HOLLAND
390
HOLLAND
that, in case of insufficient support, they may be
provided for." On 6 January, ISll, it was finally
determined that the French laws and regulations
should be in force in the Dutch departments in so far
as they were compatible with the existing church
organization. In consequence, former regulations in
the main continued.
In 1810 Napoleon himself visited Holland. With the utmost shamelessness he thundered against the clergy at Antwerp, Breda, and elsewhere. The high schools of Franeker and Harderwijk were abandoned permanently, the burying of the dead in churches was forbidden, civil and political rights were defined, and the judiciary was organized. In 1810 Napoleon ordered a census to be taken. Exclusive of a very large part of the present province of Limburg, the population amounted to 1,727,918. Of these 374,856 were Catholics; 1,128,804 were Reformed; the re- mainder consisted of Lutherans, Baptists, and Jews. There were 408 priests, who received from the State, as salary, 14.280 francs, and for the expenses of public worship, 476,069 francs. Besides this they had a revenue of their own amounting to 193,-321 francs. After the defeat of Napoleon at Leipzig on 16 November, 1813, the population of Amsterdam and The Hague revolted against French rule, the French general, Mohtor, left the country, and Napoleon was abjured.
III. The Kingdom.— On 30 November, 1813, Will- iam, son of the last stadtholder, William V, landed at Scheveningen and, as King William I, assumed sovereign authority on the condition that a Constitu- tion would immediately he formulated. This Consti- tution of 1814 was formulated in great haste. Free- dom of wor.ship was granted, but unfortunately there was a fatal condition attached, namely, "the right of inspection and control over those institutions which enjoy assistance or a subsidy from the State" (.A^rticle CXXXIX). The Catholics did not agree to this right of control and of inspection, and refused to accept any subsidy from the State "under such con- ditions". Even after the Ciovernment had, on 16 May, 1814, given out a reassuring declaration, and after Pope Pius VII's pacifying intervention, there remained a su.spicion in the minds of most Catholics. In 1815 Belgium was, in an evil hour, united with Holland under the dominion of William I. Two of the conditions set forth by the Congress of Vienna were that the L^nited Kingilom was to be governed in conformity with the constitution already in exist- ence in Holland, which was to be modified (.Article I), according to circumstances, as follows: "No inno- vation shall be made in the articles of this constitu- tion which assure equal protection and favour to all religions, and [which] guarantee to all citizens, of whatever religious belief, admission to public em- ployments and offices" (.Vrticle II). This article was afterwards violated by the Government.
The modified constitution was submitted to the delegates and, in Holland, imanimously approved. This was not the ca.sc in Belgium, however. It soon became apparent that the Ciovernment was not favourably disposed towards Catholics. Although Belgium suffered most as the result of this attitude, Holland also felt its consequences. That coimtry bad, in 1818, aljout 2,000,000 inhabitants of whom almost 400,000 were Catholics. This was the period of Concordats. In Holland, as well as elsewhere, negotiations with the Holy See were very desirable; but every move in this direction faileil, owing to the ill-will and unfriendly attitude of the Government, which was controlled chiefly by the ministers van Maanen, van Gobbelschroy, and Baron Cioubau, who, in 1815, became chief of the Department of Public Worship. In 1823 Monsignor Ignatius, Coimt Na- salli, came to The Hague and conferred with the au- thorities for almost two years, but he failed to bring
about an understanding. The blame for this failure
was laid upon the Holy Father, who, it was said,
should have been more forbearing. The distrust
increased on both sides. A system of espionage was
inaugurated in regard to the regular clergy. The
Jesuits and the school brothers were no longer toler-
ated. Minister van Maanen worked with great liaste
on an "organization of the Roman Catholic Com-
munion" which was to be put into operation without
the intervention of Rome. The plan proposed four
bishoprics: Utrecht, Bois-le-Duc, Haarlem, and Gron-
ingen, each to have a chapter. The Church in the
Netherlands was to be independent of Rome and
under the sole dominion of the bishops, with the
Metropolitan of LTtrecht in control in Holland. The
plan did not materialize, because a prominent Prot-
estant warned the king against the danger of schism.
On 14 June, 1825, appeared the fatal decrees which
have caused so much evil. The first declared that
all Latin schools and Colleges which were not in
accordance with the law should be closed by 1 Sep-
tember, and that the preparatory seminaries were
to be replaced by boarding schools in connexion with
the institutions of learning where the seminarians
attended lectures. The second announced the found-
ing of the Collegium Philosophicum.
In consequence of the first decree the three pre- paratory seminaries in Holland were abandoned. The inauguration of the Collegium Philo.sophicum, which was to serve as preparatory school to the seminary, took place on 17 October. This college, with a capacity for twelve humlred students, was attended by only 551 students during the whole of its five years existence, of which the northern provinces sent only 15, which was a sure sign that the college was held in detestation. Dissatisfaction among tlie Catholics increased constantly. On 2 September, 1826, Count de Visscher de Celles was made aniljassa- dor extraordinary to the papal court. The pope, on 12 December, named C^irdinal Capellari and Mon- signor Capaccini to represent the Holy See. The negotiations lasted from 2 January to 18 June, 1827. In spite of thousands of obstacles, the concordat was completed, and was signed on the latter date. Of great importance for the North was the decision that bishoprics were to be established at .'\mstcrdam and at Bois-le-Duc, and that each was to have its own seminary and chapter.
Cardinal Capaccini came to Holland to assist with his coun,sel in putting the concordat into operation. He had to conciliate such powerful enemies as van Maanen, van Ghert, and van Gol>l)elsehroy. Never- theless, he obtained almost everything — even the abolition of the Collegium Philosophicum. The last details had not yet been agreed upon, when there broke out at Bnis.sels the uprising by means of which Belgium threw off the yoke of Holland (1830). While in Belgium all the bishops had already been appointed, the king had delayed proviiling for Holland, so that nothing was done. Boi.s-le-l)uc had to wait a long time for its bishop. Amsterdam was destined never to receive one. But the concordat remained in force. After the separation of Holland and Belgium, the religious conditions in Zccland, Dutch Limburg, and Brabant were the first to be settled. Parishes be- longing to the two Dutch provinces were not permitted to form i)art of the Diocese of Liege, which belonged to Belgium. At first there was thought of joining Dutch Limburg to the Vicariate .\postolic of Bois-le- Duc. The Limburgers petitioned not only Rome, but The Hague as well, and Pope (iregory WT, 2 June, 1840, established the Vicariate .\postolic of Limburg. The vicar .Vpostolic took up his residence at Roer- mond. At the same time the vicariate, comprising Cirave, Ravenstein, and Megen, was joined to that of Bois-lc-Duc. Finally, on 19 March, 1841, Gregory XVI issued a Brief embodying in the Vicariate of
