146 THE ARMS TRADE OF BELGIUM. 
pieces (" arms de luxe "). The Dutch government neglected nothing 
calculated to develop this trade. The Liege proof-house was maintained for 
the new kingdom. A new tariff of fees was drawn up in 1818, reducing 
considerably the former fees for proving barrels. During the present 
reign some further reforms have been introduced in the organization of 
the proof-house by the "Royal Arreted of 1836, 1846 and 1849. These 
regulations were fortified and completed by the ArrSti of the \6th June, 
1854, which form the chief authority in this matter, and by further 
Arretes of the 16th February, 1863, and 20th June, 1864. 
All fire-arms made or repaired in the kingdom must now be proved 
at the Liege " banc oVepreuves" The same rule applies to those imported 
from abroad, unless they have been proved and stamped in the maker's 
country. The proof-house is governed by an administrative commission, 
composed of the bourgmestre or his delegate as president, of six syndics 
elected by and among the " principal " gunmakers of the arrondisse- 
ment — viz., those who are assessed in the rolls of the " patente " among 
the nine first classes of tax payers (there being seventeen classes in all). 
The syndics are elected for three years, two of them retiring on the first 
of January of every year. Their special duty is to watch over the 
interests of the trade. They have access to the proof-house at all times ; 
they have an unlimited control over the details and accounts of the 
establishment ; and they have the power of enforcing every possible 
improvement in the proof of barrels. 
Under this commission a director is appointed by the Minister of 
Foreign Affairs (commerce being one of the departments in this ministry), 
from a list of three candidates presented by the principal gun-makers. 
He has to deposit a caution-money of 6,000 francs, and receives a salary 
of 4,000 francs, which is to include the interest of his caution -money. 
His duties are to act as secretary to the administrative commission, to 
enforce regularity in the service, and the strict execution of the rules ; 
and to have the custody of the punches. All the other officials are 
appointed annually — viz., the comptrollers by the governor of the pro- 
vince on the recommendation of the commission, the revisers, the book- 
keeper, the foreman, the caretaker, ganger, loader, and prover, by the 
commission. The director may appoint any clerks or workmen under 
the approbation of the commission. 
The " banc d'epreuves " is composed of a strong stone bench, with 
sixty grooves for the barrels, of a heavy fixed beam at the rear, called 
" piece de recul," and of a large moveable beam, which is suspended 
above the bench, and is let down upon it by pulleys, to keep the barrels 
in their places. Sixty barrels are fired at once by a train of gunpowder 
connected with their touch-holes, and ignited by means of a large gun- 
lock and trigger pulled by a cord from outside. There are two of these 
benches, and one for pistols, working uninterruptedly every day at the 
Liege proof-house. The number of barrels approved in 1864 was 
859,496 ; to these are to be added about 3 per cent, more which are 
