLIAM, &C.
" Having taking into consideration the insufficiency of the enact-
ments of the law of the 16th May, 1829,
" With the advice of our Council of State, and the assent of the
States-General, we have enacted and enact— _ .

" Art. 1. Whoever maliciously, in whatever manner or by what-
ever means, shall have attacked the royal dignity, the authority or
the rights of the King, or of his dynasty, or who shall in the same
manner have insulted, outraged, or calumniated the King's person,
shall be punished by imprisonment for a term of from two to five
Jean.
" 2. Insult, outrage, and calumny, towards one of the members
of the Royal Family, shall, in the same cases, be punished by im.
prisonment from one to three years.
" 3. Whoever shall wickedly (with the exception of a suit or de-
fence in justice) have attacked the obligatory force of the lain, or
excited to disobey them, or shall in any manner whatever, have en-
dangered the public tranquillity, whether by favouring discord, fo-
menting disorder and distrust, or by outraging the Government, its
authority or its acts, shall be punished by imprisonment from
one to three years.
"4. In case of a repetition of the offence, the penalties in-
flicted by the present law may be increased by one-half of the
warimtuu.

" The same may be done with regard to the penalties decreed in
articles 1 and 2 of the law of 10th May, 1829, in case of repetition
of the offences therein mentioned.

" 5. Persons accused of the offences stated in articles 1,2, and 3,
of the present law, cannot be brought to trial without the prelimi.
nary forms of Instruction and Rennoi.
"6. Art. 6 of the law of the 16th of May,1829, is not applicable
to the offences of insult, calumny, or outrage towards the king, the
members of the royal family, the constituted authorities or their
members, or towards public functionaries ; these offences shall in
such cases be prosecuted es.oficio, even without any previous corn.
plaint of the persons calumniated or insulted.
"7. The prosecution of the offences mentioned in the present
law, and in Art. 1. sect. 2, Article 2 and 3 of the 16th May, 1829,
cannot be prosecuted after the lapse of three months from the time
when the offence was committed."