Omaha daily bee., 1903-02-22

like ours. This congress is known as the
States General. 1t has an upper and
lower branch and it makes all the laws
just as our congress does. The States
General sits at The Hague in the. Binnen-
h"f. the great building looking out on the
Fish pond.
I went through the two houses today. The
first chamber, which corresponds TO our
senate. has Fifty members elected by the
states from their biggest taxpayers and
most prominent men. The second cham
Ter, corresponding to our house of repre-
sentativCs, is elected by the people; it has
just twice as many members as the SEN
ate. All male citizens over % years of
age can vote for members of the lower
house, provided they can show positive
signs of capacity and we'll being. The
drunkard. the loafer and the good for
nothing can have no voice in this gov
eminent. Ev'ry voter must pay more or
less state taxes. or he must be a house
holder CT renter. or a boat holder or
%rentey. or he must have an annual salary
of a little more than 800 a year or have
a small amount OF government bonds or
some deposits in the savings banks. There
are certain professions whose members
have the tight to vote, but this right
is alwa<1 founded on capacity and ability
to make or spend money. Last year these
rules were SO exercised that only a little
more than SO per cent of the male citizens
of age comprised the electoral body.
1t is considered a great honor TO be a
member Of the Dutch congress, and as far
as l can see the congressman get little
more than honor out OF it. The senator's
receive about 81 a day. while they are in
session, and the Representatives have $500
"a war and Nhnf- Nn-Is.- Ut-
senators are elected for nine years and the
elections are so arranged that one-third Of
the body goes out every three years. The
representatives are elected for four years.
The queen can dissolve both chambers at
will.
The chief executive part Of the govern
ment is the queen. with her cabinet. The
queen is rather a fgurehead. the cabiNet
doing the work. This has eight members,
much after the fashion Of President ROose-
Velts cabinet, save that here there is a
minister OF public works and
including the waterstaat, and a minister of
the colonies. Each OF the members OF the
cabinet gets 5000 a year.
You have all heard OF the b~urgomasters.
They have a part in nearly every Dutch
story, and the usual idea OF them is that
they are old fellows in long coats, full
W H~olo anu Qudlul ndtS,
with pipes a yard long in their mouths.
1t is supposed that they preside over the
cities or villages rather than the country
districts. The real b~urgOmaster Of today
is more likely a young man OF 80 or 20
than one OF 60 or 20, and IL he belongs to
one OF the cities his dress is such that it
would not look out of place In any city OF
the United States. Indeed the better class
OF citizens dress the same here as they do
at home, the old Dutch costumes being
confined TO the country. The burgomasters
are appointed by the queen, although they
are paid by the localities which they gov
ern. They do not make the laws, but
merely aid in carrying them out.
The real local government of Holland Is
much the same as that of the United
States. The country is divided up into
or local districts according TO
population. Sometimes a commune will he
only a part Of a city, like one OF our city
wards. or II may be a village and again II
may be a village and country combined.
There are 1000 such here. each
OF which has its own council elected by
It's citizens. These councils have to do
with certain classes OF taxes. They issue
licenses and levy petty dues. They rexu-
late the streets and roads, and for the
Uses OF the commune can add to the taxes
on property and on rents or on the number
OF chimneys or the number Of servants a
man has as we'll as to the many other
things for which the Dutch are taxed.
There are also provincial or state coan-
ellis. Holland has eleven provinces ana
each province has its own representative