The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1833-02-08 00:00:00

ledged the separation of Belgium from Holland was in itself
untoward. To make her in sonic degree amends, by the terms
of the late arrangement, Holland would have a larger terri-
torial possession than she ever had prior to the union of
Holland and Belgium. The papers to be produced to the
house would, he thought, prove that nothing had been exacted
from Holland which was injurious to her interests compatible
with the security of Belgian independence. (Hear, hear.)
The noble earl said that the Scheldt is closed. If so, he (Earl
Grey) was not aware of the tact. It was closed, certainly,
against France and England, but there was nothing singular
in that, seeing that both those countries have still an • embargo
• on Dutch vessels, an embargo that must continue until Hol-
land shall have surrendered the two forts of Lillo and Liefken-
shock, belonging to Belgium, which she' now holds. The
French army would have been justified, according to the con-
vention of toe 2nd of October, in not withdrawing • after the
surrender of Antwerp, until those forts were given up, or, in
taking them by force, which, notwithstanding the noble earl's
views of the difficulties attending it 9 they might soon have done;
but, acting in the best spirit of good faith, the French army
withdrew immediately on the surrender of Antwerp, the allied
powers deeming it sufficient to compel the giving up of those
forts by continuing the embargo. The noble earl.had said that
the five powers could have compelled Belgium to act as they
pleased. Did the noble earl mean that they should have com-
pelled Belgium to submit to Holland? If so, he would have bad
a war indeed, and Europe would have been set fire to at its four
corners. A war of principle would then be lighted up, and not
soon to be extinguished. (Cheers.) With respect to Portugal,
looking also at the situation in which his Majesty's present mi-
nisters found the affairs of that country when they came into
office, he (Earl Grey) could see nothing for which they could
be censured. They found Don Miguel on the throne of that
country, in violation of treaties and of oaths, and in usurpation
of the rights of another. That was no work of his (Earl Grey's).
When the late administration went out of office, it appeared
they had intended to recognise this usurpation,. but that recog-
nition was never effected, because, even with them, there was a.
condition of an amnesty that Don Miguel never fulfilled.; on
the contrary, lie redoubled his persecutions ;—ladies of the first)
rank in the country were thrown into the same dungeons with
malefactors, and men of the highest character and station suf-
fered on the scaffold, or were banished to an inhospitable clime.
Were they to interfere with the right of Don Pedro, the father
of the legitimate Queen of Portugal, to declare against one
whom they looked upon in the light of an usurper? (Hear.)
The only other course, then, that they could pursue was neu-
trality. That course the noble earl (Aberdeen) said had not
been followed up, and he instanced the seizure of ships form-
ing part of Don Pedro's armament, which were afterwards given
up. The question of the seizure had been submitted to the.
law authorities of the crown, and when it was found that the
seizure had been improperly made, the vessels were, conse-
quently, given up, audit could not be otherwise. Would the noble
earl have counselled the government to act in opposition to the
advice of their own law officers, and maintain the seizure? In
pursuance oi their neutral policy, the Admiral (Sartorius)
commindin, Don Pedro's fleet, had been dismissed the naval
service of this country. But the noble earl said they had a
squadron in the Tagus. True they had, but they did not send
a naval force to Portugal, until they were importuned to do so
by the petitions of the British subjects residing in Portugal.
(Hear.) That squadron now remains there to protect British
interests, and so tong as British interests require its protection;
so long will it remain there. The neutrality of Spain, as
respected Portugal, he considered to be . perfectly necessary.
'mere was a cordial union between the government of Spain
and that of this country, in endeavouring to make a permanent
peace in Portugal. With respect to the latter part of the
King's speech, which referred to the necessity of strong mea-
sures being resorted to in'lreland, he could only say, as one of
the King's servants, that it was the intention of his • Majesty's
government to uphold the authority of the law, to put down
violent disorder, and to crush every attempt that might be
made to put an end to the legislative union—any attempt to do
which, he agreed with the noble mover of the address, would
lead to a dismemberment of these countries, and tend to the
ruin of Ireland. Ni ith respect to the question of Church Re-
form, the government had determined to effect such a settle-
ment of the c:ergy as would prove not only conservative of the
church of II elanu, but also productive of prosperity and peace.
It was their intention to remote the abuses which, it was not to
be disguised, had created so much dissatisfaction even amongst
toe sincerest and the aunt stanch of the friends of that esta-
blishment, and to place it upon a footing which would com--
mend the respect as well of its friends as of those who were
dissenting from the church of Ireland. Such, in brief, were
tile views of the government, and if acted upon to the extent of
which they were capable, he was convinced that they would
tend to tne ultimate. amicable settlement of the dissensions.
which had so long agitated the unhappy country to which they
were to be applied. (Cheers.)
The Earl of ABERDEEN roseto explain. The noble earl had
accused hini of acting on this occasion on personal motives,
and of being actuated by a wish to excite animosity and discord.
lie could truly, and with cordial sincerity, assure the noble earl
that he was far from entertaining such confined notions of his
duties as to suffer himself to be guided by other than feelings of
interest for the general welfare, and in particular with respect
to the course he had pursued with regard to the Belgian and
Dutch question.
The Duke of WELLINGTON said the noble earl (Grey)
throughout his speech kept finding fault with his noble friend
(the hart of Aberdeen) stating his views of the policy of his
Majesty's Government iu respect to Holland in place in
Parliament. The noble earl imputed to his noble friend, and
to those who acted with him, that he and they acted in this way
with a view to encourage the King of Holland in opposing the
acts of the British Government. Something of the same sort
had already appeared in certain public newspapers, in which it
was more than insinuated that they (the opposition) were ad-
vising the King of Holland as to the course he should pursue.'
If he (the Duke of Wellingtou) had advised the King of Hol-
land as to the course he should adopt upon the occasion, he
could tell those who made the charge, that his Majesty's Minis-
ters would have had much more difficulty than they already had
in carrying into effect their embargo upon Dutch vessels.
(Hear, ileac.) • For several days previous to that embargo be-
ing laid on Dutch vessels the mouth of the Thames was com-
pletely open, and was quite unprotected from any enemy wish-
ing to take advantage of such a circumstance, to revenge them-
selves fur an injury done to them. (Hear, hear.) It he had_
advised the King of Holland, with a view to enable him to in-
jure this country, he probably might have pointed to the unpro-
tected state of the 1. hames. But the King of Holland acted
more wisely when he adopted the • resolutions with respect to
British vessels, and in his (the Duke of Wellington's) opinion
he would have acted still more wisely-if he had taken off all re-
strictions from British vessels. By so doing he would have set
at defiance that most unjust and illegal embargo which had
been laid by this government on Dutch vessels. (Hear, hear.)
He, therefore, thiew aside, with the contempt they merited,
those imputations which had been cast upon them who had
espoused the cause of the King of Holland. (Hear.) The noble
earl (Grey) had adverted to his (the Duke of W.'s) opinion
respecting the re-union of Belgium and Holland. He admitted
that he did say, a few days after he had quitted office, that a
union between Belgium and Holland was then impossible.
tut from the line or conduct adopted by the noble earl, in in-
ducing the Prince of Orange to offer himself to the people of
Belgium, it was evident that he had the same feeling -him Self.
It was not right, therefore, to charge him exclusively with en-
tertaining that opinion. (Hear.) The noble earl said that in
everything which had been done due regard was had to thein.-
terests of the King of Holland. But it was his (the Duke of
Wellington's) opinion, that the moment the present negotia-
tions respecting Belgium and Holland were entered upon, that
moment the government abandoned the cause of the King of
Holland, which had been the first grand principle upon which
the late government proceeded. Indeed it was the only business
of the late government in all that they had done in these trans-
actions. In the progress of negotiations like those, it was im-
possible to imagine a greater blunder than the recognition of
the independence .of Belgium. It would have been bad enough
had it stopped there ; but every step in the negotiation made
matters better for Belgium, and worse for Holland. Holland
was left to make her way out of the difficulty as she best could,
though it was professed to conduct everything upon the most
equitable principles. The negotiations, which were at first
conciliatory, were next mediatorial, and ended in war; and that
was called a due regard to the interests of Holland, and a
maintenance of those principles of a distribution of power and
territory upon which the European system had been already
based. As soon as Holland was abandoned by the British mi-
nisters, the British ministers were abandoned by three other
powers, and in proof of it he might mention that the plenipo-
tentiaries of the three other powers were not authorised to give
their approbation to the treaty of Jan. 1832. The negotiations
were afterwards recommenced, and considerable progress to-
wards an adjustment was made, as,the King of the Netherlands
did not hesitate to make considerable sacrifices -in order to.
avoid a bleach. When, however, matters were in this promis-
ing condition, the King of Belgium interposed, to state that he
could not consent to any alteration in the treaty of November;
unless Antwerp and its citadel were first placed in his hands.
• The business of the British cabinet at such a juncture should
have been to have persuaded the Belgian minister to give up
this point; but they did nothing like it. The King of the Ne-
therlands sent no answer to the proposition, and from that mo-.
ment the capture of Antwerp was the great object. He was •