vi PREFACE. 



law, to enforce the articles of the late convention with the ' 

 British government for the abolition of the Slave trade north 

 of the Equator. 



The opening of the session of the States-General which 

 took place at Brussels on the 19th of October, gave, upon the 

 whole, a satisfactory view of the state of that xmited govern- 

 ment, as declared in a speech delivered by his Majesty. 



The kingdom of Sweden, which was deprived of its 

 sovereign on the 6th of February 1818, to whom a new 

 dynasty succeeded under the name of Charles John, recog- 

 nized both by its own people, and by the kings of Europe, 

 was addressed on the 31st of July, at the Castle of Stock- 

 holm, by a speech in which the new king expressed himself 

 as well pleased with the general state of affairs. 



The affairs of Germany, considered in the mass, appear 

 to have undergone but little change during the last year. 

 The prime movers have seemed to keep back from any direct 

 alteration ; and future events are still to be looked up to for 

 the decision of matters of importance. We have been told 

 that a very severe ordinance has lately been issued at Milan 

 by the Austrian government, which has directed that no 

 book shall appear without the permission of the Censure, 

 who must even appoint a special commission to reprint books 

 already published in the Austrian monarchy. We are also 

 mfonued that in Germany itself considerable dissentions are 

 taking place between the students of several universities, and 

 those who consider themselves as their directors ; and that 

 m several places the number of students has been reduced to 

 a small proportion. What will be the final result of these 

 quarrels, time alone must determine. 



Two 



I 



