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 NECHO NEOKER 203 members of the interior family of planets, com- prising Mercury, Venus, the earth, and Mars. Again, with extreme distance from the centre, the gravity of available material whence aggre- gations could form would be so far reduced, that for that reason the planets so formed would be smaller. Hence we can understand why Uranus and Neptune are so far inferior to Jupiter and Saturn. These two giant orbs are thus seen to occupy the space where the conditions were most favorable to the rapid development of subordinate aggregations. In this intermediate region there was abundance of material while yet the motions were not so rapid that a subordinate aggregation could not readily master, so to speak, the matter rushing past toward the aphelion of its orbital motion round the sun. The theory also explains well the existence of a zone of discrete bodies next within the path of Jupiter, that is, in a region disturbed at once by his attraction and that of the sun. It is not improbable, as remarked in the article METEOR, that the study of co- metic and meteoric astronomy may before long throw considerable light on the interesting question of the evolution of our solar system, and may enable us to form a nebular hypothe- sis on safer grounds than those on which the theories now in vogue have been based. NECHO, or Neco (in the Bible also Pharaoh Necho, and in the hieroglyphics Neku), an Egyp- tian king of the 26th dynasty, who reigned, ac- cording to Rawlinson, from 610 to 594 B. C. He is called by Herodotus the son and succes- sor of Psammetichus I., whose northeastern conquests he followed up with energy. He built a navy for the prosecution of maritime discovery, and began a canal to connect the Nile with the Arabian gulf, but is said to have abandoned this work because warned by an oracle that it would be used for the invasion of his country. Under his directions the Phoe- nicians circumnavigated Africa. He marched into Assyria to attack the Babylonians, and on his march defeated Josiah, king of Judah, in the valley of Megiddo (about 609). Ad- vancing to the Euphrates, he took Carche- mish and established a garrison there. On his homeward march he deposed Jehoahaz, king of Judah, putting his brother Eliakim or Jehoiakim into his place, as a vassal of Egypt ; and it is thought that about this time he took Jerusalem. Herodotus says that he took a city named Cadytis, but its identifica- tion with Jerusalem is not certain. Three years later Carchemish was attacked by Nebu- chadnezzar, and Necho having marched to its relief was defeated and lost all his Asiatic dominions. He never recovered from this blow, the rest of his reign being distinguished only by a weak and irresolute attempt to pre- pare for a new war against Babylon. NECKAR, or Necker, a river of Germany, trib- utary to the Rhine, rising in Wiirtemberg E. of the Black Forest, near Schwenningen, on the frontiers of Baden, at an elevation of more than 2,000 ft. above the sea. It first flows in a N. direction, crossing Hohenzollern, then N. E. and N. through Wiirtemberg, and final- ly N. W. through Baden, joining the Rhine at Mannheim. Its chief tributaries are the Enz, Kocher, and Jaxt. The principal places on its banks are Tubingen, Canstatt, near Stuttgart, Heilbronn, Heidelberg, and Mannheim. The entire length of the Neckar is about 250 m., and it is navigable nearly to Canstatt for small craft and to Heilbronn for steamers. The Neckar is remarkable for its lovely scenery, and excellent wine is produced along its shores. NECKER. I. Jacques, a French statesman, born in Geneva, Switzerland, Sept. 30, 1732, died at Coppet, in the same country, April 9, 1804. After receiving a liberal education, he went to Paris at the age of 15, was employed as a clerk in a banking house, became a part- ner in the banking house of Thelusson, and afterward engaged in the same business alone. Having accumulated a fortune, he gave up business in 1764, and was appointed resident minister of Geneva at the court of France. From 1764 to 1770 he acted as syndic of the French East India company. His reputation was greatly increased by several publications, such as the Eloge on Colbert, to which the French academy awarded a prize, and an Es- sai sur la legislation et le commerce des grains (1775); and in 1776 he was appointed assis- tant to the comptroller general Taboureau, with the title of director of the treasury, and in 1777 director general or minister of finance. These appointments he accepted on condition that he should receive no emoluments. He introduced order and economy into that branch of the administration, restored confidence among capitalists by securing the payment of interest on loans, restrained the prodigality of the court, curtailed the expenses of the admin- istration, reclaimed many public estates which had been unlawfully alienated, regulated the assessment of taxes, abridged the right of mortmain, established a uniform excise on salt all over the kingdom, and endeavored to sup- press statute labor and tolls. He introduced improvements in the government of several provinces, and assisted in establishing the mont de piete of Paris and a bank of discount, out of which subsequently grew the bank of France. By his management a deficit of over 24,000,000 livres was made up, and in less than five years the annual receipts were 10,- 000,000 in excess of the annual expenditures. In 1781 he published his Compte rendu au roi sur les finances de Vetat, an exposure which aroused the enmity of the courtiers, whose pensions and privileges had been abridged, and displeased the prime minister Maurepas. Neck- er, desiring to vindicate his measures before the king, insisted upon a seat in the royal council, from which he had been excluded on account of his religious persuasion. His claim being disregarded, he sent in his resignation. After his retirement he was involved in a