The trade of Nepal with British India during four years ending March 31, 1904, has been as follows (including treasure) :

The principal articles of export are cattle, hides and skins, opium and other drugs, gums, resins and dyes, jute, wheat, pulse, rice and other grains, clarified butter, oil seeds, spices, tobacco, timber, saltpetre. The chief imports are cattle, sheep and goats, salt, spices, sugar, tobacco, drugs and dyes, petroleum, leather, brass, iron and copper wares, raw cotton, twist and yarn, silk, cotton and woollen piece goods.

The silver mohar is valued at 6 annas and 8 pies of British Indian currency. Copper pice, of which 50 go to a silver mohar, are also coined. The Indian rupee passes current throughout Nepál.

British Resident.-Lt. Col. C. W. Ravenshaw, I.A.

BOOKS OF REFERENCE.

Aitchison (C. U.) (compiled by), A Collection of Treaties, Engagements, and Sanads relating to India and Neighbouring Countries. Vol. II. Calcutta, 1892.

Ballantine (H.), On India's Frontier. 8. London, 1896.

Bendall (C.), A Journey in Nepal and Northern India. Cambridge, 1886.

Digby (W.), Nepal and India. London, 1890.

Edwardes (Sir H. B.), Life of Sir Henry Lawrence (British Resident at Nepal). London, 1875.

Freshfield (D. W.), Round Kangchenjunga. London, 1903.

Hamilton (Francis) (formerly Buchanan), An Account of the Kingdom of Nepál. London, 1819.

Hodgson (B.), Essays on the Languages, Literature, and Religion of Nepául and Tibet. London, 1874.

Hunter (Sir W. W.) (compiled by), Imperial Gazetteer of India. Vol. X. London, 1886. -Life of Brian Houghton Hodgson, British Resident at Nepal. London, 1896.

Kirkpatrick (Colonel), An Account of the Kingdom of Nepál. London, 1811.

Oldfield (H. A.), Sketches from Nepaul, Historical and Descriptive. London, 1880. Vansittart (Captain E.), Notes on Nepal. Calcutta, 1895.

Waddell (L. A.), Among the Himalayas. London, 1898.

Wheeler (J. Talboys), Short History of India and the Frontier States. London, 1880. Wright (Dr. D.) (translated by History of Nepául. Cambridge, 1877.

NETHERLANDS (THE).

(KONINKRIJK DER NEDERLANDEN.)

Reigning Sovereign.

Wilhelmina Helena Pauline Maria, born August 31, 1880, daughter of the late King Willem III. and of his second wife, Princess Emma, born August 2, 1858, daughter of Prince George Victor of Waldeck; succeeded to the throne on the death of her father, November 23, 1890; came of age August 31, 1898, and was inaugurated September 6 of that year; married to Prince Henry of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, February 7, 1901.

The royal family of the Netherlands, known as the House of Orange, descends from a German Count Walram, who lived in the eleventh century. Through the marriage of Count Engelbrecht, of the branch of Otto, Count of Nassau, with Jane of Polanen, in 1404, the family acquired the barony of Breda, and thereby became settled in the Netherlands. The alliance with another heiress, only sister of the childless Prince of Orange and Count of Châlons, brought to the house a rich province in the south of France; and a third matrimonial union, that of Prince Willem III. of Orange with a daughter of King James II., led to the transfer of the crown of Great Britain to that prince. Previous to this period, the members of the family had acquired great influence in the Republic of the Netherlands under the name ofstadtholders,' or governors. The dignity was formally declared to be hereditary in 1747, in Willem IV. ; but his successor, Willem V., had to fly to England, in 1795, at the invasion of the French republican army. The family did not return till November, 1813, when the fate of the republic, released from French supremacy, was under discussion at the Congress of Vienna. After various diplomatic negotiations, the Belgian provinces, subject before the French revolution to the House of Austria, were ordered by the Congress to be annexed to the territory of the republic, and the whole to be erected into a kingdom, with the son of the last stadtholder, Willem V., as hereditary sovereign. In consequence, the latter was proclaimed King of the Netherlands at the Hague on the 16th of March, 1815, and recognised as sovereign by all the Powers of Europe. The established union between the northern and southern provinces of the Netherlands was dissolved by the Belgian revolution of 1830, and their political relations were not readjusted until the signing of the treaty of London, April 19, 1839, which constituted Belgium an independent kingdom. King Willem I. abdicated in 1840,

bequeathing the crown to his son Willem II., who, after a reign of nine years, left it to his heir, Willem III. This king reigned 41 years, and died in 1890; in default of male heirs, he was succeeded by his only daughter Wilhelmina.

King Willem II. had a civil list of 1,000,000 guilders, but the amount was reduced to 600,000 guilders at the commencement of the reign of King Willem III., and is since maintained. There is also a large revenue from domains, and in addition an allowance of 50,000 guilders for the maintenance of the royal palaces. The family of Orange is, besides, in the possession of a very large private fortune, acquired in greater part by King Willem I. in the prosecution of vast enterprises tending to raise the commerce of the Netherlands.

The House of Orange has given the following Sovereigns to the Netherlands since its reconstruction as a kingdom by the Congress of Vienna :

The first Constitution of the Netherlands after its reconstruction as a kingdom was given in 1815, and was revised in 1488 and in 1887. According to this charter the Netherlands form a constitutional and hereditary monarchy. The royal succession is in the direct male line in the order of primogeniture; in default of male heirs, the female line ascends the throne. In default of a legal heir, the successor to the throne is designated by the Sovereign and a joint meeting of both the Houses of Parliament (each containing twice the usual number of members), and by this assembly alone if the case occurs after the Sovereign's death. The age of majority of the Sovereign is 18 years. During his minority the royal power is vested in a Regent-designated by law-and in some cases in the State Council.

The executive power of the State belongs exclusively to the Sovereign, while the whole legislative authority rests conjointly in the Sovereign and Parliament, the latter-called the StatesGeneral-consisting of two Chambers. The Upper or First Chamber is composed of 50 members, elected by the Provincial States from among the most highly assessed inhabitants of the eleven provinces, or from among some high and important functionaries, mentioned by law. Members of the First Chamber not residing in the Hague, where the Parliament meets, are allowed 10 guilders (168. Sd.) a day during the Session of the States-General. The Second Chamber of the States-General numbers 100 deputies, who are elected directly.

According to the electoral reform act, passed in 1896, voters are all male Dutch citizens not under 25 years of age, in profession of certain outward and positive signs of capacity and well-being. The chief sign is the fact of payment of one or more direct State taxes (for the land tax an amount of i florin is sufficient). Besides these, the Reform Act admits as electors all those who can prove that they are householders, and have paid rent of houses or lodgings during a fixed term, or that they are owners or tenants of boats of not less than 24 tons capacity, or that they have been during a fixed term in employment with an annual wage or salary of at least 227. 18s. 4d., or possess a certificate of State interest of at least 100 florins, or a savings bank deposit of at least 50 florins, or the legal qualifications for any profession or employment. The mode of voting adopted is based upon the couloir system. Voting is not compulsory.

The electoral body numbered January 1, 1904, 670,251 voters, i.e., 24.9 per cent. of the number of male citizens.

The members of the Second Chamber receive an annual allowance of 2,000 guilders (£166), besides travelling expenses. They are elected for 4 years, and retire in a body, whereas the First Chamber is elected for 9 years, and every three years one-third retire by rotation. The Sovereign has the power to dissolve both Chambers of Parliament, or one of them, being bound only to order new elections within 40 days, and to convoke the new meeting within two months.

The Government and the Second Chamber only may introduce new bills; the functions of the Upper Chamber being restricted to approving or rejecting them, without the power of inserting amendments. The meetings of both Chambers are public, though each of them, by the decision of the majority, may form itself into a private committee. The ministers may attend at the meetings of both Chambers, but they have only a deliberative vote, unless they are members. Alterations in the Constitution can be made only by a bill declaring that there is reason for introducing those alterations, followed by a dissolution of the Chambers and a second confirmation by the new States-General by two-thirds of the votes. Unless it is expressly declared, the laws concern only the realm in Europe, and not the colonies.

The executive authority, belonging to the Sovereign, is exercised by a responsible Council of Ministers. There are eight heads of departments in the Ministerial Council, namely:

1. The Minister of the Interior and President of the Ministerial Council.-Dr. A. Kuijper; appointed July 31, 1901.

2. The Minister of Foreign Affairs.—Dr. R. Melvil Baron van Lijnden; appointed July 31, 1901.

3. The Minister of Finance.-Dr. J. J. I. Harte van Tecklenburg; appointed July 31, 1901.

4. The Minister of Justice.-Dr. J. A. Loeff; appointed July 31, 1901. 5. The Minister of the Colonies.-A. W. F. Idenburg; appointed September 25, 1902.

6. The Minister of Marine.-A. G. Ellis; appointed March 13, 1903. 7. The Minister of War.-J. W. Bergansius; appointed July 31, 1901. 8. The Minister of Public Works and Commerce (Waterstaat).—Dr. J. C. de Marcz Oijens; appointed July 31, 1901.

Each of the above Ministers has an annual salary of 12,000 guilders, or 1,000Z.

There is a State Council-'Raad van State'-of 14 members, appointed by the Sovereign, of which the Sovereign is president, and which is consulted on all legislative and a great number of executive matters.

II. LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

The territory of the Netherlands is divided into 11 provinces and 1,123

communes.

the Provincial States.' among the male Dutch one-half of the number Except that they must

Each province has its own representative body, The members are elected for 6 years, directly from inhabitants of the province who are 25 years of age, being subject to re-election or renewal every 3 years. be inhabitants of the province, the electors, as well as the mode of voting, are the same as for the Second Chamber. The number of members varies according to the population of the province, from 80 for Holland (South) to 35 for Drenthe. The Provincial States are entitled to make ordinances concerning the welfare of the province, and to raise taxes according to legal precepts. All provincial ordinances must be approved by the King. The Provincial States exercise a right of control over the municipalities. They also elect the members of the First Chamber of the StatesGeneral. They meet twice a year, as a rule in public. A permanent commission composed of 6 of their members, called the 'Deputed States,' is charged with the executive power in the province and the daily administration of its affairs. This committee has also to see the common law executed in the province. Both the Deputed as well as the Provincial States are presided over by a Commissioner of the Sovereign, who in the former assembly has a deciding vote, but in the latter named only a deliberative vote. He is the chief magistrate in the province. Only the members of the Deputed States receive an allowance.

All

;

The communes form each a Corporation with its own interests and rights, subject to the general law. In each commune is a Council, elected for six years directly, by the same voters as for the Provincial States, provided they inhabit the commune; one-third of the Council retiring every two years. All the male Dutch inhabitants 23 years of age are eligible, the number of members varying from 7 to 45, according to the population. The Council has a right of making and enforcing by-laws concerning the communal welfare. The Council may raise taxes according to rules prescribed by common law besides, each commune receives from the State Treasury an allowance proportioned to the total number of its inhabitants and to the share which its non-contributing inhabitants have failed to pay towards local taxes. by-laws may be vetoed by the Sovereign. The Municipal Budget and the resolutions to alienate municipal property require the approbation of the Deputed States of the province. The Council meets in public as often as may be necessary, and is presided over by a Mayor, appointed by the Sovereign for 6 years. The executive power is vested in a college formed by the Mayor and 2-6 Aldermen (wethouders), elected by and from the Council; this college is also charged with the execution of the common law. The Municipal Police is under the authority of the Mayor; as a State functionary the Mayor supervises the actions of the Council; he may suspend their resolutions for 30 days, but is bound to inform the Deputed States of the province.