542 



NETHERLANDS, THE. 



sible to reduce the number of troops employed. 

 He thought that the eventual deficit could be 

 covered by the issue of Treasury notes, and said 



he did not regard the financial condition of the 

 country as unfavorable. The revenue from the 

 taxes was increasing ; and the possible deficit 



THE PALACE OF AMSTERDAM. 



might be considered due to temporary causes 

 and to the wish of the Government to continue 

 the public works now in hand, such as the 



THB CATHEDRAL OF ANTWERP. 



construction of railroads and the completion of 

 the defensive system of the kingdom. On Sep- 

 tember 26th the Chamber of Deputies adopted, 



by 44 to 28 votes, a paragraph of the address 

 in reply to the speech from the throne, con- 

 taining the declaration that the Chamber and 

 the Government did not agree on the education 

 question. This was regarded as a vote of want 

 of confidence ; and on September 27th the min- 

 istry, in a body, asked the King for permission 

 to resign, but did not make known the fact 

 until October 2d. In the beginning of Novem- 

 ber a new cabinet was formed as follows : M. 

 Kappeyne van de Capello, Chief of the King's 

 Cabinet, Minister of the Interior ; Deputy 

 Smidt, Minister of Justice ; M. van Heeckeren 

 van Kill, Minister for Foreign Affairs ; M. 

 Wichers, Minister of the Navy; M. Gleich- 

 man, Minister of Finance ; Deputy Deroo, Min- 

 ister for War; M. van Bosse, Colonial Min- 

 ister; and M. Tak van Poortvliet, Minister of 

 Commerce, Industry, and Public Works. On 

 November 19th the new ministry, for the first 

 time since their appointment, attended the sit- 

 ting of the Chamber of Deputies. M. Kap- 

 peyne, addressing the House in the name of 

 the cabinet, invoked the good-will of all, and 

 the cordial support of the majority. The min- 

 istry would firmly uphold constitutional prin- 

 ciples, and had accepted office as a duty toward 

 the country. In conclusion, he announced that 

 several bills would be withdrawn, notably that 

 relating to primary education. In the latter 

 part of December the budget for 1878 was 

 adopted by the Chamber. A bill was also 

 passed providing for a redistricting of the 

 country, by which the number of deputies was 

 increased by six. The Chamber then ad- 

 journed. 



