933 



BELGIUM. 



BELGIUM. 



9sn 



able numbers at Antwerp, Ghent, Bruges, and Courtray. The silk 

 manufacture IB of growing importance. Its principal seats are in the 

 provinces of Antwerp and Brabant ; and the finest kinds of silks, 

 satins, and velvets are woven. Brussels lace has always been con- 

 sidered of almost or quite unequalled beauty and value. It is still 

 made in Brussels of the most elegant and costly kind in large 

 quantities, as well as much of a less expensive description. It is 

 also extensively made at Antwerp, Liege, Turnhout, Bruges, Meniu, 

 Ypres, Ghent, &c. Tulle is mostly made at Ghent, Mechlin, and 

 Termonde. In order to maintain the high reputation of the Belgian 

 lace, a lace-school has been established at Mous for instruction in the 

 art of designing and preparing lace-patterns, and in attaining the 

 greatest possible skill in making the fabric. Hosiery is made to a 

 large amount. 



Iron founding and the manufacture of machinery has increased to 

 a very considerable extent. The chief seat of the manufacture is at 

 Liege, near which city a vast establishment was founded in 1816 by 

 Mr. J. Cockerill, an Englishman. This is now one of the largest iron 

 works in the world, and the machinery made in it is said to rival the 

 finest made in England. Machinery is now made also in Brussels, 

 Bruges, Charleroi, and other places. At Liege is a large cannon 

 foundry. The manufacture of fire-arms is likewise carried on to a 

 very great extent : it w said that more fire-arms are made in Liege 

 than in all France. Large quantities of guns and pistols are exported 

 to North and South America. Cutlery is largely manufactured at 

 Liege, Namur, Brussels, Ghent, and some of the other large towns. 

 Nail and tool making employ a great number of hands. Charleroi is 

 the chief seat of the nail manufactures. There are a good many 

 copper foundries. The making of porcelain and glass is carried on to 

 some extent at Namur and Liege. Mathematical and musical instru- 

 ments are made in considerable quantities for exportation. The 

 making of silk hats is a considerable source of employment: straw 

 hate are also made very largely. The printing trade of Brussels 

 and other large towns has grown to be an important branch of the 

 national industry, owing chiefly to the practice of reprinting at a 

 cheap rate pirated editions of new and popular French works. The 

 paper manufacture has also largely increased in consequence. 

 Cabinet-making, coach-building, and other branches of manufacture 

 which call for ingenuity of design as well as mechanical skill are 

 practised with very marked success. At Spa large quantities of fancy 

 articles are manufactured of a kind very similar to the English 

 ' Tunbridge-ware.' 



Among the most important branches of manufacturing industry 

 may be mentioned that of sugar-refining, which is carried on very 

 extensively. The making of beet-root sugar is also prosecuted with 

 much diligence. Brewing and distilling are largely carried on : there 

 are nearly 3000 breweries and above 1000 distilleries at work in the 

 kingdom. Spirits are an important article of export. Soap is made 

 very largely. Oil, both of the ordinary and fancy kinds, and perfumery 

 are made and exported in very considerable quantities. 



The external trade of Belgium for a while suffered greatly from the 

 revolution by which it was separated from the northern provinces of 

 the Netherlands. The kingdom of the Netherlands retained all the 

 colonies which belonged to the united kingdom and monopolised the 

 trade with them. But the opening of the navigation of the Schelde 

 and the great increase of the manufactures of Belgium led to the 

 opening of new markets, and the trade and commerce of the kingdom 

 are again in a prosperous and steadily improving condition. Belgium 

 possesses now about 150 merchant ships, and the ships annually 

 entering her ports are of about 300,000 tons burden. The value of the 

 imports into Belgium hi 1851 was 9,642,360?. ; that of the exports from 

 Belgium in the same year being 10,153,120?. The classes of products 

 imported and exported were, in 1850 as follows : Raw materials, 

 imports 4,009,680?., exports 4,666,400?. ; provisions, &c., imports 

 3,905,480?., exports 1,793,000?. ; manufactured articles, imports 

 1,545,840?. ; exports 4,086,480?. France, England, the Netherlands, 

 Germany, the United States, and Russia are the countries with which 

 the largest commerce is carried on; the value of the imports and 

 exports between Belgium and those countries in 1851 being France, 

 imports 2,261,560?., exports 2,94 4,800?. ; England, imports 1,975,2401, 

 exports 1,534,760?. ; the Netherlands, imports 1,559,800?., exports 

 1,596,1 601.; the German Confederation, imports 918,880?., exports 

 1,556,840?. ; the United States, imports 718,600?., exports 704,640?.; 

 Russia, imports 481,040?., exports 82,240?. A large import trade is 

 also carried on with various states in South America, Cuba, and the 

 West Indian Islands, the total being imports 1,222,640?., exports 

 516,120?. 



The principal articles which Belgium supplies to England are oak- 

 bark, flax, madder, clover-seed, and sheep's wool : in return for which 

 we send various kinds of East India and West India produce, tobacco, 

 and cotton wool, besides British and Irish produce and manufactures, 

 consisting principally of brass and copper manufactures, cotton manu- 

 factures and yarn, hardware, earthenware, salt, woollen and worsted 

 yarn, and woollen manufactures. A great part of the cotton-yarn and 

 cloths and the tobacco which are exported hence to Belgium are not 

 intended fur consumption there, but are smuggled across the French 

 t'nuit.ior by means of dogs trained for the purpose, by being pampered 

 in France and half starved and otherwise ill-used in Belgium. 



About 200 boats are now employed in the sea-fisheries, and the 

 trade appears to be steadily increasing. 



Inhabitants, Religion, Education, cCr.^The inhabitants of the 

 northern provinces of Belgium, comprising about two-thirds of the 

 entire population, are mostly Flemings, ppeaking the Flemish lan- 

 guage ; those of the south-eastern provinces are French, speaking on 

 the western side the Picard and on the eastern the Walloon dialect of 

 the French language. The Belgians are almost entirely Roman 

 Catholics; there being only about 13,000 Protestants and 1000 Jews 

 in the kingdom. The people of all religious persuasions however 

 enjoy the moat perfect freedom in everything connected with the 

 expression of their opinions and the modes of worship which they 

 may adopt. The incomes of the ministers of each denomination of 

 religionists are derived from the public treasury. The Catholics are 

 under the spiritual charge of the Archbishop of Malines and of five 

 bishops, namely, of Bruges, Ghent, Liege, Namur, and Touruay. 

 There are 28 Protestant ministers with government allowances 

 ranging from 16?. to 168?. Convents and religious establishments are 

 numerous. 



Belgium contains government universities at Ghent and Liege, a 

 Roman Catholic University at Louvain, and a Free University at 

 Brussels : in these are classes for theology, medicine, law, moral 

 philosophy, and physical and mathematical sciences. The number of 

 students is somewhat under 1500. Bruges, Brussels, Namur, and 

 Tournay and some other of the larger towns contain a public school 

 (Athe'ne'e), in which the usual branches of a superior education are 

 taught ; there are also nine or ten gymnasia, or schools of a similar 

 but somewhat lower character. Besides these there are numerous 

 elementary schools (e'coles primaires) in the different provinces : in 

 number they are nearly 5700, and they are attended by about 

 450,000 scholars, or nearly one scholar to 10 of the entire popula- 

 tion. "Schools for special instruction are very numerous : among them 

 may be mentioned the celebrated Royal Academy of Fine Arts at 

 Antwerp, which is always attended by a large number of students, 

 and several well attended schools of painting, of design, and of music 

 (conservatoires) ; military and naval schools ; a theological seminary in 

 each diocese, besides several Roman Catholic colleges; industrial and 

 communal schools. 



Charitable institutions of various kinds, hospitals, lunatic asylums, 

 &c. are very numerous. At Hougstraeten is a great pauper colony, 

 and there are besides five large workhouses, or pauper establishments, 

 which serve for the whole kingdom. 



Government, Lawa, Finance. Belgium is called a limited constitu- 

 tional monarchy. The succession is limited to the direct male line, 

 to the perpetual exclusion of females and their descendants. In default 

 of a male heir, the king, with the consent of the legislative chambers, 

 may nominate his successor, and in further default of such nomination 

 the throne is declared vacant. 



The legislative power is vested in the king and two chambers the 

 Senate and House of Representatives. The members of these 

 chambers are elected by citizens paying not less than 42 francs 

 (1?. 13s. 3d.) annually of direct taxes. The members are elected for 

 certain divisions or places, but by one of the articles of the constiia- 

 tion it is expressly declared that the deputies and senators shall 

 consider themselves as representing the whole nation, and not simply 

 the provinces or divisions from which they are sent. The number of 

 deputies is fixed with reference to the amount of population, so that 

 the proportion of one deputy for 40,000 inhabitants must in no case 

 be exceeded. Each representative must be a Belgian by birth or 

 naturalisation, in the full enjoyment of all civil and political rights, 

 of at least 25 years of age, and having his permanent residence within 

 the kingdom. The members of the representative chamber are 

 elected for four years, renewable one half every two years. The king 

 has the power to dissolve the chambers, either simultaneously or 

 separately. The decree or act of dissolution must contain a provision 

 convoking the electors within forty days, and the new chambers in 

 two months. 



The Senate is composed of exactly one-half the number of members 

 in the Chamber of Representatives, and the senators are elected by 

 the same citizens who elect to that chamber. The senators are 

 elected for eight years ; they are renewed one-half every four years ; 

 but in case of dissolution of course the election must comprise the 

 whole number of which the Senate is composed. The qualifications 

 requisite for a senator are, that he must be a Belgian by birth or 

 naturalisation, in full possession of all political and civil rights, domi- 

 ciled within the 'kingdom, at least 40 years of age, and paying in 

 direct taxes at least 84?. sterling. In those provinces where the list 

 of citizens who possess this last-mentioned qualification does not reach 

 the proportion of one in 6000 of the population, that list is enlarged 

 by the admission into it of the names of those citizens who pay the 

 greatest amount of direct taxes, so that the list shall always contain 

 at least one person who is eligible to the Senate for every 6000 

 inhabitants of the province. 



The members of the House of Representatives are paid for their 

 services at the rate of about 16?. monthly during the continuance of 

 the session. The senators do not receive any pay. The presumptive 

 heir to the throne is of right a senator at the age of 18, but he ban not 

 any voice in the proceedings until 25 years of age. All proceedings 



