554 



NETHERLANDS, THE. 



The aggregate length of railroads in opera- 

 tion on January 1, 1880, was 1,930 kilometres, 

 of which 914 were state railroads. 



The aggregate length of the state telegraph 

 lines on January 1, 1880, was 3,761 kilometres; 

 aggregate length of wires, 13,654 kilometres; 

 number of offices, 346 ; number of telegrams 

 carried in 1879, 2,704,794; revenue, 922,883 

 florins; ordinary expenditures, 1,287,635 flor- 

 ins; extraordinary expenditure, 123,128 flor- 

 ins. 



The number of post-offices in 1879 was 1,290 ; 

 the number of inland letters was 42,039,163; 

 of foreign letters, 12,693,123; of postal-cards, 

 14,202,277; of newspapers, etc., 34,858,810. 

 The revenue of the department amounted to 

 3,863,381 florins; the expenditure to 2,763,425 

 florins. 



The colonies of the Netherlands are consid- 

 erably larger and more populous than the 

 mother-country itself. In the East Indies, 

 Java and Madura have an area of 131,733 kil- 

 ometres, and a population of 18,807,320. The 

 aggregate area of the other colonies amounts 

 to 1,700,000 kilometres; their native popula- 

 tion is not accurately known, but estimated at 

 about 7,800,000. The foreign population was 

 as follows: 



Europeans, civilians 36,360 



Europeans, army 17,730 



Members of their households 919 



Chinese 824,943 



Arabs 14,013 



Hindoos 11,366 



In America, Surinam or Dutch Guiana had, in 

 1878, an area of 119,321 square kilometres, with 

 a population of 68,405 inhabitants; the colony 

 of Curacoa, in the "West Indies, 1,130 square 

 kilometres, with 42,506 inhabitants. 



The budget estimates of the Dutch colonies 

 for the year 1880 were as follows (in florins) : 



The revenues of the East Indian colonies in 

 1877 were as follows : Imports, 153,705 florins ; 

 exports, 220,509 florins. The movement of 

 shipping in the East Indian ports was as fol- 

 lows: Entered, 7,858 vessels, of 1,816,121 tons; 

 cleared, 8,046 vessels, of 1,734,161 tons. The 

 commercial navy consisted of 1,430 vessels, of 

 122,883 tons. 



A new session of the States-General was 

 opened September 20th. His Majesty, in the 

 speech from the throne, stated that the trade 

 and industry of the kingdom showed a certain 

 improvement. Agriculture was in a flourish- 

 ing condition, the harvest generally was very 

 satisfactory, and the pneumonia that had been 

 prevalent among the cattle had nearly disap- 

 peared. The revenue from taxation was pro- 

 gressively augmenting, but increased resources 

 were nevertheless necessary to effect a finan- 

 cial equilibrium. The King announced the pres- 



entation of bills relative to the constitution of 

 the militia and Communal Guards, with a view 

 to the completion of the system of national de- 

 fense, and also a bill for improving the canals. 

 Adverting to colonial affairs, his Majesty said 

 that, although armed resistance had not yet 

 been entirely subdued in Acheen, Dutch au- 

 thority was so fur established there that the 

 Government could now prepare the organiza- 

 tion and regular administration of the colony 

 The general condition of the Dutch East Indie 

 could be described as satisfactory, were it nc 

 for the sickness among the population and 

 disease affecting the cattle. 



M. Dullert was reflected President of tin 

 Second Chamber. The First Chamber vot 

 the address in reply to the speech from th( 

 throne, in which was inserted a clause pointii 

 out that the present condition of the financ 

 made a reduction of expenditure necessary. 

 During the discussion of the address in tl 

 Second Chamber motions to insert a paragrapl 

 recommending a revision of the electoral laws 

 were rejected by fifty-one votes to sixteen. 

 An animated debate took place on the para 

 graph of the address relative to the East Ind- 

 ian colonies, in the course of which the views 

 held by the Government respecting affairs ir 

 Acheen were criticised as optimistic. The Min- 

 ister of the Colonies replied to the criticisms 

 and maintained that the condition of the set 

 tlements in question was in all respects fa- 

 vorable. The address was adopted, Septem- 

 ber 29th. The Dutch-Indian budget for 188] 

 was presented, September 23d, to the Secom 

 Chamber. Both the revenue and the expendi 

 ture were estimated in round numbers at 144,- 

 000,000 gulden. An actual deficit was re- 

 ported of about one third of a million, against 

 one of three millions in 1879-'80, thus showii 

 a considerable improvement in the finances 

 the colony. The expenditure in most of tl 

 departments was increased, but as a set-off 

 diminution of rather more than three millions 

 in the war charges was calculated upon. Th( 

 estimates were unanimously voted by th< 

 Chamber in November, after rejecting a pro- 

 posal by the Minister to fix, by law, the pro- 

 portion of the expenses of the East Indiar 

 colonies which the Netherlands should pay. 

 They were afterward approved by the First 

 Chamber. 



The home budget for 1881 was introduced, 

 October 2d, by the Minister of Finance. The 

 expenditure was estimated at 126,333,000 gul- 

 den, and the revenue at 105,000,000 gulden, 

 thus showing a deficit of about 21,000,000. 

 The Minister proposed to meet this deficit for 

 the time being by the iesue of Treasury bills, 

 and ultimately by a fresh loan of sufficient 

 amount to include the outlay necessary for 

 the improvement of canals. The Government, 

 at the same time, deemed it requisite to pro- 

 vide for a permanent increase of revenue by 

 the imposition of a tax on rentes. 



A new penal code was proposed in October, 



