NI'r.KASKA. 



NETHERLANDS. 



505 



intelligent regard for the interests of the public. 

 Thr defendant^ IJenton, LOOM-, and Hill wore 

 discharged on the ground that tho Legislature 



liad no legal authority to impeach ex-ollieials. 



Maximum Freight Kates. Hy tho tonns of 

 tin- Newhorry law, emu-tod this your, its j>n>- 

 visions were to take effect on Aug. 1. On July 

 28. the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy road 

 filod a bill in tho I-Yderal court at Omaha 

 gainst the State Board of Transportation, ask- 

 ing t liat tho latter be restrained from putting the 

 r.-ilcs into effect, on the ground that the law was 

 unconstitutional. On the following day certain 

 stockholders of the Chicago and Northwestern, 

 the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy, the Union 

 Pacific, and the Missouri Pacific companies be- 

 gan suits against the State board and the re- 

 spective officials of these roads, asking for a 

 similar injunction. Other railroads affected by 

 the law brought similar suits. Answers were 

 filed by the defendants in these suits on or be- 

 fore Sept. 4, and testimony was taken in October 

 and November. No decision had been reached 

 at the close of the year, and the temporary in- 

 junctions issued upon the filing of the respective 

 bills, restraining the enforcement of the law, 

 had not been modified up to that time. 



The State Depository Law. Late in Janu- 

 ary announcement was made of the failure of 

 the Capital National Bank of Lincoln, one of 

 the most important banking institutions of the 

 State. This news was soon followed by other 

 developments showing that very little, if any- 

 thing, would be saved from the wreck, on ac- 

 count of the financial irregularities of some of the 

 bank officials. The institution had been desig- 

 nated, in accordance with the act of 1891, as a 

 depository for State funds, its bond to the State 

 having been approved by the Governor, Attor- 

 ney-General, and Secretary of State ; and at the 

 time of the failure it contained deposits of State 

 funds amounting to about $236,000. Only a 

 few days before the failure the retiring State 

 Treasurer, J. E. Hill, had turned over to his suc- 

 cessor the funds in his hands, including certifi- 

 cates of deposit on this institution amounting to 

 $286,364.60. As it was during the term of 

 Treasurer Hill that the depository law had been 

 passed and the deposits made, a movement was 

 begun to recover from him and his bondsmen 

 the amount of the loss suffered by the State. A 

 suit on his bond was brought by the State in the 

 district court of Douglas County, where some of 

 the defendants resided. The ex-Treasurer filed 

 objections to the jurisdiction, and his objections 

 were sustained. In another case, decided by the 

 same court on the same day, a view of the law was 

 taken which would seem to relieve the ex-Treas- 

 urer and his bondsmen from liability. This was 

 the case of Hopkins ra. Scott, wherein it was de- 

 cided that the State depository law of 1891 was 

 constitutional and valid. 



In May the president of the defunct bank. C. 

 W. Mosher, was indicted in the Federal court at 

 Omaha for official irregularities and was con- 

 victed and sentenced to imprisonment. 



Political. A justice of the Supreme Court 

 and 3 regents oif the State University were 

 chosen by popular election this year. The first 

 nominating State convention was held by the 

 Prohibitionists, at Lincoln, on Aug. 23, and re- 



sulted in the selection of Mrs. Ada M. Bitten- 

 lioiulor for the judicial oflieer. and of A. K. 

 kicker, Mrs. C. II. Walker, and J. P. lieald for 

 regentei 



On Sept. 5 the Populist State Convention met 

 at Lincoln, and nominated Silas A. Holcomb for 

 justice and E. L. Heath, A. A. Monroe, and C. 

 L. Brainard for regents. 



The Democratic State Convention, held at 

 Lincoln on Oct. 4. nominated Frank Irvine for 

 justice, and M. M. Doolittle, J. M. Pyle, and 

 Charles A. Kloman for regents. 



On Oct. 5 the Republicans met in State con- 

 vention at Lincoln, and nominated Thomas O. C. 

 Harrison for justice, and H. D. Estabrook, C. D. 

 Weston, and C. W. Kaley for regents. In the 

 election the Republican ticket was successful. 

 For justice of the Supreme Court, Harrison re- 

 ceived 72,632 votes; Holcomb, 65,666; Irvine, 

 37,545 ; and Bittenbender, 6,357. 



NETHERLANDS, a constitutional monarchy 

 in western Europe. The legislative power is 

 vested in the States General, consisting of 2 

 Houses. The First Chamber is composed of 50 

 members elected for nine years by the provincial 

 states from among the highest taxpayers or high 

 public functionaries in office or retired. The 

 Second Chamber has 100 members, who are elect- 

 ed for four years by direct popular suffrage. The 

 number of electors under the Constitution of 

 Nov. 30, 1887, is about 250.000, or 1 in 15 of the 

 population. The sovereign has power to dissolve 

 either or both of the chambers, and in case of a 

 dissolution is bound to order new elections within 

 forty days and call a session within sixty days. 

 All legislation must be initiated in the Second 

 Chamber. The throne is hereditary in the male 

 line in the house of Orange- Nassau in the order 

 of primogeniture, but is transmissible to female 

 heirs on the extinction of the male stem. This 

 contingency occurred on the death, Nov. 23. 1890, 

 of King Willem III, who was succeeded by his 

 infant daughter, Willernina, born Aug. 31, 1880, 

 whose mother. Queen Emma, born Aug. 2, 1858, 

 was appointed Regent. The ministry, consti- 

 tuted Aug. 20, 1891, is composed as follows : 

 President of the Council and Minister of Foreign 

 Affairs, G. van Tienhoven ; Minister of the Inte- 

 rior, J. P. Tak van Portvliet ; Minister of Fi- 

 nance, N. G. Pierson ; Minister of Justice, H. J. 

 Smidt ; Minister of the Colonies, Baron van De- 

 dem ; Minister of Marine, J. C. Jansen ; Minister 

 of War, A. L. G. Seyffardt ; Minister of Public 

 Works and Commerce, C. Lely. 



Finances. The budget for 1893 makes the 

 total receipts of the troa>ury 1'J 7.343.890 guilders 

 (1 guilder = 40 cents), of which 25,200,000 guil- 

 ders are derived from the excise on spirituous 

 liquors, 17.075.000 guilders from other 0x01-0 

 duties, 11,614,000 guilders from direct personal 

 taxes, 11,590,000 guilders from land taxes. On.- 

 718,000 guilders from stamps and registration 

 and succession duties, 5,730,000 guilders from 

 the income tax, 4,528.000 guilders from patents. 

 5.736.250 guilders from customs. 2,330,000 guil- 

 ders from domains. 7.400,000 guilders from posts, 

 1,359,0(10 guilders from telegraphs, 1,400.000 guil- 

 ders from pilotage dues, 661.500 guilders from 

 the lottery. 2:50.850 guilders from the guarantee 

 of gold and silver art ides, 136,000 guilders from 

 hunting and fishing licenses, 3,945,000 guilders 



