566 



NETHERLANDS. 



According to their birth places, 3,515,360 

 were born in Holland, 4,892 in the Nether- 

 landish colonies, 33,766 in Germany, 19,147 in 

 Belgium, 1,007 in England, 5,156 in other 

 countries ; of 201 the birthplace was unknown. 



The treaty for the cession to Great Britain 

 of the Dutch possessions on the Guinea Coast * 

 met witli violent opposition in Holland, and 

 was by many stigmatized as dishonorable. 

 Gradually, however, the excitement subsided, 

 and the treaty was adopted by both Houses. 

 In reply to Mr. Heemskirk, who questioned 

 the Government as to whether there was any 

 intention of using force, in case the Elminois 

 refused to recognize the English protectorate, 

 the Minister for Foreign Affairs, on March 9th, 

 replied that the Government desired the con- 

 secutive execution of the treaty, and not wish 

 to use forcible means, any more than England. 

 After a long debate, the Government declared 

 that it would at a convenient time present a 

 report on the execution of the treaty. 



The Second Chamber, on March 9th, by 37 

 votes against 34, adopted a bill rescinding the 

 prohibition against working-men's coalitions, 

 but inflicting penalties upon any attempt to 

 prevent men from accepting work. The de- 

 bate on the bill lasted four days, in the course 

 of which several deputies sought to demon- 

 strate the dangers of coalitions, and their per- 

 nicious effects in other countries, especially in 

 France. 



On April 1st the tercentenary anniversary 

 of the beginning of the war of independence 

 against Spanish rule was celebrated throughout 

 Holland with great enthusiasm. The greatest 

 festivities took place in the little town of Brielle, 

 the capture of which, on April 1, 1572, by the 

 patriots, gave the signal to a general insurrec- 

 tion. The King, with the entire court, was 

 present, and laid the foundation of a monu- 

 ment which is to commemorate that event. 

 At various points, the celebration of indepen- 

 dence was attended with disorders and breaches 

 of the peace. The most considerable disturb- 

 ances occurred at Oosterhout, in North Bra- 

 bant, where a mob collected, broke the win- 

 dows of houses, and committed other outrages. 

 The demonstrations became so threatening that 

 the town authorities found it necessary to call 

 upon the military to suppress the riot. Upon 

 the appearance of the troops the mob dis- 



* See ANNUAL CYCLOPEDIA for 1871. 



persed, but several persons had previously 

 been seriously injured. The cause of the out- 

 break was supposed to be dissatisfaction with 

 the ministry. 



In April the Minister of Finance, Blusse", 

 brought in a bill introducing an income-tax 

 similar to the one which exists in England. 

 Although several chambers of commerce and 

 several electoral colleges declared their agree- 

 ment with the ministerial measure, aiid fully 

 recognized its appropriateness, the privileged 

 classes of renters and of the large estate-owners 

 organized a violent resistance to the bill, and 

 when, after a ten days' debate, the vote was 

 taken on an amendment favorable to the object, 

 it was lost by a small majority. The entire 

 ministry, consequently, offered its resignation, 

 but, at the special request of the King, they 

 consented to close the current public business 

 (among which was the war budget) by the 1st 

 of July. The president of the ministry, Thor- 

 becke, died before the new ministry was 

 formed, on June 4th. 



On July 5th the new cabinet, with the for- 

 mation of which M. De Vries had been charged, 

 entered upon office. It was composed as fol- 

 lows : Dr. J. G. De Vries, Minister President and 

 Minister of Justice ; Dr. J. Geertsema, Minis- 

 ter of the Interior; Dr. J. D. Fransen van de 

 Putte, Minister of the Colonies; L. G. Broex, 

 Minister of the Navy; Major-General Count 

 de Limburg-Stirum, Minister of War; Dr. J. 

 L. H. A. Baron Gericke de Kerwgnen, Min- 

 ister of Foreign Affairs ; Dr. A. van Delden, 

 Minister of Finance. 



Soon after the formation of the new minis- 

 try, the Chambers adjourned to September 

 15th. At the beginning of September the 

 Congress of the International Society was held 

 in the Hague, and the Government deemed it 

 the best policy not to prohibit the meeting. 

 It was on that account violently attacked by 

 the Conservative party, but public opinion 

 throughout Europe emphatically approved this 

 course of action. The Chamber approved the 

 budgets of the several ministers without seri- 

 ous opposition, and the Colonial Minister suc- 

 ceeded in carrying through a radical modifica- 

 tion of the import tariff for the East India 

 Colonies. A bill introduced by the Minister 

 of the Interior, which provided that no child 

 be admitted into school without being vac- 

 cinated, called forth a very large number of 

 protests, which designated such precautionary 



