The famous treaty between...
The Times, 1824-06-14T00:00:00

The famous treaty between this Government and the Netherlands-with those long notes between the nego- tiators on which we have already made some com- ments-haa been presented to Parliament, and published in an authentic form. ' We have little firther expression of regret to add, beyond that which is naturally called forth by seeing the name of Mr. CANNING affixed to such a series of documents-of Mir. CANNING, tO vhom the honour and interests of this country in all that relates to her concerns with Foreign Powers are intrusted-of Mr. CANNINo, who thus embarks his reputation as a Foreign Minister in the same vessel wherein that of his predecessor perished. Of all the blunders of Lord LONDONDERTY, this sacrifice of the Eastern Archipelago to the Datch was in it- self the most impolitic, andi to the British merchant the most odious. it was giving every thing for nothing. But' the present treaty confirms, nay, if possible, aggravates the offence; because it does what Lord LONDONDEBRY, in all his subserviency to foreign interests, and sacrifice of those of England, never probably so much as thought of: itraises the territorial cessions of 1814-15 into so many direct barriers against the further extension of our national spirit and enterprise in the Eastern Ocean; stipulating that Holland shall not merely hold the invaluable and al- most innumerable settlements from which we have excluded ourselves for her sake, but shall enjoy, by treaty, a positive control over the right of England to form new ones. Under cover of surrendering one or two stations upon Sumatra, one of the finest islands in the world, Great Britain is debarred from forming any e8tablishmtent whatever upon any other part of that island, and from " concluding any treaty with "any native Prince, Chief, or State therein ! His Britannic "MAJESTY withdraws his objections" to the occupation of the island of Billiton by Holland-that is to say, he makes a cession which he had not made before of the island of Billiton-a large island commanding the passage from the Straits of Malacca to those of Java, and little less extensive than Bauika, in the sam-ne neighbourhood. lVhat, theni, were the " objections" whicli had been urged against this fresh encroachment ofDtttch ambition? The people of Great Britain have a right to know them, that they may know the fullvalue of the supplementary sacriflce which has been made in their name. " His Britannic MAJESTY en- "gages that no British establishment shall be made on the "Cariman Isles, or on Battam, Bintang, Lingin, or any "other islandls south of the Straits of Singapore, nor any "treaty concltuded by British authority with the Chiefs of those islands !" It has been already remarked, that the ostensible " reciprocity" of duties between the two States is like every other pretention to fairness from first to last in this melancholy proceeding-a pure deltusion to the com- mercial interest of Great Britain. The great thing given away by the tteaty is the spice trade. The islands which grow the spices constitute the very essence of that part of India. Prom them, and from their productions, we are shut out: their monopoly by the Dutch is a solemn provi- sion of the treaty . all the talk about duties in other quar- ters is not worth one stravW.