NEBRASKA. 



NETHERLANDS. 



527 



Regulating the management of public schools in 

 metropolitan cities. 



Providing for a census of all ex-soldiers, sailors, and 

 marines residing in the State. 



Providing for the sale of all unsold lands belonging 

 to the State lying in the city of Lincoln. 



Extending for ten years from October, 1889, the 

 lease of the State Penitentiary and of the convict 

 labor therein. 



Granting telegraph and telephone companies the 

 right of way along public highways, and providing a 

 penalty for interference with the same. 



To accept the provisions of an act of Congress es- 

 tablishing agricultural experiment stations in the va- 

 rious States. 



Abolishing arrest and imprisonment in civil actions 

 for debt. 



Exempting from attachment, and levy or sale on 

 execution all pension-money and all property pur- 

 chased or improved exclusively therewith. 



Punishing provocation to assault. 



To define and punish the crime of larceny from the 

 person. 



Raising the age of consent in females to fifteen years. 



To prevent the employment of children under 

 twelve years in workshops, factories, shops, or mines 

 more than four months in each year. 



To suppress the circulation^ advertising, and vend- 

 ing of obscene and immoral literature and. articles of 

 indecent and immoral use, and to confiscate such 

 property. 



. To prohibit grain-dealers, persons, or corporations 

 of any kind, from combining or entering into any 

 agreement to pool or fix the price to be paid for grain, 

 hogs, cattle, or stock of any kind. 



To transfer $125,500 from the University fund to 

 the State General fund, and $86.202.62 from the In- 

 sane Hospital fund to the General fund. 



Valuation. The total assessed valuation of 

 the State for the year aggregated $160,506,- 

 266.25, as against $143,932,570.51 for 1886. 

 The value of improved land was $37,271,438 ; 

 of unimproved land, $29,190,115. The assess- 

 ment also includes 437,450 horses valued at 

 $9,185,101 ; 1,326,105 cattle valued at $8,739,- 

 049, and 1,199,242 hogs valued at $1,351,408. 



Railroads. A total of 3,830 miles of railroad 

 was assessed this year at $23,558,162.25. The 

 assessment for 1886 was upon 2,984 miles val- 

 ued at $19,458,133.86. The year has been one 

 of unusual activity in railroad construction, 

 1,101 miles having been completed upon seven- 

 teen different lines. Only one State, Kansas, 

 with 2,070 miles constructed, exceeds this. 



A decision of importance under the railroad 

 law, passed this year, was rendered by the 

 State Supreme Court in November. The act 

 provides, among other things, that all the 

 charges made for service rendered, or to be 

 rendered, by any railway company in the State, 

 in the transportation of passengers or property, 

 shall be reasonable and just, and gives to the 

 State Board of Transportation power to en- 

 force the act. The court decided that the 

 Board of Transportation had authority to de- 

 termine, in the first instance, what are just and 

 reasonable charges for the services rendered, 

 or to be rendered, and that the .power to de- 

 cide what is a just rate and charge carried with 

 it the power to fix and establish such rate and 

 charge, although such power was not expressly 

 given by the statute. 



Education. The total number of school chil- 

 dren reported for the year was 279,982, against 

 252,006 for 1886 and 233,060 for 1885. The 

 semi-annual apportionment of income from the 

 State school fund made in December gives to 

 each pupil an average of $1.19. This income 

 is derived as follows : 



Interest on United States bonds $.300 00 



Interest on State bonds 18,050 9 



State tax 98,009 78 



Interest on county bonds 28,620 20 



Interest on district bonds 60 00 



Lease school-lands 64,867 28 



Private securities 2,612 00 



Total amount $334,480 83 



State Institutions. The number of convicts at 

 the State Prison on the first day of December 

 was 334, an increase of six since the previous 

 December. The Insane Hospital at the same 

 date contained 399 inmates, of whom 216 were 

 males and 183 females. In the State Industrial 

 School there were 153 boys and 38 girls, a 

 total of 191. Since the establishment of this 

 school there have been confined 238 boys and 

 61 girls, or 299 in all. 



Political. An election was held in November 

 to choose a justice of the Supreme Court and 

 two regents of the State University. Chief- 

 Justice Maxwell was renominated by the Re- 

 publicans. The vote for justice was: Max- 

 well, 86,725 ; O'Day (Democrat), 56,548 ; Ed- 

 gerton (Labor), 2,635 ; Abbott (Prohibition), 

 7,359. B. B. Davis and George Roberts (Re- 

 publicans) were elected regents. 



NETHERLANDS, a kingdom in western Eu- 

 rope. According to the Constitution confirmed 

 by royal decree on October 14, and proclaimed 

 on November 3, 1848, the king exercises the 

 legislative power conjointly with the two 

 houses of the States-General. The 39 mem- 

 bers of the upper house are elected by the 

 provincial assemblies from the highest tax- 

 payers. The 86 members of the second 

 chamber are chosen by the votes of all Nether- 

 landers of full age who are domiciled and pay 

 a certain amount of direct taxes. The second 

 chamber alone has the initiative of legislation. 



The reigning King is Willem III, born Feb. 

 19, 1817, who succeeded his father, Willem II, 

 March 17, 1849. The King presides at the 

 meetings of the Cabinet. 



The Council of Ministers is composed of the 

 following heads of departments: Minister of 

 Foreign Affairs, A. P. G. van Karnebeek ; 

 Minister of the Interior, J. Heemskerk Az ; 

 Minister of Justice, Baron M. W. du Tour van 

 Bellinchave ; Minister of Finance, J. C. Bloem ; 

 Minister of the Colonies, J. P. Sprenger van 

 Eyk ; Minister of the Waterstaat, Commerce, 

 and Industry, J. N. Brastert, appointed in 

 1887; Minister of War, Maj.-Gen. A. W. P. 

 Weitzel; Minister of Marine, F. C. Tromp. 



Area and Population. The kingdom has an 

 area of 33,000 square kilometres, and a popu- 

 lation which, on Dec. 31, 1886, was computed 

 at 4,390,857, being 133 to the square kilometre, 

 of which 2,174,001 were males and 2,216,856 



