The States-General of Holland met for the despatch of busi-
• ness, according to a fundamental law of the kingdom, on Monday Int. The King, as usual, opened the session with a speech. The Times well remarks, that, with all his procrastinating ingenuity, his.Majesty seems to have been exceedingly puzzled what to say upon the occasion: He, however, assures the " noble and mighty Lords," that he has done all in his power to bring the negotiation . on the Belgian question to a conclusion, but " that the spirit of concession and desire of terminating the controversy on his side were met with new, difficulties," and he holds out no imme- diate prospect of a final arrngement. He assures the Deputies, that the country is in a very prosperous condition., and that his subjects bear the heavy burdens imposed upon them with cheer- fulneis. A desirable tranquillity, he moreover asserts, prevails in the East India COlonies, " where the spirit of the inhabitants has been most favourably manifested." This last assertion is probably as correct as most of the others, which are dealt out so liberally in the speech, respecting the prosperity of the Dutch dominions; but; as far as regards the important colony of Sumatra; it is la- mentably untrue. It is Well known, that for some time past the natives have been in open hostility to the Dutch; and on the same day that a copy of the King's speech was received in Lon- de'', news also arrived, that a considerable body of Dutch troops had been massacred in the interior of the island; and that Ole. greatest alarm eiiited also in Batavia, where the authorities were making great preparations to resist an expected attack of the na- tives.
There is a Prince SCHWARTEENBERG at present at the Hague, who is in close communisation with the Dutch Cabinet. No one seems to know exactly what his business is. It is assejle_d.hy some, that he is the bearer of assurances from the Q"Oriental Despots that they will assist King WILLIAM in his designS Upon %kiwi by others; that his- mission Mates solely te-lhoguestion of Luxembourg, and the affairs of the German Diet ; lastly, that he is commissioned to bring over the King to a right understand- ing of his position, and to satisfy him that he has nothing to ex- pect from foreign aid. %Thia last supposition is probably correct; for Prussia and Austria have determined to recognize King LEO- POLD as sovereign of Belgium, in the most formal manner,— Prussia having despatched Count ARNHEIM, and Austria Count DIETRICHSTEN, as their accredited Ministers to. the. Court of Brussels.
