322 



FOREFATHERS' DAY. 



delphia, Chicago, Charleston, S. C., Minneapolis, 

 Minn., Orange, N. J., and in various other States, 

 are helping to give the day a recognition that 

 may become national. From the formation in 

 1809, of the Boston Congregational Club, the 

 parent of the forty others now in existence from 

 Portland to Tacoma, may be dated the more 

 popular observance of the day, which is now 

 commemorated by churches and organizations of 

 New England origin and of many denominations 

 throughout the United States. The general meth- 

 ods of commemoration do not vary widely from 

 those of 1769, consisting mainly of refreshments 

 and oratory. It is noticeable that the descend- 

 ants of other early immigrants are following the 

 example of the New Englanders. On Oct. 6, 

 1890, the Germans and people of Teutonic ex- 

 traction celebrated in many of the cities of the 

 United States, with music, speeches, banquets, 

 athletic tournaments, torchlight processions, etc., 

 the 207th anniversary of the landing of the first 

 German colony (led by Pastorius, of Germantown, 

 Pa., the " Pennsylvania Pilgrim " of Whittier's 

 poem) on the shores of America. Now that one 

 end of the voyage of the Pilgrims has been ap- 

 propriately marked at Plymouth. Mass., it is pro- 

 posed to erect at Delftshaven, in Holland, a me- 

 morial commemorating the twelve years' stay 

 of the Pilgrims and the hospitality of the Dutch 

 Republic to them. The suggestion, first made in 

 a New York journal, has been followed up by the 

 Hon. Samuel R. Thayer, minister of the United 

 States at the Hague. Having made examination 

 of the historic site at Delftshaven, which is now 

 municipally a part of the city of Rotterdam, he 

 forwarded dispatches and map? to the State De- 

 partment which show the feasibility of the plan. 

 The Dutch Government, besides sending an en- 

 gineer to inspect and report the sites, has ex- 

 pressed its willingness to allow land for the pur- 

 pose whenever the movement assumes proper 

 shape. The Boston Congregational Club, at its 

 meeting on Feb. 24, 1890, passed the following 

 resolutions : 



WTiereas, Remembering the hospitality of the free 

 republic of Holland so generously bestowed upon the 

 Pilgrims, who, after twelve years' residence in Am- 

 sterdam and Ley den, sailed from Delftshaven on a 

 vovage which was completed at Plymouth Rock, it is 

 fitting that we, members of Congregational Clubs 

 throughout the United States, should unite in grateful 

 recognition of Dutch hospitality, and at Delftshaven 

 raise some durable token of our appreciation of both 

 hosts and guests, calling upon all Americans who 

 honor alike the principles and the founders of the two 

 republics to join in the enterprise. Therefore, be it 



Jtesolved, That the club heartily approves of the 

 erection of such a commemorative monument, and 

 that the Rev. William Elliot Griffis, D.D., Mr. Hamil- 

 ton A. Hill, Mr. William O. Grover,* the Rev. Arthur 

 Little, D.D., and Mr. Thomas Westpn, be a commit- 

 tee in behalf of this club to act with full power in 

 conjunction with committees of other Congregational 

 Clubs, and of any other appropriate organizations, to 

 obtain the necessary funds, and to secure the erection 

 of such a memorial. 



The spot proposed to be marked is that where 

 the canal from Leyden through the city of Delft 

 the path of the Pilgrims' inland voyaging 

 enters the river Maas, at Delftshaven, or port of 



* Mr. Grover beinff unable to serve, Mr. Frank Wood was 

 appointed, March 27, in his place. 



FRANCE. 



Delft, where the " Speedwell " lay. At t 

 point of land John Robinson stood, and 

 touching farewells were taken, so that " sund 

 of y e Dutch strangers y* stood on y e key as s 

 tators could not refraine from tears." " 

 spot," says Minister Thayer, who inspected t 

 ground in August, 1889. " is eminently favor; " 

 for a memorial. The river, with a broad sw 

 bends round in such a way to either side of it 

 that it can be seen from a great distance, both to 

 the east and west, while hundreds of vessels of 

 every size and description are constantly passing 

 in going or coming from every part of the globe. 

 I ascertained that all the territory immediately 

 adjoining the harbor was public land belonging 

 to the city of Rotterdam, to which corporation 

 Delftshaven has been annexed. I also perceived 

 that a fine sea-wall of brick and blocks of basalt, 

 was being constructed, and would soon thorough- 

 ly fortify the point in question against the en- 

 croachments of the powerful tides which here 

 prevail, as well as the occasional floods." It is- 

 not proposed to erect so imposing, certainly not 

 so costly, a monument as that at Plymouth, 

 Mass. ; but $25,000 are desired to erect the tower,, 

 or statue of heroic size, and subscriptions have 

 already begun, the first thousand being quickly 

 subscribed in the Boston Club. Most of the 

 Congregational Clubs have taken favorable ac- 

 tion, and some have chosen permanent commit- 

 tees. The Boston Congregational Club consists 

 of 500 ministers and laymen resident in or near 

 Boston. 



FRANCE, a republic in western Europe, pro- 

 claimed on Sept. 4, 1870, when the imperial 

 government of Napoleon III was overthrown. 

 The Constitution, first adopted on June 16, 1875, 

 and partially revised in June, 1879, August, 

 1884, June, 1885, and July, 1889, vests the legis- 

 lative power in two chambers and the executive 

 power in the President of the Republic and the 

 ministers, who are responsible individually or 

 collectively to the Chamber of Deputies. The 

 President is elected for seven years by an abso- 

 lute majority of the Senate and Chamber united 

 in Congress. He has power to make treaties, 

 but can not declare war without obtaining the 

 consent of both legislative houses. All his acts 

 must be countersigned by a minister. The Sen- 

 ate is composed of 300 members elected indi- 

 rectly for nine years. The Chamber of Deputies 

 consists of 584 members, elected for four years- 

 by universal direct suffrage, one in each arron- 

 dissement. IE an arrondissement contains more 

 than 100,000 inhabitants it is divided into two 

 districts. Except financial laws, which must 

 originate in the Chamber, legislation may be 

 initiated by either house. All bills, whether 

 presented by the ministry, by the President 

 through the'ministry, or by individual members, 

 must be first examined and reported by the ap- 

 propriate committee or bureau either of the 

 Senate or of the Chamber. 



The President of the republic is Marie-Fran- 

 cois Sadi Carnot, born in 1837, who was elected 

 after the resignation of Jules Grevy, on Dec. 3, 

 1887. The ministry at the beginning of 1890 

 was composed as follows : President of the Coun- 

 cil and Minister of Commerce, Industry, and 

 the Colonies, P. Tirard ; Minister of Foreign Af- 

 fairs, E. Spuller ; Minister of Finance, M. Rou- 



