elected Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg King of the Belgians on June 4, 1831; the prince accepted the dignity July 12, and ascended the throne July 21, 1831. By the Treaty of London, Nov. 15, 1831, the neutrality of Belgium was guaranteed by Austria, Russia, Great Britain, and Prussia. It was not until after the signing of the Treaty of London, April 19, 1839, which established peace between King Leopold I. and the sovereign of the Netherlands, that all the States of Europe recognised the Kingdom of Belgium.

Constitution and Government.

According to the Constitution of 1831 Belgium is 'a constitutional, representative, and hereditary monarchy.' The legislative power is vested in the King, the Senate, and the Chamber of Representatives. The royal succession is in the direct male line in the order of primogeniture. By marriage without the King's consent, however, the right of succession is forfeited, but may be restored by the King with the consent of the two Chambers. The King's person is declared sacred; and his ministers are held responsible for the acts of the Government. No act of the King can have effect unless countersigned by one of his ministers, who thus becomes responsible for it. The King convokes, prorogues, and dissolves the Chambers. In default of male heirs, the King may nominate his successor with the consent of the Chambers. If the successor be under eighteen years of age, which is declared to be the age of majority, the two Chambers meet together for the purpose of nominating a regent during the minority.

According to the law amending the constitution, promulgated 7th September, 1893, the Senate consists of members elected for eight years, partly directly, and partly indirectly. The number of Senators elected directly is proportioned to the population of each province, and is equal to half the number of members of the Chamber of Representatives. The constituent body is similar to that which elects deputies to the Chamber, except that the minimum age of electors is fixed at thirty years. In 1895-96 the number of electors was 1,186,000, disposing of 1,924,000 votes. Senators elected indirectly are chosen by the provincial councils, two for each province with less than 500,000 inhabitants; three for each with a population up to 1,000,000; and four for each with over 1,000,000. No one, during two years preceding the election, must have been a member of the council appointing him.

All

senators must be at least forty years of age, and those elected directly must pay not less than 1,200 francs in direct taxes, or own immovable property in Belgium yielding an income of 12,000 francs. In provinces, however, where the number eligible for the Senate would be less than one in 5,000 of population, the list is extended to this proportion by admission of the most highly taxed. Sons of the King, or failing these, Belgian princes of the reigning branch of the Royal Family are by right Senators at the age of eighteen, but have no voice in the deliberations till the age of twenty-five years.

The members of the Chamber of Representatives are elected directly. Their number is proportioned to the population, and cannot exceed one for every 40,000 inhabitants. They sit for four years, one half retiring every two years, except that after a dissolution a general election takes place. Every citizen over twenty-five years of age, domiciled for not less than one year in the same commune, and not legally disqualified, has a vote. Every citizen over thirty-five years of age, married or widower, with legitimate issue, and paying at least 5 francs a year in house tax, has a supplementary vote, as has also every citizen over twenty-five years of age owning immovable property to the value of 2,000 francs, or having a corresponding income from such property, or who for two years has derived at least 100 francs a year from Belgian funds either directly or through the Savings Bank. Two supplementary votes are given to citizens over twenty-five years of age who have received a diploma or certificate of higher instruction, or who fill or have filled offices or engaged in private professional practice, implying at least average higher instruction. No person has more than 3 votes; failure to vote is a misdemeanour, punishable by law. There were in 1896-97 1,401,951 electors possessing, in all, 2,141,041 votes. Deputies must be not less than twenty-five years of age, and resident in Belgium. Each deputy has an annual indemnity of 4,000 francs (1607.), and a free pass over Government railways between his home and the place of Session.

The Senate and Chamber meet annually in the month of November, and must sit for at least forty days; but the King has the power of convoking them on extraordinary occasions, and of dissolving them either simultaneously or separately. In the latter case a new election must take place within forty days, and a meeting of the Chambers within two months. An adjournment cannot be made for a period exceeding one month without the consent of the Chambers. Money bills and bills relating to the contingent for the army originate in the Chamber of Representatives.

The Executive Government consists of eight departments, under the following Ministers :

President of the Council, Minister of Railways, &c., and Minister of War.-M. J. H. P. van den Peereboom.

Minister of Finance.-M. Liebaert. Appointed January 23, 1899.

Minister of Foreign Affairs.-M. P. de Favereau. Appointed February 25, 1896.

Minister of Justice.-M. V. Begerem. Appointed October 26, 1884. Minister of Interior and Public Instruction.-M. Schollaert. Appointed May 25, 1895.

Minister of Agriculture and Public Works.-M. L. de Bruyn. Appointed October 26, 1884.

Minister of Industry and Labour.-M. Cooreman. 23, 1899.

Appointed January

Besides the above responsible heads of departments, there are a number of 'Ministres d'Etat,' without portfolio, who form a Privy Council called together on special occasions by the sovereign. The acting ministers, as such, do not form part of the Privy Council.

Local Government.

The provinces and communes (2,607 in 1896) of Belgium have a large amount of autonomous government. The provincial and communal electors are the same as those who elect the senators directly. Communal electors must have been domiciled at least three years in the commune, and a supplementary vote is given to owners of real property yielding an income of at least 150 francs. No one has more than 4 votes. In communes with over 20,000 inhabitants there are councillors elected directly, by single vote, by citizens enrolled on the communal electoral lists, and possessing :he qualifications requisite for electors to the Councils of Industry and Labour; half the councillors are appointed by the working-men electors, and half by the electors who are industrial heads (chefs d'industrie). In communal elections vote by ballot is suppressed, except when there is merely a single mandate to be conferred. Candidates obtaining an absolute majority are declared elected; others have seats allocated in accordance with the system of "Proportional Representation." In the year 1896-97 there were 1,188,208 provincial and 1,124,276 communal electors. To be eligible to the Provincial or Communal Council, persons must be twenty-five years of age and domiciled in the province or commune. the Provincial Council is renewed every four years, and it meets fifteen days each year. There is a permanent deputation of six members elected, which is presided over by the Governor of the province. All provincial and communal interests, including local finances, are under the care of the Council, as far as they are not provided for in the general administration. The Communal Councils are elected for eight years, half being renewed every four years. In each commune there is a college composed of the burgomaster, president, and a certain number of aldermen, corresponding to the permanent deputation of the Provincial Council, and both are the organs of the central administration.

Area and Population

Belgium has an area of 29,455 square kilomètres, or 11,373 English square miles. The following table shows the population in the various census years since 1846, with the absolute increase and the rate per cent. of increase between each of these years :-

The kingdom is divided into nine provinces, the area and population of which were as follows at the census of December, 31, 1890, and on December 31, 1897, with population per square mile at the latter date:

Attached to the universities are various special schools of engineering, arts, manufactures, mining, &c., with a combined attendance of 1,084 students in 1896-97. Other special schools are the Royal Academy of Fine Arts at Antwerp, with 1,426 students in 1896; schools of design, 17,632 students; royal conservatoires and other schools of music, 16,854.

The following are the statistics for the end of 1895 of the various classes of public schools :

Besides the above public schools there are many private or free schools-about 80 colleges, 65 middle-class schools for boys, 150 institutions for girls, besides many infant, primary, and adult schools, mostly under ecclesiastical care.

By a law of 1842 each commune was required to have at least one primary school. The Acts now in force are those of 1884 and 1895, by which the cost of primary instruction devolves on the communes, while the State and provinces intervene by way of subsidies. The total sum spent on elementary education in 1895 was 32,867,773 francs by State, provinces, and communes, and including fees, &c.

There were in the school year 1895-96, 38 industrial schools, with 12,009 pupils, and 48 professional schools and courses with 6,775 pupils.

The proportion of the population above fifteen years who could not read or write at the census of 1890 was 26.9 per cent., and between seven and fifteen years 26.7 per cent. In the year 1896 there were 63,401 young men called out for military service, and of this number 8,002 could neither read nor write; 31,401 could