Holland was at this time far behind Belgium in the construction of a system of railroads, to the great hindrance of trade.  A bill, however, proposed by the ministry to remedy this want was rejected by the First Chamber, and Rochussen resigned.  The king again declined to send for Thorbecke; and Van Hall was summoned for the third time to form a ministry.  He succeeded in securing the passage of a proposal to spend not less than 10 million florins annually in the building of State railways.  All Van Hall’s parliamentary adroitness and practised opportunism could not, however, long maintain in office a ministry supported cordially by no party.  Van Hall gave up the unthankful task (February, 1861), but still it was not Thorbecke, but Baron S. van Heemstra that was called upon to take his place.  For a few months only was the ministry able to struggle on in the face of a liberal majority.  There was now no alternative but to offer the post of first minister to Thorbecke, who accepted the office (January 31, 1862).

The second ministry of Thorbecke lasted for four years, and was actively engaged during that period in domestic, trade and colonial reforms.  Thorbecke, as a free-trader, at once took in hand the policy of lowering all duties except for revenue purposes.  The communal dues were extinguished.  A law for secondary and technical education was passed in 1863; and in the same year slavery was abolished in Surinam and the West Indies.  Other bills were passed for the canalising of the Hook of Holland, and the reclaiming of the estuary of the Y. This last project included the construction of a canal, the Canal of Holland, with the artificial harbour of Ymuiden at its entrance, deep enough for ocean liners to reach Amsterdam.  With the advent of Fransen van de Putte, as colonial minister in 1863, began a series of far-reaching reforms in the East Indies, including the lowering of the differential duties.  His views, however, concerning the scandal of the cultivation-system in Java did not meet with the approval of some of his colleagues; and Thorbecke himself supported the dissentients.  The ministry resigned, and Van de Putte became head of the government.  He held office for four months only.  His bill for the abolition of the cultivation-system and the conversion of the native cultivators into possessors of their farms was thrown out by a small majority, Thorbecke with a few liberals and some Catholics voting with the conservatives against it.  This was the beginning of a definite liberal split, which was to continue for years.

A coalition-ministry followed under the presidency of J. van Heemskerk (Interior) and Baron van Zuylen van Nyevelt (Foreign Affairs).  The colonial minister Mijer shortly afterwards resigned in order to take the post of governor-general of the East Indies.  This appointment did not meet with the approval of the Second Chamber; and the government suffered a defeat.  On this they persuaded the king not only