NETHERLANDS. 



masch; Belgium, A. Beernaert, Baron de Lamber- 

 mont, Chevalier Descamps, and M. Rolin-Jacque- 

 myn.s; Denmark, Prof. H. Matx.cn; Spain, the 

 Duke of Tetuan, R. F. Villaverde, B. Oliver, and 

 Prof. M. Torres Campos; United States of Amer- 

 ica, Benjamin Harrison, Chief-Justice Melville W. 

 Fuller, John W. Griggs, and Judge George Gray; 

 United States of Mexico, Dr. M. de Aspiroz, Dr. 

 Jos6 M. Gamboa, Dr. G. Raigosa, and Dr. A. 

 Chavero; France, Leon Bourgeois, M. de 

 Laboulaye, Baron D'Estournelles de Constant, and 

 Prof. Louis Renault; Great Britain, Lord Paunce- 

 fote of Preston, Edward B. Malet, Sir Edward 

 Frye, and Prof. John Westlake; Italy, Count 

 Nigra, Judge J. B. Pagano viuarnaschelli, Count 

 Tornielli-Brusati di Vergano, and J. Zanardelli; 

 Japan, I. Motono and H. Willard Denison; Neth- 

 erlands, Dr. T. M. C. Asser, Judge F. B. 

 Coninck-Liefsting, Dr. A. F. Savornin Lohman, 

 and Dr. G. L. M. H. Ruys van Beerenbrouck ; 

 Portugal, Count de Macedo, Judge A. E. Cor- 

 reia de Sa Brandao, and Judge L. F. de Bivar- 

 Gomes da Costa; Roumania, T. Rosetti, J. Kalin- 

 dero, E. Statesco, and J. N. Lahovari ; Russia, N. 

 V. Muravieff, C. P. Pobedonostseff, E. V. Frisch, 

 and Prof. Martens; Servia, Prof. George Pavlo- 

 vich, Prof. G. Gerchich, Dr. M. Milanovich, and 

 Dr. M. Vesnich; Siam, G. Rolin-Jacquemyns, 

 and Dr. F. W. Holls; Sweden and Norway, Dr. S. 

 R. D. K. von Olivecrona, and G. Grim: Switzer- 

 land, Dr. C. Lardy, Prof. C. Hilty, and Dr. 

 E. Rott; Bulgaria, Dr. S. Daneff and Dr. D. 

 Standoff. The general secretary is Dr. L. H. 

 Ruyssenaers; the chief secretary of the interna- 

 tional bureau, Dr. J. J. Rochussen. The Inter- 

 national Court for the first time since it was 

 constituted was consulted in the summer of 1902 

 by some of the signatory states on several ques- 

 tions of international law and the interpretation 

 of treaties. Denmark and the United States sub- 

 mitted a question connected with the proposed 

 transfer of St. Thomas. Germany and the Neth- 

 erlands wanted to have a question of interna- 

 tional law settled that arose from their cable con- 

 vention. The Russo-American dispute arising 

 from the capture of American sealers in Bering 

 Sea was referred to the decision of Prof. Asser 

 before the Hague Tribunal was organized. H. H. 

 D. Peirce, third assistant secretary of the De- 

 partment of State at Washington, presented the 

 American, and M. Komaroff the Russian case. 

 The arbitrator came to a decision in August, 

 awarding damages to the American sailors and 

 owners for proved losses because the boats were 

 seized without due warning, but not for the 

 prospective catch. The first case to come before 

 the International Court of Arbitration was pre- 

 sented by the United States and Mexico. The 

 dispute, dating from the annexation of California, 

 was over the pious fund for missions held by the 

 Mexican Government, which the Catholic missions 

 in California claimed. The United States nomi- 

 nated Sir Edward Frye and Prof. Martens as ar- 

 bitrators, Mexico selected Judge Guarnaschelli 

 and Judge Lohman, and the four chose Prof. 

 Matzen to preside. Senator Stewart and Garret 

 McKncniy pleaded for the United States, the lat- 

 ter representing Archbishop Riordan, of California, 

 the private plaintiff. The case was opened on 

 Sept. 9 and decided on Oct. 14 (see UNITED 

 STATKS ) . 



A series of conferences were held at The Hague 

 at the invitation of the Dutch Government with 

 a view of removing the needless di (Terences in the 

 legislation and practise of different nations in the 

 domain of private international law, especially 

 in the laws relating to marriage and divorce, 



guardianship, and wills and succession. In 1874 

 the Government of the Netherlands first broached 

 the subject and offered to act as an intermediary 

 in bringing about an international juristic union 

 to harmonize as far as possible unity of private 

 international law. The first of the conferences, 

 which met on Sept. 12, 1893, ended in resolutions 

 as to many points of divergence and discord. The 

 adjustment of the multitude of differences was a 

 work of study and negotiation extending over 

 years. As the result conventions were concluded 

 in 1902 in which the laws of marriage, divorce, 

 and judicial separation and of the guardianship 

 of minors were to a great extent harmonized in 

 respect to the status of parties concerned and 

 other international aspects. All the important 

 states of Europe were represented at the con- 

 ference witli the exceptions of Great Britain, 

 Greece, Servia, and Turkey. The United States 

 and Great Britain held aloof because their sys- 

 tems of law differ so widely from those of Con- 

 tinental nations that it was considered hopeless 

 to seek to adjust them to an international code. 

 The conventions were signed by Germany, 

 Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Spain, France, Italy,. 

 Luxemburg, Netherlands, Roumania, Sweden, 

 and Switzerland. Denmark, Norway, and Russia 

 did not immediately adhere. The conferences re- 

 vealed many matters in which unity can not be 

 attained by reason of causes that are too deep to 

 be effaced. It was found that in some laws diver- 

 sity is increasing. A conference to bring about 

 a unity of bankruptcy laws had no immediate 

 result. Half of the 16 states represented have 

 bankruptcy laws for persons only who are en- 

 gaged in commerce, while in the others the laws 

 apply to all who are unable to meet their debts. 

 Guardians in most Continental states assume re- 

 sponsibilities that render the relation vastly more 

 important than in England or America. One of 

 the subjects discussed at the conferences was in 

 regard to the conditions on which foreigners can 

 sue. In 1896 Belgium, Spain, France, Italy, Lux- 

 emburg, Portugal, and Switzerland, as the result 

 of conferences at The Hague, signed treaties adopt- 

 ing common rules of procedure, some involving 

 important changes and others merely recording 

 the existing practise. In some states the bonds 

 required from foreigners to give security for costs 

 are made less onerous and facilities are given for 

 suing in forma pauperis. In determining ques- 

 tions of status, while Great Britain, as well as the 

 United States, adheres to the test of domicile, the 

 Continental countries incline to make it depend 

 on nationality, and the conferences have tended 

 to hasten an international agreement to that 

 effect. 



The Dutch East Indies. The Governor-Gen- 

 eral has authority to make laws with the advice 

 of his Council for the Dutch East Indies, subject 

 to general laws passed by the States General. W. 

 Rooseboom has been Governor-General since June 

 1, 1899. The territory is divided into the lands 

 under direct Government administration, vas-al 

 lands, and confederated lands. For administra- 

 tive purposes it is divided into residencies, divi- 

 sions, regencies, districts, and dessas or villages. 

 Java and Madura, administered by 22 residents, 

 are distinguished from the outposts, which are 

 Sumatra, Borneo, the Biau-Lingga Archipelago, 

 llanca. Billiton, Celebes, the Molucca Archipelago, 

 the Sunda Islands, and western New (Juinea. The 

 total area of the Dutch Fast Indies is officially 

 estimated at 730.400 square miles, and the popu- 

 lation at 34.090.000. Java and Madura have an 

 area of 50,554 square miles, with 26,125,053 in- 

 habitants, of whom 35,489 males and 27,826 fe- 



