Europe after the Congress of Vienna 557 described in an address read at the opening session of the Belgian congress, November 10, 1830. In the name of the Belgian people, the provisional gov- 465. Rea- ernment opens an assembly of the representatives of the P ! 1 * 5 which „, , r 1 i T • led to the ere- nation, ihe nation has confided to these representatives ationofthe the august mission of founding, on the broad and solid kingdom of basis of liberty, the edifice of the new social order which e & lum - will be the beginning and the guarantee of durable happi- ness to Belgium. You know, gentlemen, that at the time of our union with Grievances of Holland a Fundamental Law was presented to an assembly the Bel s ian 1,111 ■ provinces of notables, chosen by the government, not to examine, aga i nst discuss, modify, and finally to accept it and make it the Holland, condition of a compact between the people and the head of the state, but either to submit to it unconditionally, or to reject it altogether. It was rejected, as might have been expected from the good sense and integrity of the Bel- gians ; but by an unparalleled subterfuge it was neverthe- less declared to be accepted, and thus it came about that our country was oppressed by a constitution imposed by Holland. If this Fundamental Law had at least been properly executed in all its provisions, in time, perhaps, and with the aid of the progress which the arbitrary conduct of the ministers compelled us daily to make in the career of con- stitutional opposition, it might have become the hope of Belgian liberty. But far from this being the case, freedom of conscience was violated, education fettered, the press condemned to be nothing more than an instrument of the government or forced into silence . . . and the right of petition was disregarded. The despotic imposition of a privileged lan- guage, . . . and an enormous debt and expenditure, were the only portion which Holland brought to us at the time of our deplorable union. Add to these grievances taxes, overwhelming by their amount and still more by the manner in which they were apportioned, laws always voted by the
