The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1810-09-14
PARIS, July 10.
Retort to The Emneror.

"PARIs, July 9, 1910.
nave the honor to lay before your ma
ljesty an act of the King of Holland, dated
the Sd instant, by which that monarch de.
clares, that he abdicates the crown in ia.
vor OF his eldest son, leaving, according to
the constitution, the Regency to the Queen,
and establishes council of Regency com
posed OF his ministers.
such an act, sire, ought not to have ap
peared without a previous concert with
your majesty. 1t can have no force without
your approbs lion. Ought your majesty to
confirm the disposition taken by the king of
Holland?
" The union of Belgium with France has
destroyed the independence of Holland -
her system has necessarily become the
same with that of France. She is obie-
ell to take part in all the maritime wars
OF France as if she were one of her proyin-
ces. Since the creation of the arsenal of
the Scheldt, and the annexation to France
OF the provinces composing the departments
OF the Mouths of the Rhine and the Mouth.
of the Scheldt, the commercial existence of
Holland has become precarious. The mer
chants OF Antwerp, Client and Middle
ourgh, who can, without any restriction
extend their specuations to the extremi-
ties OF the empire, of which they form a
part, necessarily carry on the commerce
which Holland transacted. Rotterdam and
Bordrecht are already on the verge of ruin !:
these cities having lost the commerce of
the Kline, which goes direct, by the new
frontier, to the port of the Scheldt, passing
through the Biesboch. The part of HoI
land which is still alien to the empire, is
deprived of the advantages enioyed by the
part united thereto. Compelled, neverthe
less, to make Common cause with France.
Holland will have to support the charges
OF thIs allowance without reaping any of its
benefits.
Holland is sunk under the weight of
her public debt, which amounts to between
% and 30 millions, that is to say, a fourth
more than the debt of the whole empire ::
and it reduction had been projected by
the government of the country, it would not
nave been IN its power to give a guarantee
for the inviolability and permanence of such
ameas1re, inasmuch as the debt, if even
reduced to 30 millions. would still be beyond
the actual means and ability of that coun-
try.-lt is estimated Holland paws trip.
pie the sum that France paws. The peo.
pie groan under the weight of 23 distinct
descriptions OF Contributions The Dutch
nation sinks under its contributions. and can
no longer pay them.
Nevertheless, the necessary expenses
OF the government require, that this bur
den should be augmented. The bulge for
the marine amounted, in 1909, to three
millions only of Aorins, a sum scarcely suf
hclent TO pay the administrators the officers
and seamen, and TO defray the expence of
the arsenals. and which has not admitted
OF the equipment of a single ship OF war
10 provide Tor the armament ordered in
1910, and which is the minimum of the ma
val force necessary for the defence of Hol.
land, triple that sum would be requisite.
The war budget has scarcely afforded a suf
hciency for maintaining tie fortresses and
10 6attalions; and whilst two branches of
such Importance are so far from having
what is necessary Tor supporting the honor
and dignity of independence, the interest