96] 
Troops under the command of 
the Duke of Wellington, were 
called from different quarters, and 
a powerful Prussian army under 
Marshal Blucher prepared for co- 
operation. That strong suspici- 
ons at this time prevailed respect- 
ing the affections of the Flemish 
people was rendered manifest by 
a proclamation issued at Brussels 
on April 20th, appointing a spe- 
cial court to take cognizance of, 
and punish, all such persons as 
either by discourse or actions 
showed themselves partizans of 
“a certain foreign power,” or at- 
tempted to excite discontent and 
sedition among the inhabitants. 
The battle of Waterloo, so im- 
portant to all Europe, was parti- 
cularly decisive of the fate of Bel- 
gium, since it was the result of 
the direct attempt of Buonaparte 
to take possession of Brussels. 
On that and the preceding days 
all the fluctuations of hope and 
fear were observable in this capi- 
tal, according to the different in- 
telligence transmitted from the 
armies ; and it cannot be doubted 
that party feelings were displayed 
in the several changes ; but the 
final success left only one expres- 
sion of the public voice; that of 
joy and congratulation for a great 
deliverance. Belgian troops had 
fought along with the allies in the 
conflict, and the hereditary Prince 
of Orange had received an ho- 
nourable wound in the cause.— 
The city of Brussels distinguish- 
ed itself by humane attentions to 
the wounded strangers, especially 
the British, and obtained the 
_ acknowledgments of the great 
Commander on the occasion, The 
King of the Netherlands, who 
remained at the Hague, commu- 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
1815. 
nicated, by means of his son, the 
satisfaction which he felt with the 
conduct of his Belgian subjects in 
the preceding actions, and assured 
them that “ the blood they had 
shed had irrevocably effaced the 
last doubt that might have sub- 
sisted respecting the solidity of 
the new kingdom, and the union 
of its inhabitants”—words which 
will be seen to imply more than 
they express. 
On July 13th a report was pre- 
sented to the King of the Nether- 
lands from the committeeappoint- 
ed to draw up the constitution 
for the kingdom. Its particulars 
are too numerous to admit of 
abridgment; but some of the 
provisions may be mentioned by 
which the points most essential to 
a free representative government 
aresecured. Thelegislative power 
is assigned jointly to the King, 
and the States-general elected by 
the provincial States, who are 
themselves elected by all the inha- 
bitants of the kingdom interested 
in its prosperity. All arbitrary 
arrests are forbidden, and every 
individual arrested by order of 
government is to be brought 
within three days before his legal 
judge. Judicial sentences are to 
be pronounced in public, and their 
causes assigned. Houses to be 
inviolable, and property not sub- 
ject to confiscation. The right of 
petitioning is’ recognized. No 
privilege exempts from taxes. 
Every subject is eligible to all 
employments without distinction 
of birth or religion. No other 
restraint to the liberty of the press 
but the responsibility of writers, 
printers and distributers. Liberty 
of conscience is guaranteed. The 
provincial States are charged with 
