Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 3.djvu/547

Rh honesty and integrity of purpose, his reflective and well- balanced intellect, his habit of close and accurate reasoning, his grave and serious deportment, all eminently fitted him for the office of arbiter. To him Belgium owed much. In difficult circumstances and critical times he managed its affairs with great tact and judgment ; by conciliatory measures he reconciled and kept at peace opposing factions ; and by his well-known devotion to the best interests of the country he secured the confidence and esteem of all classes of the people. He was succeeded by his eldest son Leopold II., who was immediately proclaimed king, and took the oath to the constitution on 17th December. In 1866 a body of English volunteers, to the number of 1100, visited Belgium by invitation, and met with a most cordial reception from the king and all classes of the people, and took part in the Tir National. The following year a body of Belgian volunteers, numbering about 2400, came over to England, where they were warmly welcomed, and engaged in the shooting contests at Wimbledon. In 1868 serious riots took place in the mining districts, which were not put down till the military had been called out ; the effective army was raised from 80,000 to 100,000 men, and the yearly contingent from 10,000 to 12,000. Attempts were also made to obtain a revision of the elementary education law of 1842. On the outbreak of the war between France and Germany in 1870, Belgium saw the difficulty and danger of her posi tion, and lost no time in providing for contingencies. A large war credit was voted, the strength of the army was raised, and large detachments were moved to the frontier. The feel ing of danger to Belgium also caused great excitement in England, particularly after the contents of the secret treaty which revealed the aggrandising schemes of France against Belgium became known. The British Government de clared its intention to maintain the integrity of Belgium iu accordance with the treaty of 1839, and it induced the two balligerent powers to sign treaties to that effect. In the event of either power violating the neutrality of Belgium, England was to co-operate with the other in such manner as might be mutually agreed upon to secure the integrity of the country. It was at first feared that Belgian territory might be violated by the necessities of one or other of the belligerents, but this was not the case. A considerable portion of the French army routed at Sedan did, indeed, take refuge in Belgian territory ; but they laid down their arms according to convention, and were &quot; interned &quot; in the king s dominions. In 1870 the Liberal party, who had been in power for thirteen years, was overthrown by a union of the Catholics with the Radicals or Progressionists, joined by not a few Liberals, to whom the opposition of the Government to certain reforms had given offenca A ministerial crisis followed, which was terminated by the advent to office of a Catholic cabinet, at the head of which was Baron d Anethan. A new election took place in August 1870, which gave them a majority in both houses, a result brought about in no small degree by the excitement consequent on the breaking out of the Franco-German war. The Baron d Anethan steered his course prudently, and increased the power of the Ultramontanes considerably by carrying a reform bill, which widened the basis of representation as regarded the provincial and communal councils, by intro ducing large masses of the Catholic lower orders to the privilege of the franchise. It added nearly one-half to the number of electors for the provincial councils, and more than a fourth to those for the communal councils. The Liberals were very much dissatisfied ; and towards the end of the year the mob in Brussels took up the question, and tumults broke out which the police and civic guard had to put down by force. They demanded the dismissal of the ministers, to which the king at length consented ; and a new ministry was formed under &quot;M. de Theux. The communal elections of 1872 were the occasion of a sharp struggle throughout the kingdom between the church party and the Liberals, but success remained chiefly with the latter. The elections of June 1874 resulted in a con siderable reduction of the Ultramontane majority within the Senate and the Chamber of Representatives, without actually converting it into a minority. In July of that year a conference of representatives of the leading powers of Europe was held in Brussels, with the view of introduc ing certain changes in the usages of war, but no definite result was arrived at. In May and June 1875, religious disturbances broke out in various parts, which were attended with serious consequences. At Brussels, Ghent, and other places, religious processions, which partook of the character of party demonstrations, were attacked by mobs of the populace, and many persons were injured. These disturbances were only put a stop to by energetic measures on the part of those in authority, and the inflic tion of severe punishments on the delinquents. The attention of foreign states has of late been particularly directed to Belgium, in consequence of certain remonstrances addressed to it by Germany on the subject of its international relations and its duties towards foreign powers. This arose from an obscure Belgian, named Duchesne, having written to a French archbishop, offering to assassinate Prince Bismarck for a consideration. He was taken and tried by the Belgian Government, but it was found that the law had provided no punishment for the offence which he had committed. This led to a remonstrance on the part of the German Government, which was couched in such terms as to afford ground for the gravest fears, on the part of Belgium and of foreign states, as to what might be the result. The correspondence, however, was carried on in a friendly spirit on both sides, satisfactory explanations followed, and the Belgian Government passed a measure making such offences as that of Duchesne criminal.

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 BELGRADE (in Servian, Bielgorod, or White Town), the capital of the Servian principality, situated at the confluence of the Save and the Danube, on the right bank of the latter stream, opposite the Austrian town and fortress of Semlin. Lat. 44 47 N., long. 20 28 E. It is built both on, and at the side of, a northern spur of the Avala heights, the rocky summit being crowned by its ence famous citadel, which still remains very much as it was left by Prince Eugene, except that on the E., S., and W. the glacis has been changed into a promenade. The town was formerly divided into three parts, namely, the Old Town, the Rassian. Town (Sava mahala or Save- district), and the Turkish town (Dorcol, or Cross-road). A great change has, however, taken place in the course of the present century, and the old divisions are only partially applicable, while there has to be added the 