BELGIUM. 



483 



signty of Belgium, 

 the four great po 1 



free 

 powers, 



same is the case with the roads between Maestrich 

 and Sittard, for the transit trade to Germany Bel 

 giuin may also make here new canals and roads. 

 Prom January 1, 1832, Belgium is to pay annually 

 8,400,000 guilders, on account of the public debt o 

 the Netherlands, which is now acknowledged as th< 

 public debt of Belgium. Besides this treaty, a pro- 

 tocol had been signed in London by the ministers 

 with the exception of the French minister, April 17 

 1831, according to which a part of the Eelgic for 

 tresses were to be razed. When the treaty o: 

 November ISTiad been adopted by Belgium, France 

 insisted upon the fulfilment of this promise, anc 

 Marienbourg, Philippeville, Ath, and Menni are said 

 to have been fixed upon. The four powers maintain- 

 ed that they had the right to do as they might see fit 

 for the support of the other Belgian fortresses ; bui 

 France demanded that the other fortresses shoulc 

 remain under the sole soverei 

 from any superintendence of 



The ratification of the agreement concluded respeck 

 ing this point, December 14, 1831, was deferred to 

 March 15, and from that time to a still later period. 

 During all these transactions, king William re- 

 mained in a warlike attitude. Belgium, therefore, 

 was also obliged to continue its armaments. At 

 Ghent, Antwerp, Liege, and other points, the go- 

 vernment ordered new fortifications to be erected ; 

 the chamber of representatives resolved, on Decem- 

 ber 28, 1831, to put the civic guards on an efficient 

 footing, and to levy 12,000 men for 1832. The army 

 was put on the war establishment, and towards the 

 end of March, 1832, Holland and Belgium stood in a 

 threatening posture towards each other. They re- 

 mained so subsequently, as the movements of the 

 Dutch administration did not allow the expecta- 

 tion of a peaceable settlement of the difficulties. 

 The cabinet of king Leopold was changed at this time. 

 On December 30, De Theux was made minister of 

 the interior ; Meulenaere remained minister of foreign 

 aflairs, Coghen was appointed minister of finances, 

 and Raikem of justice. The minister at war, Brouc- 

 kere, gave in his resignation on March 15, owing to 

 the reductions made by the chamber in his budget, 

 and other causes. Count Felix de Merode took' the 

 portfolio temporarily. The most important business 

 of the chambers was the discussion of the budget for 

 1 832. (See above.) We only add here, that the civil 

 list of the king was permanently settled at 1,300,000 

 guilders, with the use of the royal palaces at Brussels, 

 Antwerp, and Laeken. 



On the 18th of April, 1832, England, France, 

 Prussia, and Austria finally exchanged ratifications of 

 the twenty-four articles of the Belgian treaty ; and, 

 on the 5th of May, the conference, accompanied by 

 Mr van de Weyer, the Belgian minister, likewise 

 exchanged ratifications with the Russian plenipoten- 

 tiary. The ratification of the Russian emperor was, 

 indeed, expressed in terms friendly to Holland, and 

 recommended that several modifications of the treaty 

 should be agreed to between Belgium and Holland. 

 On the 12th of June, the conference held a long sit- 

 ting, in which many of the concessions recommended 

 by Russia to be made to Holland, were agreed upon 



Classes of Inhabitants. 



Belgians 3,570,000 



Jews 30,000 



Germans and Dutch 10,000 



Catholics (1 archbishop, viz. of Lo'iY*wfand 7 



bishops) . . . .-. 3,570,000 



Protestants 10,000 



Jews 30,000 



Universities. 



Ixm vain, founded in 1420 ; students in 1828 .... (551 



Ghent " in 181C; " .... 395 



Liege " in 1810; " .... 311 



by the whole of the five powers. At about the same 

 time, the five powers issued a protocol, engaging 

 themselves to prevent hostilities between the two 

 states, and recommending them to renew negotiations 

 with each other. The king of the Netherlands, how- 

 ever, in his answer to the requisitions of the confe- 

 rence (July), declared that, though ready to recog- 

 nise the administrative, he was not willing to admit 

 the political separation of Belgium from the Dutch 

 provinces, but professed himself not indisposed to 

 treat of that matter, provided his claims were acceded 

 to. He demanded the closing of the Scheldt against 

 the Belgians, the union of Limburg with the Dutch 

 Netherlands, the retention of Luxemburg, and the 

 apportionment of a larger share of the public debt to 

 the Belgic provinces. The Belgian government re- 

 jected any idea of new terms of adjustment, and de- 

 clared that, if the complete evacuation of the Belgian 

 territory by the Dutch troops did not take place by 

 the 20th, the siege of Maestricht would be'formed on 

 the following day. 



Aflairs continued in this unsettled and menacing 

 posture, when the connexion of Belgium with France 

 was drawn closer by the marriage (August 9th) of 

 Leopold, elected king of the Belgians, with Louisa 

 Maria Theresa of Orleans, eldest daughter of Louis 

 Philip, elected king of the French. This event seemed 

 to assure Belgium of the warm and permanent sup- 

 port of France. 



The determination of the British parliament on the 

 subject of the Russian-Dutch loan, was also announ- 

 ced about this period. The question was this : At 

 the general peace of 1815, an agreement had been 

 made by England and the Netherlands to pay to 

 Russia, by way of annuity, the sum of 50,000,000 

 florins, for her services and sacrifices in the war, the 

 Netherlands taking upon itself this obligation, in con- 

 sideration of its great accession of territory, and the 

 acquisition of a secure frontier, and England assuming 

 half the burden, because she retained four Dutch 

 colonies that had been captured during the war. It 

 was a condition of this agreement, that the annuity 

 above mentioned should cease, provided that the 

 Dossession of the Belgic provinces should be severed 

 rom the domain of the king of the Netherlands, pre- 

 vious to the complete liquidation of the loan. The 

 ministerial party in parliament urged that the sepa- 

 ration which had taken place was of a nature not 

 lontemplated in the original agreement ; that it had 

 not been effected by the interference of England ; 

 ,hat she still retained the colonies, in consideration 

 of retaining which, she had assumed the obligation ; 

 and that she therefore still continued responsible for 

 ler share of the debt. In these views, ministers were 

 lupported by a majority of both houses. 



The Dutch king still refused to accede to the treaty 

 >f November, ana, although urged by the conference 

 o open negotiations with Belgium, for the amicable 

 idjustment of the disputed points, and although Leo- 

 mid professed himself ready to consent to some rea- 

 onable modifications of that treaty, which had been 

 ratified by all the courts of Europe, declared, never- 

 heless, in a note, addressed to the conference, towards 

 he end of September, that, relying on the support of 

 )ivine Providence, he was determined to maintain 

 is honour, without conceding points of vital impor- 

 tance to his kingdom. In these measures of resist- 

 nce, the Dutch king was warmly supported by the 

 nation, which felt great confidence in its ability to 

 efend them. His army was highly efficient, and his 

 hips and fortresses in the best state of preparation. 

 The Belgians were likewise discontented with the 

 ong delays which had taken place, and eager to 

 >egin hostilities. In the middle of October, it was 

 leckled by the conference that measures should be 



