GENERAL HISTORY. 



[139 



in l)y Prussia, Bavaria, Saxony, 

 Hanover, Wurtemberg, Baden, 

 Hesse, and Denmark. 



STATES GENERAL. 



On October the 20th the annual 

 .session of the States General was 

 opened at the Hague with the 

 usual solemnities. His Majesty 

 delivered a speech from tlie throne, 

 of which the following is the sub- 

 stance. 



His Majesty began with noticing 

 the happy event of the birth of a 

 son to the Prince of Orange, add- 

 ing, that his education would be 

 so directed, as to inspire him from 

 his earliest childhood with a sense 

 of his duties, and with the most 

 ardent zeal for the freedom and 

 wellfare of his countrymen. 



The general peace, said his Ma- 

 jesty, has been undisturbed; and 

 every day proves that the govern- 

 ments, as well as the people, are 

 unanimous in the desire of main- 

 taining it. On my side I have 

 neglected nothing that can tend 

 to ensure to this kingdom and its 

 inhabitants the goodwill of foreign 

 powers. 



His Majesty then noticed at 

 length the difficulties caused by 

 the imfavoui'able season, but 

 which the rich harvest of the year 

 would put an end to. The dis- 

 tresses, he said, had been relieved 

 partly by finding them work, and 

 partly by affoi'ding them assist- 

 ance. The local authorities had 

 done their utmost ; and jirivate 

 charitv, the fairest trait in tlie 

 national character, had kept pace 

 with tlie increasing distress. His 

 Majesty observed that some effec- 

 tual regulations lolative to the 

 poor arc necessary, and he hojied 



to see the basis of them laid in 

 this session. Some measures will 

 be proposed that experience has 

 shown to be useful to industry. 

 Nothing has been more injurious 

 to this effect than the dearness of 

 provisions, which has checked 

 the consumption of manufactured 

 goods among the most numerous 

 classes of people. The govern- 

 ment itself has felt the influence 

 of this' state of things, by the 

 great increase of its expenses, 

 and the diminution of its receipts. 

 Besides this, a great deficit has 

 been caused by the not levying a 

 tax upon inherited property, or a 

 legacy tax. 



The law respecting the militia 

 has been put in execution for the 

 first time, and has answered 

 every expectation. Agriculture is 

 liourishing. The fisheries, the 

 colonial trade, and all branches 

 connected with them, have im- 

 proved ; and the freedom of the 

 corn trade by sea, while it secured 

 the kingdom from scarcity at 

 home, and kept the prices of bread 

 in the country lower tlian among 

 its neighbours, has confined to the 

 ports of the Netherlands the pri- 

 vilege of being the granaries of 

 all Europe. 



His Majesty then notices the 

 e;reat expense caused by the forti- 

 fication of the southern frontiei-. 

 A great many public works, such 

 as harbours and the like, have 

 been begun and continued, and 

 even completed. In some pro- 

 vinces great roads have been 

 made, which the mo.st enlightened 

 inhabitants have for years design- 

 ed in vain. 



His Majesty speaks \n\\\ satis- 

 faction of the joy which has been 



displayed 



