536 



NETHERLANDS, THE. 



The biennial elections for members of the 

 Second Chamber took place on June 8th, in 

 accordance with the constitution of the Nether- 

 lands, which provides that this body shall be 

 renewed every alternate year, by the election 

 of one-half of its members. Since the election 

 of 1873 it was equally divided between the 

 Liberals on one side, and Conservatives, Ortho- 

 dox Protestants, and Catholics, on the other. 

 The Orthodox Protestants and Catholics, 

 though differing essentially on religious dog- 

 mas generally, are united in an effort to change 

 the system of primary instruction. The result 

 made the political complexion of the present 

 Chamber as follows : 42 Liberals, 10 Conserva- 

 tives, 12 Anti-Revolutionists, and 16 Ultra- 

 montanes, giving to the Liberals a very small 

 majority over all the other parties combined. 



The new States-General was opened by the 

 King on September 20th. The King, in the 

 speech from the throne, stated that the rela- 

 tions of the Netherlands with foreign powers 

 continued to be very friendly. The condition 

 of the country was prosperous. Bills would 

 be introduced by Government for the defini- 

 tive organization of the monetary system, the 

 modification of the excise duty on sugar and 

 on the import duties, the reform of the system 

 of military training, the energetic prosecution- 

 of the system of national defense, and the ame- 

 lioration of the condition of the forces in the 

 colonies. " The war in Acheen," the King 

 continued, "has not yet had a satisfactory 

 result, but I am confident that the energetic 

 efforts being made will shortly attain the end 

 we have in view." The royal speech alluded, 



in conclusion, to the unfavorable influence 

 upon the colony of Cura?oa of the difficulties 

 arising from the constantly disturbed state of 

 Venezuela, and the King hoped that the pend- 

 ing negotiations for the removal of these diffi- 

 culties would be successful. 



On September 24th the First Chamber passed 

 a vote of censure against the Government. 

 The Dutch Rhine Railroad Company, upon re- 

 ceiving its concession some fifteen years ago, 

 agreed and gave bonds to make connection 

 with the Rotterdam and Amsterdam line. This 

 agreement it succeeded in evading up to the 

 present time, and during the month of Septem- 

 ber it entered into a new agreement with M. 

 Heemskirk, the Minister of the Interior, by 

 which it was relieved from the obligation, and 

 had its bonds returned. The resolution cen- 

 suring the Government for this transaction 

 was passed by a vote of 23 to 12. 



The war with Acheen continued during the 

 year. In the early part of January, the Dutch 

 took nine forts near Longbattah. Their loss 

 was 21 dead and 65 wounded, while the enemy 

 lost 175 killed. Soon after the Rajah of Pedir 

 offered submission to the Dutch. Another fort 

 in the north of Longbattah was taken, subse- 

 quently, without any loss. In March the Dutch 

 took possession of two points to the east of 

 Lenboeng. In the same month the new Rajah 

 of Pasangan acknowledged the sovereignty of 

 the Netherlands, which was also recognized 

 by the port of Ediketzil, where the blockade 

 was consequently raised. In April, Pedawa 

 Besar, on the northeastern coast, recognized 

 the sovereignty of tiie Dutch. In May the 

 Achinese elected a new Sultan. The name 

 of the new ruler is Tockoe David. On Sep- 

 tember 7th a severe fight took place south of 

 Longbattah, in which the Dutch had five killed 

 and five wounded, while the natives lost a con- 

 siderable number. Official dispatches of De- 

 cember 26th and 31st stated that the Govern- 

 ment troops had taken several positions of the 

 Achinese, without suffering any great loss. 

 The results achieved during the year in Suma- 

 tra were very favorable to the Government. 

 Although very few engagements with the 

 natives took place, the Dutch extended their 

 supremacy over the tribes of the coast, and 

 fresh submissions occurred quite frequently. 

 The health of the troops also was considerably 

 improved. While they had suffered much from 

 the cholera during the former years, this dis- 

 ease had pretty much disappeared during the 

 past year. From a communication from the 

 Colonial Minister to the Second Chamber, it ap- 

 peared that the army in Acheen had been in- 

 creased from April, 1874, to April, 1875, from 

 3,914 to 6,010 men. In 1873, 4,389 men were 

 sent to India; in 1874, 1,819 ; and from January 

 to May, 1875, 1,395 men. 



A serious difficulty with Venezuela arose at 

 the end of the year 1874, and remained unset- 

 tled in December, 1875. The President of 

 Venezuela, Jesus M. Blanco, in June, 1875, in- 



