the period for decision on the merits of that convention had not yet arrived.  It assigned, as the reason of the convention, the preservation of the peace of Europe.  How did they know the peace of Europe would be preserved?  He hoped to God it might, but, under the present circumstances, it was utterly impossible to affirm that it would.  He wished not to enter upon that question; he wished not to say a word upon the conduct of this country with respect to Belgium.  On the contrary, he, and those who acted with him, had carefully, upon all occasions, abstained from provoking debate on the question of Belgium.  He had strong feelings upon the subject, but he had been unwilling to enter into a premature discussion.  These negotiations were drawing to their close, and whether they would end for good or evil the march of time would soon disclose.  Holland had been told that by July 20 she must concur in the treaty, or force would be employed to compel her assent; and with such a declaration was it decent or wise to call upon the Parliament to ratify the convention now before the House?  He had no doubt as to what the conduct of Russia would be; he had no doubt that she would keep her engagements to England respecting Belgium:  but why should they be called upon to sanction the new convention until the negotiations now pending, as to the future relations between Holland and Belgium, were brought to a close.  There were rumours that a French and English fleet were to be united for the purpose of constraining Holland to submit to the treaty.  He trusted such was not the case; but, if it were, it was most unfair, in such a state of affairs, to compel a decision by the House of Commons as to the policy of a new pecuniary engagement to Russia.  With respect to the alleged conduct of Russia to Poland, he was glad to find that all agreed in thinking that that subject had no connexion with the present.  He had heard some statements in the House respecting the conduct of Russia to the Poles, and he believed many of them to be unfounded in fact.  It had been stated that thousands of children had been torn from their parents, and banished into Siberia; he had expressed his disbelief of that assertion, and he had since been informed, on good authority, that those children were orphans—­made orphans, he regretted to say, by the calamities of war—­and that they had been placed in Russian schools, not for the purpose of separating them from their parents, for they had none, but for the purpose of providing for them in their helplessness, and giving them education.  So viewed, that which, under another aspect, appeared an act of gross cruelty, might be a humane proceeding.  He was thankful to the House for the attention with which it had heard him, at so late an hour, and concluded by entreating the Government not to drive the House to a division.  If it obtained another small majority, that majority would not convince the country that the conduct of Ministers had been justifiable.