24 MARCH 1838, Page 2

The continued payment of the interest on the Belgian as

well as their own share of the debt which remains as a memorial of the late "kingdom of the Netherlands," has at length become intole- rable to the Dutch; and it is believed, though not officially an- nounced, that the King of Holland has accepted the twents-four articles laid down in 1831, at the conference of London, as the basis of the separation of Belgium from Holland, and that there will be no difficulty in effecting the arrangement with the former power. It was time that the Dutch King should come to his senses, when the credit of his government, hitherto so well sup-

ported in the London money-market, began to waver. The Bet, gian Ministers intend to offer another loan of a hundred millions of francs to the English capitalists. The Belgian share of the Dutch debt is twenty-four millions sterling. The settlement of the Belgian quarrel comes rather inopper. tunely for the Tories, on the eve of Lord ELIOT s motion (another sham battle, not to try the strength of parties) on the foreign policy of the Whigs : but it may be said, that when Lord pm,. MERSTON does nothing, he succeeds better than when active,a5in Spanish affairs.