Parallelepipède, we are told that‹ Un plan diagonal divise un parallelepipède en deux prismes triangulaires égaux; c'est pourquoi un prisme triangulaire n'est que la moitié d'un parallelepipède de même base et de même hauteur. As the author's rules for practical arithmetical operations much resemble his definitions and illustrations, we will give only the following: Pour trouver le diamètre, l'aire d'un cercle étant donné; aux trois nombres 785, 1000, et 246,176, trouvez une quatrième proportionelle, savoir 3,113,600, qui est le carré du decimètre; tirez-en la racine carrée, vous aurez le diamètre même.'

We trust that these examples, without entering farther on the subject, will fully justify the strong expressions which we have used in the preceding part of this article.

The defects in the scientific articles, however, great as they are, form not the most objectionable part of the present performance. The author scruples not to tell us that the genius of man is as powerful as the Deity, and that he has done as much towards the civilization of the world. We will give one specimen of the writer's philosophy, with which we must conclude this article:

Can I rely securely on the order that reigns in nature, when I lay myself down on an inflamed volcano? when the impetuosity of the winds desolates my fields, roots up my trees, and destroys my houses? when I see a river in an instant change its direction, accumulating its waters from immense tributary streams? when a storm, carrying thunderbolts and hail in its train, inundates my fields, kills my flocks, annihilate's my harvests, and strikes innocent victims with death? when, in short, every imaginable scourge, coming to disturb my tranquillity, makes war on my existence? Has not nature put obstacles to the communications that men ought to have with each other? Do not seas, mountains, and rivers, separate nations? But man has vanquished nature; he has, as we may say, dispersed these remains of chaos; his genius, as powerful as the Deity, has enchained the elements, fixed limits to the waters, and made mountains disappear which opposed themselves to the progress of society.'

We shall make no comment on this extract, which we have selected merely for the purpose of giving the reader a fair sample of the science and the piety of M. DELAISTre.

ART. IX. La Constitution, &c.; i.e. The Constitution of the United Provinces of the Netherlands, translated from the Dutch. 8vo. pp. 64. Paris. 1814.

THE

HE number of political changes among the phlegmatic inhabitants of the Batavian provinces, in the present age, has been nearly as great as among our volatile neighbours on

the

the south side of the Channel. About thirty years ago, the Patriots or Anti-Orangists obtained a temporary ascendency, from which they were in 1787 completely driven by the decisive interference of a Prussian army: in 1795, the Orangists were removed in their turn: in 1806, a finish was given to republican forms by the introduction of a king; and in 1810, royalists, patriots, and Orangists were all involved in one common overthrow, and compressed under the inexorable grasp of Bonaparte. The fatal march to Moscow produced a state of circumstances, which enabled the forlorn Hollanders once more to assume the appearance of legislating for themselves; and the present constitution is the result of the labours of the Orangists, supported by the arms of the allies, and conducted in direct cor respondence with the views of England. We extract the substance of the leading dispositions of this constitution, and shall distinguish them under specific heads:

Executive Power. The sovereignty of the United Provinces of the Low Countries is vested in his Royal Highness the Prince of Orange and Nassau, and his legitimate issue. All children of a marriage contracted with the consent of the States-General shall be deemed legitimate. The sovereignty descends by right of primoge niture, and goes, in default of issue on the part of the eldest son, to the brothers or their male heirs. Should the present Sovereign die without issue, the succession goes to his sister, Princess Wilhelmina, or to her lawful issue.

The income of the Sovereign shall be 1,500,000 guilders, (135,000l. sterling,) of which one third is to arise from land, and the rest from land or the public stocks. The hereditary Prince (the eldest son of the Sovereign) shall bear the title of Royal Highness, with an income of 100,000 guilders a-year (9000l. sterling). He shall attain majority at the age of eighteen.

The Sovereign exercises the Executive power in all public affairs, after having submitted them to the consideration of the council of state. This council shall consist of twelve members, nominated and subject to removal by the Sovereign. The hereditary Prince is by birth intitled to sit in the council; and other princes of the blood may be introduced by the Sovereign, but without making any diminution in the number of the other members. The Sovereign establishes the different offices of the ministers, and appoints or removes the latter at his pleasure. He may introduce one or more of them into the council of State. With regard to the colonies, the power of the Sovereign is exclusive. The power of declaring war or of making peace is vested likewise in him, subject to a notice to be given to the States-General.

The Sovereign has the sole right of concluding treaties and alli ances, as well as of appointing ambassadors and consuls. He has likewise the exclusive direction of the land and sea-forces, appointing the officers, and removing and granting them half-pay or pension at his pleasure. He has moreover the direction of the finances, p

pointing and fixing the salaries of all civil officers paid by the state. He has farther the right of granting titles of knighthood; and, should he desire to create an order of knights distinct from those that are already established in the different Provinces, he shall be at liberty to propose a law for that purpose to the States-General. No native of Holland can accept a foreign title or office without the Sovereign's consent.-The Sovereign has the power of bringing in Bills to be passed into laws by the States-General, as well as of giving his assent or negative to bills originating in that body. His assent is expressed by the words, "The Sovereign Prince accepts the bill ;" and his refusal by saying, "The Sovereign Prince will take the bill into consideration." The Sovereign grants pardons, or mitigates the sentences passed on criminals, after having heard the high court of the United Provinces. In addition to the cases in which the Sovereign has the power of dispensing with existing laws, he may exercise a farther dispensing power in a case of urgency during the prorogation of the States-General; subject, however, to the condition of hearing the opinion of the high court, and of communicating his reasons to the States-General on their first meeting.

· States-General. - The States-General are the representatives of the Dutch nation, which consists of the seven United Provinces of Guelderland, Holland, Zealand, Utrecht, Friesland, Over-Yssel, and Groningen, with the two districts of Drenthe and Dutch Brabant.

The assembly of the States-General shall consist of fifty-five members, returned by the local governments of the respective provinces, in the following proportions:

-

The members shall continue to sit during three years, and shall be renewed only in the proportion of one third, agreeably to a specific table; the present members all remaining until the first of November 1817. The members going out are eligible to be returned forthwith. The Sovereign Prince shall be empowered to bring in a Bill providing for the election, from among the gentry and knights of each province, of a proportion of the members of the States-General, to the amount of at least a fourth of the whole assembly. None are eligible as members of the States-General except Dutchmen of the age of thirty or upwards, living in the province in which their elec tion shall take place, and not more nearly related than the third de-. gree of consanguinity. No member of the States-General can hold the place of a judge, or of public accountant, or have any responsibility. with regard to the public money. No officer of the army or navy, below the rank of superior officer, is admissible into the States-General: but any other public functionary of the higher class may be elected.

The States-General bear the title of "Noble and powerful Lords." Each member has an annual salary of 2,500 guilders, (2251.

sterling,)

sterling,) and their votes are given according to their individual opinions, without waiting for instructions from their constituents. The States-General meet at least once in a year, and on the call of the Sovereign whenever he conceives it to be necessary. The cus

tomary opening of their annual sitting shall be on the first Monday of November; and their sitting shall be opened by the Sovereign, or by a commission appointed by him for that purpose. - The prorogation takes place in the same manner, and is directed by the Prince whenever he thinks that the affairs of state admit a suspension of their attendance.

The president or speaker of the States-General is nominated by the Sovereign from a list of three candidates presented by the States. General, and his appointment continues during the whole session.

The States-General are intitled to present laws for the approhation of the Sovereign, and their consent is requisite in the case of all money-bills. The latter shall be brought before them at the begin ning of the usual session, and be of two kinds :- the first containing the ordinary peace-expenditure, and subject consequently to little variation; the second containing the extraordinary and varying expences, particularly those of a state of war. The latter are granted for one year only. The Sovereign renders an account to the StatesGeneral of the appropriation of the public money; no part of which can be applied to any other use than the one that is specially pointed out.'

The several provinces constituting the Dutch confederacy have always been distinguished from each other by differences of considerable moment. At the time of the first formation of the confederacy, above two centuries ago, it was judged prudent to consult the feeling consequent on this state of things, by giving to the republic the form rather of a league than of an amalgamated body; and to such a length was provincial independence carried, that the separate assent of each of the seven members of the association was necessary for the purpose of sanctioning the declaration of war, the conclusion of peace, the formation of an alliance, or any other measure of primary importance. The inconvenience and disadvantage attending this multiplicity of references are strikingly exemplified in the Memoirs of Sir William Temple; who takes pleasure in doing justice to the talents with which the lamented De Wit found means to combine the disjointed members of this singular government, so as, in defiance of established forms, to complete the celebrated triple alliance in the space of a few days. Subsequent ministers thus found the way paved for the dispatch of public business, in a manner approaching to the secrecy and expedition of well constituted governments; and the revolution in 1795 removed even the appearance of separation, by putting an end to the provincial assemblies, and blending the representations of all the provinces in one conjunct body. The late change

change retains in reality the effect of this consolidation, while it restores an existence, and an apparent consequence, to the assemblies of the separate provinces. Their authority, however, is confined, as we shall see presently, to matters of local regulation; and it does not, as formerly, extend to questions of general interest in foreign or domestic policy.

Provincial Assemblies, under the title of Provincial States. There shall be local or provincial States, to be elected agreeably to the constitutional charter; the Sovereign appointing a commission in each province or district, for the purpose of giving him the inform ation necessary for local regulations. The Sovereign shall have in each province, or district, commissaries, who shall preside in the pro. vincial assemblies, as well as in any committees to be nominated by these assemblies. In each, town, there shall be appointed elective bodies on the old plan, to be convened once in a year, for the purpose of choosing persons qualified to act as voters or electors in the nomination of magistrates and members of the provincial States. These provincial States assemble at least once in a year, and as much oftener as the Sovereign may deem necessary. They submit to the Sovereign a statement of their local expenditure, which, if approved, is carried to the general budget of the country.

The nomination of the members of the States-General is vested in these provincial governments, who make the returns from among their own body or otherwise, endeavouring as much as possible to take the members out of the separate districts composing the pro

vince.

The jurisdiction of the provincial government comprehends the following objects:-the execution of laws relative to public worship; the public education; the management of the funds of the poor; the protection of trade, agriculture, and manufactures; and in general all affairs of a public kind, which the Prince directs to be brought before them. They are not at liberty to pass any acts in opposition to the general laws, or the common interest of the inhabitants of the United States; for in such an event the Sovereign would have the power of suspending or annulling them. The provincial States take charge of all details of police and local economy; they nominate likewise their officers and servants, and in certain cases draw out lists of candidates for public offices, for the subsequent selection of the Sovereign.

Administration of Justice. Justice is administered throughout the United Provinces in the name and on behalf of the Sovereign. Measures shall be taken for introducing a civil, penal, and commercial code; with explanations of the form of procedure, and the competency of different courts.

A supreme court shall be created, under the title of the " High Court of the United Provinces," the members of which shall be appointed by the States-General nominating three candidates, out of whom the Sovereign shall choose one. To this court are amenable the members of the States-General, the ministers, counsellors of state, and the commissaries of the Sovereign in the provinces, for all delin

5

quencies