Vervins, Treaty of.
A treaty signed in 1598 between Henri IV of France and Philip II of Spain, after the recovery by Henri of Amiens, which had fallen into the hands of the Spaniards. By its terms France recovered all the territory occupied by Spain during the previous ten years, her frontier being restored to that settled by the Treaty of Câteau Cambrésis.
Veto.
Under the Swiss Constitution, the right of the people to reject a law passed by the Assembly, by means of the Referendum.
Veto Act.
An Act passed by the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1834, at the instigation of Dr. Chalmers, declaring it to be a fundamental law of the Church that no pastor could be imposed on a congregation against their will.
Victorian Deadlocks.
These were three in number, caused by attempts to tack on to the Appropriation Bill resolutions of a controversial character. The first occurred in 1865, when the Legislative Council refused to pass the Appropriation Bill with certain tariff resolutions of a protective character appended. The Governor thereupon declined to sign warrants for payments out of the Treasury, and the business of the country was at a standstill. The Government, however, got out of the difficulty by having recourse to the banks. The second or great deadlock arose from the inclusion in the Appropriation Bill of a grant of £20,000 to Sir Charles Darling, the retiring Governor, in 1867. This was ended by the refusal of Sir Charles, in July 1868, to accept the grant. The third arose in 1877 over the question of payment of members, the council again refusing to pass the Appropriation Bill with this provision tacked on. The Government thereupon dismissed a large number of civil servants. A compromise was, however, arrived at, and the officials reinstated. The day on which the dismissals took place is known as Black Wednesday.
Vienna Congress.
A congress of the Great Powers, held in 1814-15, at which Great Britain, France, Austria, Prussia and Russia were represented. It confirmed in its main features the Treaty of Paris of 1815, with the following additional provisions: one-third of the kingdom of Saxony was surrendered to Prussia; the Duchy of Posen was retained by Prussia, and part of Galicia by Austria, while Russia secured the rest of Poland; the Bourbons were restored in Naples, the Tyrol was given back to Austria, and certain arrangements made as to the minor German and Italian States. The Congress further pronounced in favour of the free navigation of rivers, and of the suppression of the slave trade.