Star.
London, England, 1830-10-12 00:00:00

GRIEVANCES OF THE BELGIANS.

We have received by the hands of Mr. Waterton, a more succinct
list of the grievances of the &kiwis than has yet perhaps been pub-
lished in this country. It was written by a Belgian, of whom Mr.
Waterton speaks in the following terms :—" He is a very learned gen-
deinan, and my moat intimate friend. No gentleman living can bear
a higher character for probity and integrity than he does, and I Srml
believe he would rather suffer death than deliberately tell a
I have the very highest opinion of him, and I relocated him to write
for me a list of grievances in order that I might show them to my friends
in England.
" I heard these grievances from numbers of Belgians, in my ccau
versation with them.'

1. Holland, with two and a quarter millions of population, had in
Parliament a representation equal to that of Belgium, whose popula.
tion is three and a half millions. Not content with this iniquitous
partiality, the Dutch Government sought to Influence the elections by
all the means of corruption, In order to ensure to it a majority devoted
to its purposes.
2. Belgium, whose own public debt was so small as hardly to be
worth mentioning, was taxed to the amount of 25 millions of florins
annually, to meet the Dutch debt which amounts to more than two
thousand millions; Holland offered to Belgium, by way of compen.
soden, commerce with the colonies ; but still it was Holland which
derived almost all the profit.
3. Holland contributed in no degree towards the conservation of the
dykes of Belgium, whilst the latter was obliged to contribute towards
the conservation of those of Holland.
4. All the high public offices of a permanent nature
rre established
in Holland.
5. Almost all the public functionaries in these offices were filled by
the Dutch. In Belgium eves, a considerable number of employments
were filled by the Dutch. The officers of the army were almost all
Dutch.

6. The rate of imposts was made without the consent of Parliament.
The Government fixed arbitrarily the public expences—the Parliament
could only intervene to fix the public revenues.
7. Two thousand five hundred Belgians occupied the coast from
Antwerp to Fumes and Nieuport, and were supported by the herring.
fishery until 1816, when Government, to favour this branch of Dutch
industry, caused a law to pass rendering this fishery impracticable to
the Belgians, owing to the number of restrictions which were imposed
on them. It is the same with Belgic distilleries, which have been sa.
crificed to those of the thatch.

8. The inhabitants of the Walloon provinces, in which French only
is spoken, and which contain a million and a half of population, were,
in fact, excluded from the civil and military posts of eminence, by
the Government permitting only the Dutch language to be used
officially.
i. The few liberties of chimerical value which were left to the Bel.
glans were without securities. The King was inviolable ; and the Go-
vernment disavowed Openly the responsibility of Ministers. The Par.
!lament could not even procure the redress of grievances by the applica-
tion of the principle—No redress 41 grimmer, wo supplies. The
Government maintained that the Parliament had not the right to refuse
supplies; that its power extended no further than to admit or reject
the manner by which Government proposed to itself to fix the public
taxes, as already observed (No: 0.)
10. The other great public functionaries were no more respond.
ble for the violation of the laws, and public liberties, than the Mi.
nisteni.

11. The judicial ceder was not independent. The King could in.
Wren: in the proceediags; suspend their progress; and even set aside
their decisions.

12. The Jury established by a law was suppressed by a simple Act
of Government. Those who were prosecuted for political offences of the
Press, or others, were judged by a conimiulon of Judges, named by a
President, who was himself named by the Government. Hence, the
liberty of the Press became a nullity clogged as it was, besides, by
numerous restrictions.

1S The King, by simple Acts, declared certain persons ineligible to
public offices--for political opinions, or for acts which were not for.
bidden by the law.
14. The oppressive laws were not executed in Holland with the same
rigour as in Belgium.
16. Ancient institutions, provincial and communal, local customs
and usages, were respected in Holland, whilst in Belgium every thing
must give way to a new regulating spirit.
16. Add to all this, numerous violations of the constitution : °p pm.
slons and restrictions interfering with the free exercise of the Catholic
religion, both as to the administration of the tliocesses and to public
and private instruction—in all which the government, by the most rc.
oohing intolerance, and by the most iniquitous nischlavelism, sought to
direct the spirit of all institutions.—Esaatiner.

The following letter from Count Mole has been sent to one
of the Envoys from the South American Republica, and may be regarded
as a circular to all s _ _

" Paris, Sept. 30.
" Sta—l am commanded by his Majesty to inform you that the French
Government recognises the independence of the • • and is ready to
conclude a treaty of friendship, commerce, and navigation, with that
country. This treaty, founded on the principle of the strictest reciprocity,
and upon conditions which shall be considered by both parties most
advantageous to the two countries, will, without doubt, prove the pledge
of relations between them as intimate as durable. Such; at least, is our
sincere desire ; and your Government, Sir, have long since expressed
similar wishes on their part. I therefore beg of you to acquaint them
with the present communication, and recommend them to send to Paris
as Fumy, furnished with memory powers to treat with us on the afore.
said bases, and thereby realise the intentions of both Govemmenta.
Receive, bir, the aneueance of my deepest respect, and I have the honour
to!be. &c. MOLE.

" Monsieur N--, Consul-General de Post.
Thunsday noon, a Mb* of the name of Toosey called at
the house of Mr. Seton, in Bend-street, Chelsea, and informed Mrs. &
that be hod jostle* her forehand, ebb hod been arrested for a debt, for
which he hod •made himself liable for another peon, and this he wished
her to go immediasely to him ; he then saw ber of by the stags, and
Mrs. &ton fret called at Mr. Seton's office, in Doetore-commons, 'belt
she was 'dirtiest to find that the sturetoedt waruntrue. Mr. and Mra.
Sewn immediately proceeded home, when they found that this fellow
had returned and despatched the servant off with a letter to Park-lane ;
and the son of Mr. Seton (the only one at bane) to Brotnpton-square,
and in their absence plundered the house of every thing portable.