NETHERLANDS. 



destroy legitimate enterprise and the opportuni- 

 ties of labor and plunder the public. We favor 

 the creation by act of Congress of a bureau of 

 supervision and control of corporations engaged 

 in interstate business with powers similar to 

 those exercised over national banks by the con- 

 troller of the currency, enforcing such publicity 

 and regulations as shall effectually prevent dis- 

 honest methods and practices, and generally such 

 legislation, State and national, as from time to 

 time may be required for the correction of 

 abuses." 



The resolutions also recommended a liberal pen- 

 sion policy, commended the loyalty of the sound- 

 money Democrats, and praised the bravery of 

 the First Nebraska Volunteers in the Philippines. 



The Prohibition party made no nomination for 

 justice, but named Charles E. Smith and Albert 

 Fitch for regents. 



The result of the election was the success of the 

 fusion candidates. The vote for justice stood: 

 Holcomb, 109,320; Reese, 94,213. For regents, 

 the returns gave: Teeters, 101,194; Rich, 96,202; 

 Ely, 94,411; McGilton, 90,464; Smith, 5,695; 

 Fitch, 4,437. 



A dispatch from Hastings, Dec. 23, notices the 

 organization of a new party. It says : " Under 

 the banner of the Union Reform party over three- 

 score delegates met here to-day and effected a 

 State organization. The old Middle-of-the-Road 

 element is behind the plan, and the spirit -of that 

 branch of Populism was rampant. The conven- 

 tion was sprinkled with Democrats, but at no 

 time during the conference was Bryan's name 

 mentioned. Ordinances as fundamental law of 

 party organization and management were adopt- 

 ed, and channels laid out by which contributions 

 may reach national headquarters. The National 

 Union Reform party platform was adopted." 



NETHERLANDS, a monarchy in western 

 Europe. The legislative authority is vested in 

 the States General, consisting of a First Cham- 

 ber, containing 50 members, elected by the pro- 

 vincial councils for nine years, and a Second 

 Chamber, containing 100 members, elected for 

 four years by the direct votes of all citizens who 

 pay 10 guilders of direct taxes above the limit 

 of partial exemption or who occupy separate 

 dwellings. The reigning sovereign is Queen Wil- 

 lemina, born Aug. 31, 1880, daughter of Willem 

 III by his marriage with Princess Emma of Wai- 

 deck, who succeeded to the throne Nov. 23, 1890, 

 on the death of her father, and assumed the royal 

 authority on Sept. 6, 1898, the Queen Dowager 

 having acted as regent during her minority. 



The Council of Ministers constituted July 26, 

 1897, was composed as follows: President of the 

 Council and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. W. 

 H. de Beaufort; Minister of the Interior, Dr. 

 H. Goeman Borgesius; Minister of Finance, Dr. 

 N. G. Pierson; Minister of Justice, Dr. P. W. 

 A. Cort van der Linden; Minister of the Colo- 

 nies, J. T. Cremer; Minister of Marine, J. C. 

 Jansen; Minister of War, Lieut.-Gen. K. Eland; 

 Minister of Public Works and Commerce, C. 

 Lely. 



Area and Population. The area of the Neth- 

 erlands, or Holland, is 12,648 square miles. The 

 population was 4,511,415 at the census of 1889, 

 and on Dec. 31, 1897, it was computed to be 

 5,004,204. On Dec. 31, 1898, the estimated popu- 

 lation was 5,074,631, of whom 2,513,267 were males 

 and 2,561,364 females. The number of emigrants 

 in 1897 was 792; but the emigrants, both Dutch 

 and foreigners, that took passage in Dutch ports 

 numbered 9,036. Amsterdam at the end of 1897 

 had 503,285 inhabitants; Rotterdam, 298,433; The 



Hague, 196,325. The number of marriages in 

 1898 was 36,817; of births, 107,991; of deaths, 

 93,039; excess of births, 74,1.12; emigration, 1,172. 



Finances. The revenue of the Government in 

 1897 was 135,408,474 guilders from ordinary and 

 200,000 guilders from extraordinary .sources; 

 total, 135,668,474 guilders. The expenditures 

 were 39,312,394 guilders for defense, 32,043.740 

 guilders for the debt, 11,590,285 guilders for pub- 

 lic works, and 55,074,733 guilders for general ex- 

 penses; total, 139,227,158 guilders. The estimate 

 of revenue for 1898 was 134,432,350 guilders, sind 

 of expenditure 141,743,74(5 guilders. For 1899 the 

 budget estimate of revenue was 140,790,900 guil- 

 ders, and of expenditure 152,013,959 guilders. Of 

 the revenue for 1899 the land tax was estimated 

 to yield 12,490,000 guilders; the personal tax, 

 8,675,000 guilders; the tax on capital, 7,000,000 

 guilders; the tax on incomes from trades and 

 professions, 5,044,000 guilders; excise duties, 45,- 

 600,000 guilders; indirect taxes, 20,732,000 guil- 

 ders; import duties, 8,816,950 guilders; the tax 

 on gold and silver plate, 300,900 guilders; do- 

 mains, 2,350,000 guilders; the post office, 9,447,000 

 guilders; the telegraphs, 1,795,000 guilders; the 

 state lottery, 659,000 guilders; shooting and fish- 

 ing licenses, 130,000 guilders; pilot dues, 1,950,- 

 000 guilders; mining dues, 7,245 guilders; state 

 railroads, 4,162,990 guilders; share of the inter- 

 est and sinking fund of the debt paid by the 

 Government of the East Indies, 3,847,250 guilders; 

 miscellaneous receipts, 7,789,565 guilders. The 

 total yield of direct taxes in 1897 was 32.998,900 

 guilders; of excise duties, 44,800,796 guilders; of 

 indirect taxes, 20,075,059 guilders; of customs 

 duties, 8,588,810 guilders. Of the expenditures 

 as provided in the budget for 1899 the civil list 

 took 800,000 guilders; the legislative body and 

 royal Cabinet, 684,707 guilders; the Ministry of 

 Foreign Affairs, 849,134 guilders; the Ministry of 

 the Interior, 15,067,028 guilders; the Ministry of 

 Justice, 5,841,167 guilders; the Ministry of Ma- 

 rine, 15,890,424 guilders; the Ministry of War, 

 22,585,901 guilders; the Ministry of Finance, 25,- 

 081,465 guilders; the Ministry of Public Works 

 and Commerce, or Waterstaat, 26,633,231 guil- 

 ders; the Ministry of the Colonies, 1,300,696 guil- 

 ders; the public debt, 37,830,205 guilders; pro- 

 vision for contingencies, 50,000 guilders. The 

 total receipts for 1899 were estimated at 140,- 

 796,900 guilders, of which direct taxes supplied 

 33,209,000 guilders, excise 45,600,000 guilders, 

 stamps, registration, and succession duties 20,- 

 732,000 guilders, customs 8,816,950 guilders, guar- 

 antee of works of gold and silver 300,900 guilders, 

 domains 2,350,000 guilders, posts 9,447.000 guil- 

 ders, telegraphs 1,795,000 guilders, lottery 059,- 

 000 guilders, hunting and fishing licenses 150,000 

 guilders, pilot dues 1,950.000 guilders, railroads 

 4,162,990 guilders, and other sources 11.038,000 

 guilders. The total expenditures for 1899 were 

 estimated at 151,744,032 guilders. 



The funded debt in 1899 consisted of 620.008,500 



Guilders of 2i-per-cent. consols, 517.327,000 guil- 

 ers of loans" issued in 1895 and 1898 at 3 per 

 cent., and 294,000 guilders of 5-per-cent. and 

 2,719,693 guilders of 6-per-cent. bonds issued for 

 the purchase of railroads and maturing in 1899; 

 total, 1,146,349.193 guilders, requiring an annual 

 payment of 31,289,614 guilders for interest and 

 6,228,571 guilders for the sinking fund and re- 

 demption of debt. The annuities amounted to 

 262,019 guilders for the year, and interest on 

 floating debt to 50,000 guilders, making the 

 annual charge to the public debt 37,830,204 guil- 

 ders. The interest in 1898 was 29.852,993 guil- 

 ders, and the sinking fund 2,638,100 guilders. 



