Star.
London, England, 1830-12-11 00:00:00

Duchy will not be consulted on the subject, and perhaps,
singly, could not command attention; but it is not likely
that they will now be left unaided, to be cut off from the
proposed free Belgian State. The feudal notion, that the
*se of the people on territory, which becomes matter of
dispute between potentates, is not to be attended to in the
transfer, it is to be supposed can no longer be urged with
success, except wben it can be enforced by power ; and if
the inhabitants of the Duchy decline their former connexion,
claiming the assistance of their Belgian brothers—have we
not at once as complete a rupture, between the whole of Bel-
gium and A ustria, as if the Austrian army should march
direct to Brussels ?

It can therefore hardly be credited, that the Austrians will
make an attempt to occupy the Duohy of Luxembourg, un-
less that Power and its allies shall have made up their minds
to a war—primarily with the Belgian patriots, and
secondarily with France. The Kt x o of HOLLAND
seems determined to resist the progress in events,
which every day shows more inevitable ; until
there can be little doubt, that ho will not only be ex-
cluded from regal authority over the Belgians, but from
any regal authority whatever. He seems, by his con-
duct, bent on giving the Republican party in Belgium
the ascendancy ; and he may be assured Belgium will not
long be a Republic, without his own phlegmatic, but
frugal, people, returning likewise to a form of Go-
vernment, to which, by ancient prejudice, they will naturally
easily transfer their preference. Such a termination to his
career is not improbable ; for among the more elderly race of
his present subjects, the term King has never been com-
pletely popular. The Dutch are not an ignorant people ;
they are, perhaps. as generally well-informed as any people
in Europe ; and no people in Europe understand their own
interests so well. The Ring of the Duvcu should, there-
fore, not act so incautiously uncompromising as he appears
disposed to do.

Last night, in the Upper House, Lord RADNOR, while
directing attention to a petition from Shoreditch, complain-
ing of distress, and praying for a reduction of taxes, stated,
that so far back as June last, the distress that prevailed in
the parish of St. Leonard was frightful ; that demoralisation
had ensued from this dreadful state of poverty ; and that he
had produced this petition in answer to the challenge of the
Duke of WELLtwo LON, the previous evening, calling upon
him—Lord RA DNOR—to make any statement, showing
that an enquiry had been called for, on the part of his Ma-
jesty's late Government. To which the noble Duke, lately
at the head of the Administration, replied that what he
stated before, he would repeat, viz.—" That he never could,
or would, make himself responsible for any act that was
not his own, or for any thing which it was not his duty to
see pat to rights. He would maintain that he had nothing
to do with the management of the poor in the parish of St.
Leonard, Shoreditch ; not even if they were twenty times
worse than had been stated. The King's Ministers were
not responsible for the suffering or in that parish, or this pa-
rish. They were not responsible for that which it was not their
duty to set right." A keen debate followed this introduction on
the comparative condition of the late and the present Adminis-
tration, in which several Noble Lords took part ; and which
was briefly and pointedly brought to an issue, by Lord RA n-
tro a explaining, that the difference between the late and
the present Administration was this,—that the late Adminis-
tration refused inquiry, and denied the existence of distress,
while the present administration admitted the existence of dis-
tress, and said that they would apply their minds to find a re-
medy for it, while, at the same time, they granted a committee
of inquiry into the state of the poor laws. Upon the presenta-
tion of a petition from Scotland, praying for the abolition
of negro slavery, the LORD CH ANCZLLOR made a
speech, with reference to a proposal from Lord STANHOPE,
for appointing the learned lord chairman of a commission,
to which we would recommend the attention of all readers
and public speakers.

In the House of Commons the proceedings were of a
varied, and not unimportant character. The Bank and the
East India Company's charters were alluded to ; and with
respect to the former, Lord ALTHOUPE said, that no man
could attach more importance to the question than be did.
He felt that it was most essential to place the whole
banking system of the country on a sound footing, in order
to secure the interests of the public ; and the question would
be submitted to the House perfectly free from any private
arrangement. The procession of the Trades to St. James's
Palace formed a topic of lengthened and entertaining—we
were about to say, laughable—discussion, among several
Hon. Members. Mr. Gaov z PRICI, in a maiden speech,
denounced the whole proceeding, as unconsitutional and
illegal, because there had been a tri-coloured flag displayed
on the occasion ; and quoted the 13th of CHA ALIS 11. on
the subject. An Hon. Member, Mr. Coast zwe 1.1., stated,
that he had seen the whole procession, and that no tri-coloured
flag was borne in it. Lord ALTUORIE, with the honest
warmth and dignity of an unshackled Englishman, justified
the procession, banners and all. His Lordship had previously
learned that the peace of the city would run less risk of
being interrupted, by allowing the procession to proceed
peaceably, than by prohibiting its assemblage and the
peace authorities added, that if no order to disturb it were
issued, they would be answerable for the preservation of the
peace, for which they had made sufficient arrangements.
The result was as had been predicted. The meeting
was most peaceable in its conduct from first to last.
Votes of credit to the amount of 850,0001. were then
granted ; and the proceedings of the evening were closed
by a short discussion on the terms of the Regency Bill,
which is ordered to be read a third time on Monday.

We have seen to-day two letters from the county of
Norfolk, which describe the disturbed state of the populace
there in very alarming terms. One of the letters to which
we allude is from a Clerical Magistrate of high character, in
a wealthy agricultural district, about twenty miles from
Norwich. He describes that even with the villages fall of
sokliers,they can hardly be considered secure ; and they seldom
peso a night Without seeing the welkin illuminated by the
terrific ut bulldog agricultural produce. The other letter