HAGUE. 441 HAGUE PEACE CONFEKENCE. of Dutch independence in 1813. It was unveiled in 1801) and is surmounted by the "Nedcrlandsche Maagd" — the virgin personification of Holland. Other monuments are the equestrian statue of William I. of Orange before the royal palace, and the bronze figure of Spinoza, erected opposite the house in which he lived. Still other museums and monuments merit attention. The Government buildings are handsome, and their archives include State papers over four centuries old. From an historic point of view the most interesting buildings of The Hague are the Gevangenpoort, or the prison gatehouse in which Oldenbarnevelt, the brothers De Witt, and many others distinguished in the history of Hol- land were confined; and the Binnenhof, in which Oldenbarnevelt was executed, and which, together with the Buitenhof, forms an irregular mass of public buildings of various ages, inclosed by moats and approaclied by drawbridges. These edifices are situated in the wealthy central quarter of the town around the attractive Vp-er (fish pound) — an ornamental lake, with an island. The fish market is one of the most interesting in Europe. The suburbs are particularly beautiful with their meadows, gardens, woods, and villas. The so-called zoological and botanical garden is almost exclu- sively a pleasure park, and a fine road and five tramways lead to the celebrated watering place of Scheveningen on the coast. The far-famed royal villa of Huis ten Bosch ( The House in the Wood ) , situated on the outskirts of the city in the midst of a noble and much frequented park-forest (het Haagsehe Bosch), has costly and dainty apart- ments filled with fine art objects and rare ex- amples of interior decoration, including tapes- tries, embroideries, and grisailles. The Orange Koom, an octagonal hall decorated with paint- ings by Jordaeiis and others, especially attracts the visitor. The city is provided with good educational institutions, comprising public schools, a gym- nasium, a drawing school, the Eoyal School of Music, and an educational institute of the Free Masons. There are many learned societies, the most notable being The Hague Society for the Defense of the Christian Religion, founded in 1785. Others are the Witte Society, the Physics Society, the artists' association called Pulchri Studio, and the Netherland-lndia Institute. The Hague is a residential city, conspicuous for fash- ionable life. Its prosperity depends chiefly on the Court and nobility and on the throngs of for- eigners that visit the city and Scheveningen. The ^manufactures are neither important nor varied, consisting chiefly of articles of luxury, such as gold and silver work and porcelain. There are some gun-easting and brass and copper molding: and carriages and furniture are also manufac- tured. But little trade is carried on. The city is the starting-point of the railway system of Holland, and has .steam and electric trams. The Hague, like other Dutch towns, has increased rapidlv in population. The fisrures were 81.303 in 18fi3: 174.700 in 1804: and 212.211 in 1000 (including Scheveningen). Two-thirds of the in- li.abitants are Protestants. The death-rate is low — less than 17 per 1000. The Hague was originallv a hunting seat of the counts of Holland. Under William 11. (12,50) it became a princely residence, and prospered thereafter to such an extent as to become, in the sixteenth century, the seat of the States- General and of the Stadtholder of Holland. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries -The Hague was the diplomatic capital of Europe. Here were concluded the triple alliance of Eng- lan<l, Sweden, and the Netherlands against France (1668), and the triple alliance of England, France, and Holland for the preservation of the Treaty of Utrecht (1717). Between May 18 and July 29, 1800, the city was the seat of the Hague Peace Conference ( q.v. ) . Curiously enough. The Hague possessed no municipal rights till the time of Louis Bonaparte, having rcniained for centuries the most magnificent 'vil- lage' in Europe. HAGUE, Arnold (1840—). An American geologist, horn in Boston. He graduated in 1863 at the Sheffield Scientific School of Yale, studied at Gottingen, Heidelberg, and the Freiberg School of Mines, and in 1867 was appointed assistant geologist of the United States Geological Ex- ploration of the Fortieth Parallel. From 1877 to 1878 he was Government geologist of Guatemala, and from 1878 to 1879 government agent for the examination of mines in Northern China. He was a])pointed a geologist of the I'nited States Geological Survey in 1879. and in 1883 was assigned to the Yellowstone Park division. He was elected a member of the National Academy of Sciences in 1885. His publications include: The 'olcanoes of California, Oregon, and Wash- ington Territory (1883) ; The Volcanic h'ocks of the Great Basin (1884) : The Volcanic Rocks of i^iilvador (1886) ; Geologg of the Eureka District ( 1892) ; and Geologi/ of the Ycllotcstone National I'ark (1899). HAGUE, George (1825—). A Canadian banker, born at Rotherham, Y'orkshire, England, where he was also educated. He emigrated to Canada in 1854. and was for twenty years in the employ of the Bank of Toronto '( 1856-76), but afterwards became general manager of the Merchants' Bank. He was first president of the Canadian Bankers' Association and of the Mon- treal Good Government Association, a governor of McGill University, and of the Montreal Diocesan College. He gave liberally to many charitable institutions. Several of his papers on banking and kindred subjects have been published, besides his Personal Reminiscences of the Late E. H. King (1806). HAGUE PEACE CONFERENCE. An in- ternational conference of delegates which as- sembled at The Hague on May 18. 1899, in response to an invitation addressed by the Czar of Russia to the principal States of the civilized world, with a view to concerted action for the maintenance nf a general peace and the ameliora- tion of the hardshijis of war. and with a view to the possible reduction of the military and naval armaments of the world. One hundred delegates, representing the United States. Mex- ico, China, Japan, Persia. Siam. and twenty-one European powers were present. Italy objected to anv representation of the Papacy, and Gi'eat Britain protested against the representation of the Transvaal Republic. It was accordingly decided to restrict participation in the Conference tii States maintaining standing armies or navies. No delegates from the Central or South Ameri- can republics attended. The Conference was in session from May 18 to July 29, and was presided
