BELGIUM. 



71 





places in June, bat at the same time proposed 

 the postponement of the debate. 



The elections for provincial councils, held 

 on May 22d, resulted in favor of the Liberal 

 party in Antwerp, Li6ge, Tournay, and Ghent, 

 while the Catholic party was successful in 

 Nainiir, Bruges, and Louvain. The elections 

 tor the House of Representatives took place 

 on June 13th. The Liberals had hoped to obtain 

 a majority in the new House, but were disap- 

 pointed in this, the political situation remain- 

 ing virtually unchanged. At Brussels and Lige 

 the Liberals carried the day without a contest. 

 At Ostend, Philippeville, and Arlon, they de- 

 feated their opponents ; and at Malines, Turn- 

 hout, Louvain, Court rui, Dixmude, Roulers, 

 Thielt, Dinant, and Bastogne, they were beat- 

 en. The Catholics, in spite of opposition, 



maintained their positions at Bruges where, 

 however, they had only a majority of eight 

 at Fumes, Namur, Marchin, Neufchateau, Vir- 

 ton, and Antwerp. The Catholic party gained 

 a seat at Ypres by the defeat of M. Alphonse 

 Vandenpeereboom, a Liberal, and formerly 

 Minister of the Interior. On the other hand, 

 it lost two seats at Nivelles, where its candi- 

 dates were replaced by Liberals who were re- 

 turned by a large majority. The Catholic 

 ministry had a majority of fourteen in the pre- 

 vious Chamber. The Liberals having gained 

 two seats at Nivelles and lost one at Ypres, 

 the Catholic loss was reduced to one seat, or a 

 displacement of two votes, still leaving the 

 Catholics a majority of twelve. Great excite- 

 ment prevailed in many of the larger towns on 

 election-day. In Antwerp the people thronged 



BOUILLON, BELGIUM. 



the streets singing and hooting; blows with 

 walking-sticks were exchanged, and some win- 

 dows broken. The same scenes took place at 

 Brussels, but on a smaller scale. Later in the 

 evening the disturbances became more serious. 

 A house was demolished, and more than fifty 

 shots were fired by the troops of the line. At 

 Ghent a monster demonstration was made in 

 front of the Catholic Club, and the windows 

 were broken by the mob. The disturbances 

 continued for several days. Crowds con- 

 tinued to hoot and hiss in front of Catho- 

 lic institutes, so that the authorities were 

 forced to protect them by the civic guards. 

 In Brussels the rioters, to the number of many 

 thousanda, marched through the streets shout- 

 Ing, " Down with the ministry ! " and attacked 

 and wrecked a Catholic institution. The police 

 charged upon the mob, wounding several and 

 arresting a large number. One result of the 

 electoral defeat of the Liberals is, that Ant- 

 werp has taken the initiative of an agitation 

 which is to be extended to all the large towns. 

 This agitation is to be for the purpose of ob- 



taining a change in the existing electoral law. 

 The vote is now given by arrondissement, and 

 the consequence is, that in four large towns 

 Ghent, Antwerp, Bruges, and Namur where 

 the great majority of the electors are Liberals, 

 they are swamped by the rural electors, who 

 are completely under the sway of the Catholic 

 clergy. The reform proposed by the Liberals 

 would completely do away with this state of 

 affairs, and would secure to the large cities a 

 Liberal representation. 



On February 13th the Catholic party arranged 

 a large demonstration in Malines for the pur- 

 pose of celebrating the election of a city coun- 

 cil, and to offset similar demonstrations ar- 

 ranged by the Liberals in Antwerp and Ghent. 

 The Catholic associations in the kingdom had 

 generally been invited, and numerous delega- 

 tions, with many of the prominent leaders of 

 the party, took part in the festivities. The 

 meeting was followed by a banquet, at which 

 the first toast was the Pope, and the second 

 the King. Upon the departure of the guests, 

 disturbances occurred at the depot, which 



