Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 14.djvu/452

* NETHEKLANDS. 400 NETHERLANDS. years. Those imiulai-. not residing at The Hague, the seat of govpriiment, are allowed a compensatiou of ahout $4.75 per day diiriii;,' the session of the Parliament. The J,over ('haniher is composed of 100 members, cho.sen hy districts and by direct suffrage. Those qualihed to vote for members of the Lower Chamber include all male citizens t«eiity-tive years of age, who are owners or tenants of houses or boats, or who possess certain evidences of capacity and busi- ness ability. At present, but little more than 1 1 per cent, of the population is (jualiiied to vote under these provisions. The members of the Lower Chamber .serve for a term of four years, one-half retiring every sec- ond year. Any Netherlander who has attained the age of thirty years and who is in the full enjoyment of his civil and political rights is eligible to membership in the Lower Chamber. The members receive an annual salary of $850, besides traveling e.i)enses. The sessions of the ehanibers are ])ul)lic, although each by a ma- jority vote may hold .secret sessions. Either may be dissolved by the Crown without the sitting of the other chamber being disturbed, but in case of dissolution new elections must be held witliin forty days and the chambers convoked within two months. Ordinarily both chambers meet at least once a year, and may be sunnncmed in extraordinary session by the Crown. The presid- ing otiicer of each chamber is appointed 1)V the Crown, but minor ollicers are elected by the chambers respectively. The Upper Cliamber has no power of initiating legislative measures, its authority being confined to the simjilc a])proval or rejection in toto of bills sent to it from the Lower Chamber. The Lower Chamber has the special power of apjiointing commissions of in- quiry: it shares with the Crown the right of initiating legislative measures and may amend the bills ])resented by the Government: to it the Government mu-t submit the annual budget; and it alone has the right to impeach the min- isters iK'fore tlie High Court at The Ilagiie. The sovereign, who is declared to be inviolable and irresponsible, is required to take an oath to maintain the Constitution, the independence of the cointry. and the liberties and rights of the citizens, and to execute the laws. The powers of the Crown include the dissolution of the chambers, either jointly or separately; the declaration of war; the superior direc- tion of foreign afTairs; the negotiation of treaties with foreign powers subject to the approval of the cliambers, when the cession or exchange of territory is involved, or when rights established by law are afl'ected; the command of the army and navy, and the appoint- ment of military ollicers; the superior direction of the colonies; the general administration of the finances; the granting of pardons (but not amnesties) ; the fixing of salaries of public of- ficers except in case of the judges; and the de- cision of admini-itrative conflicts between the provinces. The executive powers of the Crown arc exercised through ministers, one of whom must countersign every olTicial act of the sover- eign, and who thereby assumes the responsibility for it. The political responsibility of the min- isters is to the Parliament, to each house of which they are entitled to have access whether members or not, and to speak, although not to vote unless they be members. Each minister pre- sides over a department of administration, of which there are at jiresent eight. They are the Ministries of Foreign AHairs; Interior; Finance; Justice; Colonies; Marine; War; and Public Works and Commerce. Kaeh minister receives an annual salary of $5000. Besides the Cabinet there is a Council of State, presided over by the sovereign, and consulted by the Crown on a variety of important matters of State adminis- tration. For the purpo.se of local government the Xetherlands are divided into 11 provinces, and these are again sul)dividcd into 112;f comnunies. The chief executive authority in each jjrovince is a commissioner of the .sovereign. In each prov- ince is also a representative assembly consisting of members elected for a term of six years, one- half of the members retiring every second year. The number of members constituting an assem- bly varies from 35 to 80, according to the popu- hition of the jirovince. The ])Owers of the ])ro- vincial assemblies are in general those of a local legislative body, and include such duties as the enactment of ordinances and the levy of taxes. All ordinances to be valid must be approved by the Crown. The assemblies exercise a supervisory control over the municipalities and elect the members of the ri)i)er Chamber of the national Parliament. Ordinarily they hold sessions twice a year and are presided over by the commissioner of the sovereign. For the coniluct of the pro- vincial administration a deputation of six mem- bers is chosen from the body of the provincial as- .send)ly and is known as the ■neinited States.' In each commune is a local council elected for a term of six years by the same electorate as that which chooses the members of the provincial as- sembly. The number of members varies from 7 to 41, according to the population of the com- nuine, and one-third of the members retire every two years. The jiowcrs and duties of the com- numal council include the enactment of by-laws and ordinances relating to matters of purely local concern. These are all subject to the veto of the sovereign, while the budget aid ordinances for the alienation of munici|)al ])roperty require the approval of the Deputed States of the province. The council is presided over by a mayor or burgo- master appointed by the sovereign for a term of six years. He is the chief execitive ollicer in the commune, and is assisted by from one to four aldermen (the number depending iipcui the popu- lation of the conunune) elected by the council from its own membership. The mayor exercises a sujiervisory power over the actions of the council and may suspend its resolutions for a period of thirty days. He also has charge of the municijial ])oliec. The judicial system of the Xetherlands con- sists of one High Court of Cassation, which sits at The Hagiu'. five Courts of Appeal, i.^i District Courts, and lOli cantonal tribimals. The High Court of The Hague has original jurisdiction in matters concerning the State, the royal family, and the imiieachmcnt of ministers and misilenican- ors committed by the higher ollieials. It has ap- pellate jurisdiction in cases appealed froni the ))rovincial courts and the courts in the colonies. All judges are appointed by the Crown for life, excc]it the cantonal judges, whose tenure is lim- iteil to five years, and they are irremovable ex- cept by resolution of the Hich Court. Trial by jtiry does not exist in the Netherlands. Consult: