, 1890-11-06
KING OF HOLLAND.
A Resume OF His Long Lirc-Nearing
tho End.
fChicngo Tribune. |

Once more the King of Holland,
William ILL.,, lies ut the point of
death, and any day may bring the
tidings of his demise. He Is an old
man, being in his 73d year, and has
been on the throne forty-one years.
Had 1t not been for robust consti-
tuition he would have passed away
long since M his life has not been
characterized by habits which con-
duco to longevity. Hc has been
near tho end several times, aud only
u year ago his condition was so
desperate that n regency was de-
clarcd. He recovered sufficiently,
however, to resume his royal duties
and the regency was withdrawn,
but this time II appears to be the
last call. Parliament by large
vote has declared him incapable of
rule, and the council of state has
assumed the temporary regency.
Tho death of the king will possess
no special interest so far us he him
self is concerned. He has not in
creased the luster of the famous
house of Orange by any act of his
own, nor Is likely that he will be
mourned greatly by his sturdy sub
jects. The Importance of the event
will grow out OF the nature of the
succession and the complications
which may ensue. The king will
leave but one child, the Princess
Wilhelmina, offspring of his second
marriage with Queen Emma, daugh-
ter of Prince George Victor, of
Waldeck. The princess is I'm her
tenth year, and SO far as the throne
of Holland is concerned must sue
cced her father under regency
The real event which will give rise
to endless speculation, and may lead
to most important complications,
concerns the grand duchy of LuXem-
burg, of which the king is grand
duke, with the power Of nominat-
ing it's government.
AS the grand dukedom Is confined
to the male line, upon the demise of
William III. LuNemburg will pass
from the Crown of Holland and
come under the rule of the Duke of
Nassau, the Crown being hereditary
in the Nassau family under the
treaty of London, 1868, by which,
also the neutrality of the duchy was
guaranteed by the great powers OF
Europe. 1t will he remembered that
the Duke of Nassau assumed Its
regency year ago when the king
was supposed to be near his end and
relinquished 1t subsequently when
AZ.
he Is likely TO come into permanent
possession, and the future of Lux
emburg, though IL IL only u little
province of 99S square miles and less
than n quarter OF II million people,
thus Will become an important fac
tor In European spoculations, the
more so that it is likely to com @
under German influences, neutral ns
1t Is, since the duke IL contemplate
ing marriage with German prin-
cess
One rumor already ailoat sets forth
the project of union of Luxembourg
with Alsace and Lorraine and their
erection into an independent king
dom under the protection of the great
powers. All sorts of rumors indeed
may be expected, rs public interest
will be more concerned with Lux
emburg than with Holland when
the king of the latter passes away,
unless, as is not improbable, Ger
many shall seek to bring Holland
under its influences. This had long
been dream of BismarclS's. 1t may
be one OF the young emperor's also.
In any event the death of William
III. will cause II shifting about of
pieces on the chess-board which will
he interesting to watch.