POSTSCRIPT TO THE WEEK'S NEWS. SPECTATOR OFFICE, SATURDAY, Two o'CLocz.
On the subject of the Netherlands, the following important communication appears in a second edition of the Times. There are no later accounts. We said, in another place, that the real revolution, if it be so named, only began when the riots of the populace were suppressed ; and the following narrative fully bears us out.
NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN THE PRINCE OF ORANGE AND THE INSURGENTS.
" BaussEts, Sept. 2.—Yesterday, by an arrangement with the authori- ties of the city, the Prince of Orange entered Brussels. He had received two deputations on the previous +afternoon and night. The first he had treated very haughtily, desiring its members to lay aside their colours. He declined.to make any concessions, but threatened to enter Brussels yesterday morning at the bead of his troops. The announcement of this treatment and of this threat produced the greatest agitation among the Gerdes Bourgeoise and in the mind of the Provisional Government, under which the capital has been for the last seven days. They resolved, if he attempted to effect his threatened purpose, to oppose force to force.
"The people about ten o'clock on Tuesday, began, in imitation of the Parisians, to unpave the streets and to erect barricades at all the issues of the city towards the side on which he would enter. All the citizens were at their posts, and the most determined resolutions were everywhere taken to remain united and in arms till the Prince came to terms. Waggons were overturned across the streets—barrels were brought and filled with stones to increase the obstruction—great mounds were formed of the pavement which had been taken up—the trees along the Boulevards were cut down to throw on these heaps—and before six o'clock in the morning the preparations made to receive the army must have effectually protected the city till after a great slaughter of the troops. Yet this was no test of what the resolution of the inhabitants might ultimately have accom- plished, as the work of barricading was discontinued from half-past twelve o'clock at night, when the result of the Prince's conference with the second deputation was announced.
"His Royal Highness agreed, on the representatirn made to him of the state of the city, to enter it yesterday forenoon with some members of his staff only, and without any troops. He agreed to send back, the troops corning on Brussels, or at least to suspend their march, and to give orders to those before the Palace to remain inactive in their position.
"The commandant of the civic forte issued an order of the day for the citizens to assemble at ten o'clock yesterday morning in the square of the Botel de Ville. But before they met, the Prince sent to order that they would lay down their colours. To this command a positive nega- tive was returned, and it wa:, for some time doubtful whether his Royal Highness would appear under the Brabant flag, which had displaced the orange. The urgency of the occasion, however, made him wave even this point, which to him at first was a point of honour, and he was obliged to entrust himself alone, without troops or assistance of any kind, among eight or ten thousand armed citizens, who had thrown aside the colours of his family, and assumed those of their ancient province. Two thousand stand of arms had arrived the day before from Liege; and it probably is no exaggeration to say, that not less than ten thousand burghers were provided with muskets by yesterday morning. The square of the Hotel de Ville probably never exhibited a finer display than when each of the eight sections had taken up their positions with their appro- priate flags and with glittering arms. They not only displayed the tri- colour on their standards, but each citizen wore a tricoloured cockade at his button-hole, arid most of them had tricoloured scarfs round their wrists.
"The march began towards the Palace of Lacken, to meet the Prince about half-past eleven o'clock, and the last of the sections had not left the square till half-past twelve. Ills Royal Highness, accompanied by three aides .de-camp, came in about half-past one, but did not reach the Hotel de Ville till past two o'clock.
"He was extremely anxious to proceed directly to the Palais without going to the Hotel de Ville at all ; but the lower class of inhabitants, no doubt directed by the city authoi iti es, opposed his progress, and after a quarter of an hour's con test (during which the populace repeatedly seized the bridle of his horse, and insisted on his going to pay homage to the city authorities), he was obliged to submit to their dictation. At the Hotel de Ville he made a speech in a very animated manner, in which he promised to satisfy the reasonable wishes of the Belgians, and announced the formation of a commission to consider their grievances. He then rode off with the cavalry part of the City Guard, and, going too fast, nar- rowly escaped being killed by one of the posts, who thought that he was flying from the city to call in the troops.
" All the Guards were afterwards ir.ssed in review bv him before his Palace. He appeared pale and alarm....d in the midst of the Gardes Bour- geoise." The Commission was to meet on Thursday at nine o'clock.
cc PROCLAMATION OF THE PRINCE OF ORANGE IN THE RING'S NAME.
"Inhabitants of Brussels—I come with confidence among you ; my security is complete, guaranteed as it is by your loyalty. "It is to your prudence that the re-establishment of order is due. I am glad to acknowledge this, and I thank you in the King's name.
"Join with me in securing tranquillity, and no troops will then enter the town; and, in concert with your authorities, I will take the neces- sary measures for restoring calmness and confidence. "A commission—composed of the Duke d'UrseI, President ; Vander Fosse, Governor of the Province; d'Wellins, Burgomaster of Brussels ; Vanderlinden d'Hoogvorst, Commander of the Civic Guard ; General d'Aubrerng; Kockaert, Member of the Regency; the Duke d'Arenberg (who bas agreed, at my wish, to co-operate in this commission)—is charged to propose these measures to me.
"It will meet to-morrow, the 2nd of September, at nine o'clock in the morning, at my Palace.
The death of Earl EzT2wtttlast has been very confidently reported in town. Such an event in so very aged a man could not be looked on as strange. No confirmation of it has, however, been received. There is a letter in town dated Tuesday, which was/ranked by the Earl ; and Lord MILTON was at a meeting at Sheffield on Thursday, at which period he had not received any notice of the reported decease.
Previous page
