NETHERLANDS, THE. 



5*3 



By the present law, tho number of deputies 

 (now eighty) sitting in the Second Chamber is 

 increased in proportion to the increase in the 

 population, at the rate of one member tor every 

 45,000 inhabitants. It is, therefore, ordered 

 that the lists bo revised every five years. This 

 revision is the occasion of partisan jealousy, 

 which became so strong in 1874, when it should 

 have taken place, that the bill to provide for a 

 revision and a redistribution of the districts 

 was never brought forward for debate. As the 

 ordinary elections to replace the retiring half 

 of the Second Chamber were to be held in 

 1877, and as since 1869 the population had in- 

 creased to such an extent that four or five new 

 deputies will have to be elected, the question 

 pressed for settlement. Herr Heemskerk, there- 

 fore, withdrew his bill for the revision of the 

 lists, and replaced it with a proposal to modify 

 the electoral law of 1850 itself. 



Great importance was attached to the an- 

 nouncement, in the speech from the throne at 

 the opening of the Chambers, that a bill on 

 elementary education would be introduced by 

 the Government. The 

 subject of education oc- 

 cupies a very prominent 

 place among the politi- 

 cal and social questions 

 before the country. The 

 present educational law 

 was enacted in 1857, 

 and is in effect a com- 

 promise among political 

 parties. It is based up- 

 on a clause of the funda- 

 mental law which pre- 

 scribes 1. The legal or- 

 ganization of public in- 

 struction in such man- 

 ner as to respect the 

 religious ideas of all par- 

 ties ; 2. Freedom of in- 

 struction, saving inspec- 

 tion on the part of the 

 authorities and exami- 

 nation into the capa- 

 bilities and morality of 

 the teachers. The law 



of 1857, therefore, recognized the establish- 

 ment of public primary schools, at which in- 

 struction offending no religious views is given. 

 The communes defray the expenses alone, or 

 with assistance, if they need it, from the prov- 

 ince and the state ; private schools may also 

 receive pecuniary aid so long as they are acces- 

 sible to children of all denominations. The 

 first draft of the law contained no religious al- 

 lusion whatever, but, at the suggestion of the 

 Orthodox party, a paragraph was inserted de- 

 fining the object of instruction to be the edu- 

 cation and development of children and the 

 inculcation of all Christian and social virtues, 

 but forbidding the teaching in the schools of any- 

 thing contrary to the respect due to the views 

 of others. The orthodox Protestants now com- 



plain of the working of the law, that the words 

 " Christian virtues " have become void of mean- 

 ing; and they, with the Koman Catholics, have 

 juincil to seek a modification of the law, corn- 

 pulling the state to make grants for their denom- 

 inational schools. The Liberal party seek to 

 pass a bill maintaining the basis but enlarging 

 and strengthening the provisions of the present 

 law. The Government purposes the passage of 

 a measure which shall conciliate all parties. 



The question of religious instruction entered 

 largely into the discussions on the bill for the 

 establishment of a oew university at Amster- 

 dam, which passed the Second Chamber April 

 8th, by a large majority. The debate had con- 

 tinued twenty-three days, during which time 

 seven hundred speeches were made. The Gov- 

 ernment sought to have the provision for a 

 theological faculty struck out, and expected 

 in this to be supported by the Clericals and a 

 majority of the Liberals ; but only the extreme 

 party voted with them. The clause providing 

 for the theological faculty was indeed once 

 struck out, but was immediately inserted again 



QUAY OP THE QBAIN-MARKET, WITH ST. BAVON'8 CHURCH, HAARLEM. 



in another shape. According to this bill, any 

 one may impart higher instruction without be- 

 ing subject to supervision by the state, which 

 reserves only the jus promovendi. The attempt 

 was made while the bill was in the Chamber to 

 subject private instruction to the supervision 

 of the state, but Heer Heemskerk threatened 

 to withdraw the bill if higher instruction was 

 not left perfectly free. 



On the 1st of November the great ship- 

 canal connecting Amsterdam directly with the 

 North Sea was opened by the King in person. 

 Heretofore the only route from the sea to Am- 

 sterdam for vessels of more than five feet 

 draft was the North Holland Canal, connect- 

 ing Amsterdam with the Helder, or Nieuwe- 

 diep. It was constructed in the reign of 



