The etymology of the name and the origin of the town are equally uncertain, and there is not a single monument of antiquarian interest upon which to found a conjecture. About the beginning of the 16th century Belfast is described as a "town and fortress," but it was in reality a mere fishing-village in the hands of the house of O'Neil. This sept had all along been opposed to the English, and had forfeited every baronial right; but in 1552 Hugh O'Neil of Clandeboye promised allegiance to the reigning monarch, and obtained the castle of Carrickfergus, the town and fortress of Belfast, and all the surrounding lands. His turbulent successors having been routed by the English, the town and fortress fell into the hands of Sir Thomas Smyth, a favourite of Queen Elizabeth, but were afterwards forfeited by him to the Lord-Deputy Sir Arthur Chichester, who, in 1612, was created Baron Chichester. At this time the town consisted of about 120 houses, mostly built of mud and covered with thatch, while the castle, a twostoried building, was roofed with shingles. In 1632 Thomas Wentworth, Earl Stafford, was appointed first lord-deputy of Ireland, and Belfast soon shared largely in the benefits of his enlightened policy, receiving, among other favours, certain fiscal rights which his lordship had purchased from the corporation of Carrickfergus. Two years after the rebellion of 1641 a rampart was raised round the town, pierced by four gates on the land side. In 1662, as appears by a map still extant, there were 150 houses within the wall, forming five streets and as many lanes; and the upland districts around were one dense forest of giant oaks and sycamores, yielding an unfailing supply of timber to the woodmen of Carrickfergus.

Throughout the succeeding fifty years the progress of Belfast surpassed that of most other towns in Ireland. Its merchants, in 1686, owned forty ships, of a total carrying power of 3300 tons, and the customs collected were close upon £20,000. When King William arrived at Belfast in 1690 there were only two places of worship in the town, the old corporation church in the High Street, and the Presbyterian meeting-house in Rosemary Lane, the Roman Catholics not being permitted to build their chapels within the walls of corporate towns.

At the commencement of the 18th century Belfast had become known as a place of considerable trade, and what was then thought a handsome, thriving, and well-peopled town, with many new houses and good shops. During the civil commotions which so long afflicted the country, it suffered less than most other places; and it soon afterwards attained the rank of the "greatest town for trade in the north of Ireland." James Blow and Co. introduced letterpress printing in 1696, and in 1704 issued the first copy of the Bible produced in the island. In September 1737, Henry and Robert Joy started the Belfast News Letter, which not only still maintains its existence, but has long been at the head of the Irish Conservative press. Twenty years afterwards the town contained 1800 houses and 8549 inhabitants, 556 of the latter being members of the Church of Rome. It was not, however, till 1789 that Belfast obtained the regular communication, which towns of less importance already enjoyed, with Dublin by stage coach, a fact which is to be explained by the badness of the roads and the steepness of the hills between Newry aud Belfast.

The increased freedom of trade with which Ireland was favoured, the introduction of the cotton manufacture by Robert Joy in 1777, the establishment in 1791 of shipbuilding on an extensive scale by William Ritchie, an energetic Scotchman, combined with the rope and canvas manufacture already existing, supplied the inhabitants with employment, and increased the demand for skilled labour. The population now made rapid strides as well by ordinary

extension as by immigration from the rural districts. At the close of last century there were about 20,000 inhabitants in the borough, and this total had risen in 1821 to 37,277, in 1831 to 53,287, in 1811 to 70,447, in 1851 to 87,062, in 1861 to 121,602, and in 1871 to 174,412— males 79,815, and females 94,597. In 1875 the population is estimated at 200,000. At the last census the following were the religious professions of the population, viz., Presbyterian, 60,249; Catholic, 55,675; Episcopal, 46,423; Methodist, 6775; Unitarian, 1498; and various, 3892. The number of persons who could read and write at the same date was 95,986; who could read, only 71,700; and who were illiterate, 46,726, or about 27 per cent. of the whole. The number of houses in 1871 amounted to 29,918, viz, inhabited, 27,961; uninhabited, 1761; and building 196.

Belfast Lough is exceedingly picturesque, whether entered by the Antrim or by the Down side of the channel. The outer harbour is one of the safest in the kingdom, great improvements having been made within the last thirty years on the more immediate entrance to the port. The course of the Lagan, which runs past the quays and down to Gramoyle, was originally most tortuous and somewhat difficult to navigate; but, about 1840, the late William Dargan was employed to make a straight cut from the lower part of the harbour and to deepen the channel, so that ships of large draught can be brought to the quays, which extend for about a mile below Queen's Bridge on both sides of the river. There are also seven extensive docks and tidal basins supplied with the necessary conveniencies for the shipping. The following table of vessels entered inwards shows the increase of shipping frequenting the port:

The exports from Belfast being largely conveyed by steamer to London, Liverpool, and Glasgow, and thence trans-shipped to their destinations, do not appear in the Board of Trade returns, as only the direct business with foreign countries, which does not reach any considerable amount, is registered in those tables. Thus other ports get credit for business which really belongs to Belfast. The best illustration of this is afforded by the Board of Trade returns for 1858. Belfast is there stated to have exported goods that year to the amount of £9,311, while the actual sum was £8,569,504. In 1810 the total value of exports was £2,904,820, and in 1835 £4,341,794; in 1852 the amount was £6,573,198, and for 1866 it ran up to £11,915,000. For some years past no official data have been published on this subject, but it may be safely estimated that the gross value of the exports from Belfast exceeds £20,000,000 annually.

The amount of customs and excise collected at the port in 1762 was £32,900, and in 1810 the sum was £428,174. As trade increased with London and Liverpool, a large share of the duties on goods disposed of in Belfast was paid to the merchants of those ports. In 1821 the customs amounted to £306,243, and in 1848 to £376,767. The customs paid in Belfast in 1851 reached £369,415, which, added to that paid in London and Liverpool (£184,750), made a total of £554,165. During the year 1874 the duty paid in Belfast on tea, wine, spirits, and tobacco, amounted to £1,215,191.

For nearly a century past the flax manufacture of Ulster

has been gradually concentrating itself in Belfast. troduction there in 1830, by T. and A. Mulholland, of machinery for the spinning of linen yarn, was followed by a rapid extension of the industry, and in 1811 there were 240,000 spindles at work. The succeeding ten years showed still greater increase. In 1851 there were 561,000 spindles in operation throughout Ireland, 630,000 in 1861, and 903,000 in 1871, of which about four-fifths had been set up in Belfast. Linen yarns from Belfast form a considerable item in the total export of manufactures. For some time after the trade was started, the average annual export was only about 1,000,000 lb weight; but in 1850 five times that quantity was despatched; in 1862, 15,685,600 lb, and in 1864, 24,075,520 ib.

The weaving of linen by means of power-looms, though long carried on in Dundee, Leeds, and other great seats of manufacture, is of comparatively recent introduction into Belfast,-being hardly known there five-and-twenty years ago. In 1859, however, there were 3000 looms engaged; in 1866 there were 10,500, and that number has now (1875) increased to about 12,500. A number of these

have been fitted up for the damask trade, but the great proportion are used for plain linens, "sets" of which of great fineness are worked. The extent of the linen trade may be indicated by the number of persons employed, which amounted in 1871 to 8507, or about 5 per cent. of the population.

Cotton-spinning, which at one period formed a most extensive industry in Belfast, has greatly fallen off,-nearly all the mills having been converted to the spinning of flax. The enterprise of the citizens of Belfast was well supported by the liberal system of tenure for building purposes granted by the late Lord Donegall and his predecessors. Sites for mills, factories, and other public works were obtained on very reasonable terms, and for all religious and charitable objects those lords of the soil bestowed ground free of rent. In 1851 the places of worship in Belfast open for service belonged-11 to the Episcopalians, 21 to Presbyterians, 8 to Wesleyans, and 4 to Roman Catholics. Since then there has been a large increase in the number; and there are now 19 Episcopalian churches, 28 Presbyterian, 16 Wesleyan Methodist, 6 Roman Catholic, 3 Unitarian, and 7 or 8 belonging to various other sects.

The River Lagan is crossed by three bridges, of which the principal is the Queen's Bridge, opened in January 1843, and built on the site of the Old Long Bridge, which dated from 1686. Like most modern towns which have rapidly risen through commerce and manufactures, Belfast cannot boast of many architectural beauties. It would seem as if its people had been too deeply absorbed in the bustle of business to think of asthetic superfluities. More recently, however, a higher style of building has been adopted; and some of the warehouses and shops show great taste in design and finish of workmanship.

Belfast is governed by a corporation of 40 membersa mayor, 10 aldermen, and 29 councillors; and all matters connected with the docks and shipping are under the harbour commissioners, an important body elected by the ratepayers. The borough returns two members to parliament, and the county assizes are held there, as well as the quarter sessions, recorder's court, and petty sessions. BELFORT, BÉFORT, or BEDFORT, a second-class fortified town of France, was formerly in the department of Upper Rhine, and capital of an arrondissement; but since the peace of 1871, it has given name to a separate territory not as yet incorporated with any department. It is situated on the left bank of the Sauvoureuse, 38 miles S.S.W. of Colmar, at the intersection of several important roads and railways, by which it maintains a considerable trade with Germany and Switzerland. It contains a handsome church, St Cristophe, erected in the 18th century,—a college, a large public library, a synagogue, a theatre, and an hospital. There are several iron foundries, and iron-wire and tin-plate factories; and the manufacture of hats and leather is also carried on. Belfort, however, derives its chief importance from the citadel and entrenched camp, which render it one of the most valuable military posts on the French frontier, defending as they do the entrance into the country through the opening between the Vosges and the Jura. The citadel dates from the 13th century, and the town itself was first regularly fortified in 1688 by Vauban. In November 1870 siege was laid to the place by the German forces, but the French garrison managed to hold out till the 16th of February 1871, when they capitulated with the sanction of the Government, and marched out with the honours of war. The conquerors finally evacuated the place in July 1871. At the census of 1872 the population of the town was found to be 8014.

BELGÁM [BELGAUM], a district of British India in the Bombay Presidency, extending from 15° 30' to 16° 15' N. lat., and 74° to 76° 30′ E. long. It is bounded on the N. by the state of Miraj, on the N.E. by the Raládgi collectorate, on the E. by the states of Jámkhandi and Mudhol, on the S. by the collectorates of Dharwár and Kánará, on the S.W. by the Portuguese territory of Goa, and on the W. by the states of Sawantwári and Kolhapur. The principal rivers, none of which are navigable, are the Krishna, flowing through the northern; the Ghátaprabhá, through the centre; and the Máláprabhá, through the southern portion of the collectorate. To the N. and E. the country is open and well cultivated, but to the S. it is intersected by spurs of the Sahyadri range, thickly covered in some places with forest. Area, 4591 square miles. Population, 938,750 souls, or 204 to the square mile; 57 per cent. Hindus, 75 per cent. Mahometans, 5 per cent. Buddhists, 5 Christians, and 01 Parsis. Marathi and Kanarese are both spoken, the former chiefly in the W. and S. of the district, and the latter in the N. and E. The chief occupation of the people is agriculture, the other industries being spinning and weaving, manufactures in wood and metals, pottery, and shoemaking. There is also a considerable trade in cloth and silk. The principal agricultural

The chief educational establishments are the Royal Academical Institution, the Queen's College (built of brick in the Tudor style and opened in 1849), the Government School of Design, the General Assembly's College, the Catholic Institute, and the Wesleyan Institute; and altogether, in proportion to its extent, no town in the king

barley, and pulses. Tobacco is cultivated to a small extent. The entire revenue of the district amounts to £233,371, of which £179,321 is derived from the land revenue, and £17,597 from the local fund cess. Of the remainder £15,444 is derived from stamps, £14,996 from excise, assessed taxes yield £2344, and forests £3669. area of 4591 square miles, 1894 63 square miles are returned as cultivable, and 1729-7, or 37 per cent. of the III. 65

total area, are actually under cultivation. The last settlement of the land revenue was made for a period of thirty years at various times between 1848 and 1864. The total imperial expenditure in the district amounts to £98,097. The following towns have a population of more than 5000 inhabitants:-Belgaum, 26,947; Gohak, 12,612; Athani, 11,588; Nipáni, 9371; Temkanmardi, 5296; Hougal, 9001; Sankeshwar, 8905; Sawadáti, 8180; Murgod, 7181; Ketur, 7166; Sádalgi, 6863; Mánoli, 6232; Chikadi, 6184; Nandighar, 5748; Hukéri, 5364; and Konganoli, 5143. Municipalities have been established in the first five of these towns, the necessary revenue being raised by octroi dues, except in the case of Temkanmardi,

BE

where a house tax has been levied. The district contains 113 schools, with an attendance of 7624 pupils, or 0.8 of the entire population. Of the total number of schools, 2, with an attendance of 198 pupils, are private institutions, receiving Government aid. There is a stipendiary police of 684 men. The Kurirs, a wandering and thieving tribe, the Kamais, professional burglars, and the Báruds, cattlestealers and highwaymen, are special criminal classes. these the Báruds are the most troublesome. The district of Belgám was ceded to the East India Company by the Peshwa, under the treaty of June 1817, for the maintenance of a subsidiary force to be provided by the British Government.

ELGIUM (Fr. Belgique, Ger. Belgien), is one of the smaller of the European states, among which it ranks 16th in point of area and 8th according to population. It lies between lat. 49° 30′ and 51° 30' N., and long. 2° 32′

and 6° 7′ E.; and is bounded on the N. by Holland, E. by Dutch Limbourg, Luxembourg, and Rhenish Prussia, S. and S.W. by France, and N. W. by the North Sea. It is somewhat triangular in form, the longest side-that which

adjoins France-being 384 miles in length. The length of its other boundaries are,-towards Holland 268 miles, Germany 59, Luxembourg 80, and the North Sea 41. Its greatest length from N.W. to S.E. (from Ostend to Arlon) is 174 miles, and its greatest breadth from N. to S. 105. It has an area of 2,945,593 hectares, equal to 7,278,968 English acres, or 11,373 square miles,-being about one-eighth of the area of Great Britain. This country is divided into nine provinces,-Antwerp in the N., West and East

Flanders and Hainault in the W., Namur in the S., Luxembourg in the S.E., Liége and Limbourg in the E., and Brabant in the centre.

Belgium is in general a very flat country having few Physica elevations, and these rarely exceeding 2000 feet in height, feature: They are principally to be found in the E. and S.E., while the N. and N. W. parts of the country bear a considerable resemblance to Holland. The elevations of Belgium take their rise in France, and extend generally in a N.E. direc

tion. A chain proceeding from the neighbourhood of the sources of the Saone separates the waters of the Meuse from those of the Moselle, passes Arlon and Neufchateau, then extends in a north-eastern direction towards Bastogne, and finally enters Prussia. A branch of this chain goes off at Neufchateau, proceeds northward towards Liége, passes St Hubert, and separates the Ourthe from the Meuse. A part of the Ardennes also extends into Belgium, and separates the basin of the Meuse from that of the Scheldt. It proceeds in a north-eastern direction, passing Fontaine l'Evêque, Gembloux, Ramillies, and Tongres, then, gradually decreasing in height, it turns northward to Asch, and afterwards N.W. to Hechtal, Lommel, and Turnhout. A series of heights on the frontier of France, near Chimay, extends in a N.W. direction towards Namur, and separates the Meuse from the Sambre.

The provinces of Liége, Luxembourg, and Namur present the greatest irregularities of surface. This part of the country is intersected by numerous ravines and streams with steep and rocky banks, by deep valleys, and by ridges of hills, which often have precipitous and rocky escarpments. The vegetation here is of a very poor and languid character. The greater part of the region is covered with dense forests, marshy and uncultivated plateaus or poor pasture land, and corn is very rarely cultivated. Descending towards the coast the forests become less extensive; and rye, oats, and potatoes take the place of the pasture land. In the western and north-western provinces are extensive and well-watered plains, which, from their great fertility and the high state of their cultivation, are the boast of the Belgians and the admiration of strangers.

In the provinces bordering on the sea the land is in some places so low as to require to be protected from inundation by dikes. These parts are called polders. Numerous places along the banks of the rivers are also protected by embankments; these are called interior polders. About a sixtieth part of the kingdom (50,000 hectares, or 193 square miles) is thus artificially gained

from the sea and rivers.

The coast of Belgium is said to be undergoing a change similar to that of Scandinavia,-in some parts a gradual elevation, and in others a gradual depression. Nieuport is said to be on the axis of this change, from which, northward to the mouth of the Scheldt, the sea is continually gaining upon the land, while southward to Pas de Calais it is losing. The principal rivers are the Scheldt, Meuse, and Yzer, with their tributaries. The Scheldt is navigable during its entire course through Belgium, and has a general direction from S.W. to N.E., passing through the province of Hainault, along the eastern boundary of West Flanders, traversing East Flanders, and finally forming the boundary between the provinces of East Flanders and Antwerp. Its entire length through Belgium is 108 miles. The Meuse has a course nearly parallel to that of the Scheldt, traversing the provinces of Namur, Liége, and Limbourg. It is 115 miles in length, during the whole of which it is navigable. The small river of Yzer, which enters the sea at Nieuport, is navigable for about 26 miles. The navigable rivers, connected with the Scheldt are, the Dyle, which after receiving the Nethe at the village of Rumpst, takes the name of Ruppel, and joins the Scheldt nearly opposite to Ruppelsmonde; the Great and Little Nethe, which after their junction take the name of Nethe, and fall into the Dyle; the Demer, also an affluent of the Dyle; the Dender, which enters the Scheldt at Dendermonde; the Durme, which joins it near Thielrode; and the Lys at Ghent. The entire navigable length of these streams is 230 English miles. The navigable rivers of the Meuse are the Amblere and the Vesdre, affluents of the Ourthe; the Ourthe, which joins the Meuse at Liége; and the Sambre, which joins it

at Namur.
at Namur. The navigable length of these is 142 miles.
The small river of Yperlee, which joins the Yzer, is navigable
for about 9 miles. The other streams are the Senne, the
Haine, the Semoy, and the Lesse.

Besides these navigable rivers, Belgium has a number of Canals. canals for inland navigation, some of which are used also for irrigation. They are twenty-nine in number, and their entire length is 605,440 metres, or 376 English miles. The principal of these are the canals-from Bruges to Ostend, from Brussels to Charleroi, from Bocholt to Herenthal, from Brussels to Willebroeck, from Ghent to Bruges, from Liége to Maestricht, from Maestricht to Bois-le-Duc, from Pommeroeul to Antoing, from Plasschendaele to Nieuport, the Louvain canal, the Lieve, and the Moevaert. Each of these canals is upwards of 12 miles in length, and the longest, that from Brussels to Charleroi, upwards of 46 miles. The entire length of the river and canal navigation of Belgium is 1006 English miles.

Belgium possesses a number of mineral springs, the principal of which are the hot springs of Chaudfontaine, situated about five miles from Liége, and the mineral spring of Tongres; but the most celebrated waters are those of Spa. The ferruginous springs of Huy were formerly in considerable repute, but are now little used.

The climate of Belgium is similar to that of England, Climate. but is a little colder in winter and hotter in summer. In the south-eastern parts the atmosphere is more pure and bracing than in the lower parts towards the N.W., where it is frequently damp and hazy. Frost rarely appears before the middle of October or after the middle of April. Observations made at Brussels from 1833 to 1872 give the mean annual temperature as 50°.6 Fahr.,-the mean maximum being 57°2, and the mean minimum 441 Fahr. During that period there were no frosts in the five months from May to September inclusive, and snow fell only eight times in May and four times in October. The average number of foggy days annually, from 1833 to 1862, was 60, and with thunder 15. The annual average of days on which rain fell was 197, and the quantity of rain 28.04 inches, or 3 inches less than the rainfall at London.

The population of Belgium in 1831 was 3,785,814; in Population. 1840, 4,073,162; in 1850, 4,426,202; in 1860, 4,731,957, and in 1873, 5,253,821, being 2,645,147 males and 2,608,674 females. The following table shows the population of the different provinces in each of the years 1831, 1850, and 1873 (31st December) :

3,785,814 4,426,202 5,253,821

The principal towns are-Brussels, with 180,172 inhabitants; Antwerp, 141,910; Ghent, 128,424; Liége, 113,774; Bruges, 48,113; Verviers, 38,875; Tournay, 31,923; Malines, 38,540; Louvain, 32,314.

Belgium is the most densely populated country of Europe, having on an average 178 inhabitants to the square kilometre, which is equivalent to 461 to the square mile. The density differs greatly in the several provinces, being as high as 285 per square kilometre in East Flanders, 281 in Brabant, and 250 in Hainault; and as low as 86 in Namur, 84 in Limbourg, and 47 in Luxembourg. The general census of 1866 gives 134,001 as under one year of age; 549,077 between one and five years, and 494,332 between five and ten; while 299,711 were from sixty to seventy, 115,216 from seventy to eighty, 23,890 from eighty to ninety, 1292 from ninety to a hundred, and 12 a hundred and upwards. The number of

unmarried persons was 3,011,566, of married persons 1,528,543, of widowers and widows 287,724. As regards their places of birth, 3,348,506 had been born in the same commune in which they lived; 1,381,231 had been born in another commune of the same province; 288,672 had been born in another province of the kingdom, 13,044 in the ceded districts of Luxembourg or Limbourg, 26,435 in other parts of Holland, 32,021 in France, 20,701 in Germany, 3003 in England, and 2892 in other countries. In 1873 the births were 170,708, being 87,128 males, and 83,580 females, or 104 males to 100 females,-giving one birth to every 30-3 of the population, and 151 births to a hundred deaths. Of the births 158,585 were legitimate and 12,123 illegitimate, or 13 legitimate births to 1 illegitimate. The proportion, however, varies much in the different provinces, being 7 5 to 1 in Brabant, and 37 to 1 in Luxembourg. The number of marriages that took place was 40,598, and of deaths 112,873. Of the latter, 24,282 were under one year, and 16,730 between one and five years of age; 315 males and 62 females were by suicide, 2068 were from accidents, and 69 were murdered. The immigrations were 15,792, and the emigrations 7981.

The languages spoken in Belgium are French or Walloon (a dialect of the ancient French), and Flemish or Dutch. French is the language of the upper and educated classes, and is generally understood even in the Flemish parts of the kingdom. In 1866 those speaking French or Walloon amounted to 2,041,784; Flemish or Dutch, 2,406,991; French and Flemish, 308,361; German, 35,356; French and German, 20,448; Flemish and German, 1625; and the three languages, 4966. The French or Walloon is the prevailing language in the provinces of Hainault, Liége, Luxembourg, and Namur; the Flemish or Dutch in Antwerp, Brabant, the two Flanders, and Limbourg.

Since the formation of Belgium into an independent state, the Government has taken a laudable interest in all that concerns the advancement and happiness of the people; and not being trammelled by a respect for old laws or useless customs, it has adopted, as far as possible, the most improved systems of other countries. The whole system of government is based upon the broadest principles of rational freedom and liberality. All power emanates from the people, and can be exercised only according to law. The people are upon a strict equality in the eye of the law; personal liberty is guaranteed to all, as well as entire freedom in opinion and in religious worship. All the religious sects are endowed by the state, and large grants are also given annually for educational and charitable purposes. Home is inviolable, nor can any one be deprived of his property unless for the good of the state and for a suitable indemnity. Justice is open to all, as well as the means of education, and the benefits of the public charities. The press is free, and civil death is abolished. Any one may address petitions to the public authorities signed by one or more persons. Trial by jury is established for all criminal and political charges, and for offences of the press. The contents of letters are inviolable, and the post-office is responsible for all letters committed to it.

The government is a constitutional representative and hereditary monarchy. The legislative power is vested in the king, the chamber of representatives, and the senate. The judicial power is exercised by fixed tribunals, freed from all authoritative influences, judging publicly, and assigning reasons for their decisions. Affairs exclusively provincial or communal are managed by the provincial or communal councils

The royal succession is in the direct male line in the order of primogeniture, to the exclusion of females and their descendants. The king's person is declared sacred, and his ministers are held responsible for the acts of the Government. No act of the king can have effect unless countersigned by one of his ministers, who thus becomes the responsible party. The king convokes, prorogues, and dissolves the chambers, and makes rules and orders necessary for the execution of the laws, but has no power to suspend or dispense with the execution of the laws

themselves. He nominates to civil and military offices, and commands the sea and land forces. He declares war, and concludes treaties of peace, of alliance, and of commerce, communicating the same to the chambers as far as may be consistent with the interest and safety of the state. He sanctions and promulgates the laws, and has the power of remitting or reducing the punishments pronounced by the judges, except in the case of his ministers, to whom he can extend pardon only at the request of one of the chambers. In default of male heirs the king may nominate his successor with the consent of the chambers. The regency can only be conferred upon one person, and no change in the constitution can be made under his rule.

The people are represented in the Legislature by the Chamber Chamber of Representatives and the Senate, the members of which are chosen by the people. Each chamber determines the manner of exercising its own powers, and every session nominates its president and vice-presidents, and forms its bureau. No petition can be presented personally; and every resolution is adopted by the absolute majority, except in some special cases, when two-thirds of the votes of the members are required to be favourable; in the case of an equality of votes the proposition is thrown out. The chambers meet annually in the month of November, and should sit for at least forty days; but the king has the power of convoking them on extraordinary occasions, and of dissolving them either simultaneously or separately. On dissolution a new election must take place within forty days, and a meeting of the chambers within two months. An adjournment cannot be made for a period exceeding one month without the consent of the chambers.

The Chamber of Representatives is composed of deputies Chamber chosen directly by the people paying a certain amount of Represen direct taxes. The number of deputies is fixed according to tives. the population, and cannot exceed one member for every 40,000 inhabitants; at present they amount to 124. To be eligible for membership it is necessary to be a Belgian by birth or to have received the grand naturalization, to be in the possession of the civil and political rights of the kingdom, to have attained the age of twenty-five years, and to be resident in Belgium. The members not residing in the town where the chamber sits receive, during the session, an indemnity of 200 florins (£16, 13s. 4d.) each per month. half going out every two years, except in the case of a dissolution, when a general election takes place. This chamber has the parliamentary initiative and the preliminary vote in all cases relating to the receipts and expenses of the state, and to the contingent of the army.

The members are elected for four years, one

The electors of the Chamber of Representatives have Senate. also the nomination of the members of the Senate. To be eligible as a senator it is necessary to be a Belgian by birth or to have received the grand naturalization, to be in the enjoyment of civil and political rights, to be domiciled in Belgium, to be forty years of age, and to pay at least 1000 florins (£84) of direct taxes. In those provinces where the number of those paying 1000 florins of taxes does not amount to one in every 6000 inhabitants, this proportion is made up by those paying the highest amount below that sum. The permanent deputations of the provincial councils annually prepare a list of those who are eligible to the Senate. In 1874 the number of these was 453. At the age of eighteen the heir-presumptive to the throne has a seat in the Senate, but he has no voice in its deliberations till he attain the age of twenty-five. The senators receive no indemnity. They are elected for eight years, one-half going out every four years, except in the case of a dissolution. The Senate is composed of half as many members as the Chamber of Representatives, the number at present being 62.