Star.
London, England, 1831-02-07 00:00:00

age, for His Royal Highness the Duke of Orleans, son of the
Citizen King ! On this ground the indifference which the Gown.
meat of the King of France has manifested towards the people of Bel-
gium and Poland is easily explained. He has been looking more to
the accomplishment of his own wishes, than to those of the people who
have placed him on the throne; and, in consequence, no decisive step
has been taken hi favour of either. bl. Pozzo di Borgo, adds our cot.
respondent, whose diplomatic talents are well known, supports, by every
means in his power, the projected alliance. of which the successful issue
would confer upon him an influence at Paris, as a family ambassador, of
which, hitherto, he has only enjoyed a pan, and that part :he mere re-
ward of hie talents. The affair which we now mention—all secret and
unknown as its authors imagine it—has got wind among smite nimbus
of the Chamber of Deputies; and some of those who belong to the
WS, and who see in this projected alliance with the Autocrat of Russia
the complete overthrow of all the liberal promises which were made in
July, are determined to make the matter public in the tribune—a result
which the intrigues and caresses of the Citizen King have only hitherto
prevented. We shall not add a word to the above intelligence. The
tendency of it will be easily understood by our readers, as well as by the
people of France ; but we cannot help remarking, that it furnishes a
convincing proof of the bad faith which we lately began to discover in
the proceedings of the Government of France, and, in our opinion, if it
be worth any thing, a rad omen of the downfall of the nascent Orleans
dynasty.
Times.—As the Belgian Congress consists of 200 members, the
young French Duke has failed to obtain even a half of the national re.
presentadves in his favour. He only =cads his rival by 20 votes, and
as the name of the Archduke Charles was evidently thrown in for an
election manoeuvre to divide the interest of the latter, and all the votes
given to his imperial Highness were to be considered as due to the
young Beauharnois, the difference between the supporters of the two
young Princes would only be two votes—a number far too small to give
any decided indication of the sense of the country even though Congress
I were to be considered as the expounders of the national will. The choice
will appear still less to be the unbiassed expression of Belgic sentiment,
when it is considered that the French Government had officially an-
nounced its intention of considering the election of the Duke of Leuch-
tenberg, as a declaration of war against France. Those, therefore, who
voted for bisiberene Highness, did so at the certain sacrifice of the pub.
lic tranquillity, and the probable loss of national independence,—an al-
ternative too appalling to allow any freedom of choice to timid
or prudent men, whatever might be done by the rash and the
daring fraction of the Congress. But why nad we reason further
on a choice which must necessarily be annulled by the French
Government itself ? Its Minister for Foreign Affairs has
officially and solemnly declared in the name of his master, that Louis
Philip would not accept of the sovereignty of Belgium either for him-
self or his son. The proceedings, therefore, at Brussels, are of no con-
sequence if there is a particle of integrity, honour, or good faith, in the
King of the French and his counsellors. They have hitherto laid claims
to these noble qualities, which we have seen no ground to dispute, and
till we learn that they have accepted the offered Crown, we shall
still believe in their sacred pledges. The young Duke is a minor—
only, we believe, 16 years of age. He cannot be compelled to be a King
without the consent of his father. Though the Belgians have elected
him, they cannot force him " to serve the office " sad have no power
to make his father violate his word or depart frOm his engagements.
Let us, therefore, repose confidence in the pledges of Louis Philip, not-
withstanding the declaration of M. Van de Weyer about his altered
purposes. By the way, where did M. Van de Weyer, who was lately
London, and who ought to know something about this country, get
the fact that the people of England had threatened not to pay the taxes
if war were declared ?
Heara.D.—With regard to the reductions that the present Ministers
have proposed, we are of opinion that they will not, and ought not, to
satisfy the public. We do not wonder that Sir Henry Parnell ex-
pressed his disappointment at finding that, with the exception of from
15,0001. to 20,0001. no saving has been made to the nation upon
the high estimate of the former Administration. lire country does
not wish to deal parsimoniously with the King, but it wants
c' Chap Government." The public will not think the sum of
110,0001. for the privy purse of the King and Queen too much—
nor perhaps the expenses of the Household, amounting to 1110,000 L—.
nor the sum allotted for Royal &melds', fixed at 25,0001; but they
will surely object to the additional sum of 130,0001. to the Great
Officers of the Household, whose offices are nearly sinecures. They
will also object to the 75,0001. for pensions--and with reason, for the
claims of all State pensioners ought to be subject to the control and ad.
judication of Parliament. If plebeian pauperism be subject to the con-
trol of the Magistrates, surely patrician pauperism ought to be, at
least, under the regulating authority of the Great Council of the nation—
the constitutional guardian of the public purse. We hope the Com-
mittee will deal with this Civil Liu in Mal a manner sea just economy
requires and the necessities of the esemity eismend.
Tiaras.—We are not singable he &airfoils, doe high plans about
the Court, which email as poiltimidneles, and coposially sines extensive
patronise beings to meet et thorn, ought to be ellosd only to a class
at noblemen in elremnstanses to reader, them indspoodent of salaries,
which prim hard upon the public. Why shou/d sew like the Duke
of Devonshire posit thmeedves to recent so much per annum
for dressing their erevants in the Royal &woke, spending that
time in gay aosembain at Court, and attracting the eyes of men to a
station, which, if naosiled by wage% might be arse et enviable dignity
and erolendour ? We deem it mere bed taste, or want of leflecdon, in
the h aristocracy, than regard far money, that they consent to such
humiliation • but we are sure that the Sovereign and hips Queen would
feel the absence of all that cumbersome appease's of leedly retinue
about them, to be as valuable a release from intrusion, as the people
would consider the reduction of their salaries a very sensible riddarice
from expense.
Csaorricxz.—lt has been with feelings of great satisfaction that we
have noticed the Lord Chancellor's notice reseeding an amendment of
the Bankrupt Laws, not doubting that his-Leedeldp will, in dealing
with that important subject, evince the same generous diaregardoafibot
&lel patronage which has characterised all his proceedings since his as.
sumption of the Great Seal. As respects the power of Government
over that profession, the members of which constitute by far the most
important crass of the community in the way of p -asmal influence, the
great relinquishment of patronage contemplated under the new arrange.
meats is deserving of all commendation; and when we call to mind
the thraldom in which Lord Eldon held the profession, making even the
Coif a token of Ministerial favour, wears an air of great magnanimity,
and affords strong assurances of a better order of things.