GENERAL 
every thing relating to the inter- 
nal economy of the province; their 
president to be a commissioner 
appointed by the king. The na- 
tional representatives to be divid- 
ed into two chambers; the higher 
to consist of members nominated 
by the king, and for life. The 
plans of laws deliberated on in 
the council of state, are sent by 
the king to the chamber of elect- 
ed deputies, and if there adopted, 
are sent to the other chamber for 
examination. The latter also re- 
ceives and discusses all proposi- 
tions made by the elected chamber 
to the king, and transmits them 
if approved. The sittings of the 
States-general are made public. 
The independence of judges is 
guaranteed. The right of making 
peace and war is committed to the 
sovereign. ‘The crown is declared 
hereditary in the house of Nassau. 
On July 18th a proclamation 
was issued by the king, notifying 
the union of the United Provinces 
with Belgium, as agreed upon by 
the allied powers, and accepted 
by himself, with the leading arti- 
cles of that union. 
these is, that the two countries 
shall form one state, governed by 
the constitution already establish- 
ed in Holland, modified by con- 
sent according to the new state of 
things. It declares that the Bel- 
gian provinces shall be duly re- 
presented in the States-general, 
which are to be held alternately 
in a town of Holland, and in one 
of Belgium. It mentions the ap- 
pointment of the committee and 
the presenting of the report above 
cited ; but says, that before the 
introduction of the fundamental 
law, his Majesty has resolved to 
convince himself of the. assent 
Vor. LVI. 
The first. of. 
[97 
of his subjects, for which pur- 
pose he has convoked deputies, or 
notables, from each district, to be 
the organs of the general opinion. 
The constitutional plan was laid 
before a special assembly of the 
States-general of the United Ne- 
therlands, on August 8th, and its 
unanimous acceptance was an- 
nounced on the 19th by a deputa-- 
tion which waited on the king. 
One great difficulty which might 
be foreseen in effecting a coales- 
cence of the whole Netherlands 
under one form of law and go- 
vernment, arose from the very 
different feelings concerning re- 
ligion which prevailed in the two 
portions of the country. The se- 
ven Dutch provinces were in a 
great measure indebted for their 
prosperity to that principle of ge 
neral toleration in which they 
long stood distinguished among 
the nations of Europe, and which 
was fundamental in their political 
system. The ten Flemish pro- 
vinces, on the contrary, from the 
time of their separation from the 
others, adopted in its extreme the 
exclusive maxim of the Roman: 
catholic church, and acquired the 
character of some of the most bi- 
goted and intolerant members of 
that community. The attempts 
of the Emperor Joseph to enforce 
a toleration of different religions 
were reckoned among his most 
heinous violations of the Beigic 
rights, and were finally defeated 
with the rest of his projects. It 
might be supposed that the great 
political changes since his time, 
and particularly the long subjec- 
tion of those provinces to France, : 
would have produced a change in 
men’s opinions on this subject,’ 
and this was probably the case 
HISTORY. 
