3

NOTE.

This Constitution, by means of the numbers at the bottom of the pages, is paged continuously with the Constitution of the United States of Mexico, which was the first paper in Volume II of the ANNALS, and was issued in a separate edition as No. 27 of the Publications of the Academy; the Constitution of the Republic of Colombia, which was sent as a Supplement to the January, 1893, ANNALS, and was also issued as No. 79 of the Publications of the Academy; the Constitutional and Organic Laws of France, which were sent as a Supplement to the March, 1893, ANNALS, and were also issued as No. 86 of the Publications of the Academy; the Constitution of the Kingdom of Prussia, which was sent as a Supplement to the September, 1894, Annals, and was also issued as No. 127 of the Publications of the Academy, and the Constitution of the Kingdom of Italy, which was sent as a Supplement to the November, 1894, ANNALS, and was also issued as No. 135 of the Publications of the Academy.

OUTLINE OF CONTENTS.'

ARTICLE.

TITLE I.-THE TERRITORY AND ITS DIVISIONS.

1. Division into provinces. Government of colonies. Forces for

their defence.

2. Subdivisions of provinces.

3. Change of boundary lines.

TITLE II.-BELGIAN CITIZENS AND THEIR RIGHTS.

4. Acquiring, exercising and forfeiting Belgian citizenship.

5. Naturalization.

6. Universal equality before the law.

7. Personal freedom.

Unlawful arrest forbidden.

8. Right to lawful trial.

9. Illegal penalties forbidden.

10. Freedom from search.

II. Inviolability of property.

12. Confiscation forbidden.

13. Civil death forbidden.

14. Religious freedom and freedom of speech.

15. No compulsory observance of religion.

16. Freedom from state interference with clerical appointments.

Civil marriage.

17. Freedom of opinion in teaching. Regulation of public in-

struction.

18. Freedom of the press.

19. Right of assembly. Restrictions on open air meetings.

20. Right of association.

21. Right to petition.

22. Inviolability of the mails.

23. Languages in Belgium.

24. Actions against public officials.

TITLE III.-CONCERNING POWERS.

25. Source and manner of exercise of all powers.

26. Legislative power vested in the king and two chambers.

1This Outline of Contents has been prepared by the Editors of the ANNALS.

27. Right to introduce bills. Financial measures.

28. Interpretation of the laws.

29. Executive power vested in the king.

30. Exercise of judicial power.

31. Regulation of communal and provincial affairs.

Chapter I.-THE CHAMBERS.

32. National representation.

33. Public sessions. Secret committees.

34. Judge as to elections and qualifications of members.

35. No person to be a member of both chambers.

36. Loss of seat by appointment to another office except that of

minister.

37. Election of officers.

38. Need for an absolute majority. Effect of ties. A majority, a

quorum.

39. Modes of voting.

40. Right of inquiry into public affairs.

41. Voting to be article by article.

42. Right of amending.

43. Personal presentation of petitions forbidden. Forwarding peti-

tions to ministers.

44. Immunity of debate.

45. Suspension of criminal proceedings against members. Freedom

from arrest.

46. Rules of the chambers.

Section I.-THE CHAMBER OF REPRESENTATIVES.

47. Election of representatives and qualifications of electors. Allot-

ment of additional votes.

48. Constitution of electoral colleges. Compulsory voting.

49. Number of representatives.

50. Qualifications of representatives.

51. Term of representatives. New election in case of dissolution.

52. Salary of representatives. Free transportation.

Section II.-THE SENATE.

53. Two classes of senators.

54. Number of senators elected by direct vote.

55. Term of senators. New election in case of dissolution.

56. Qualifications of senators.

57. No salary or emoluments for senators.

58. Hereditary royal senators.

59. Necessity for the senate to sit at the same time as the house.

Chapter II.-The King and THE MINISTERS.

Section I.-THE KING.

60. Succession to the crown.

Forfeiture of succession by marriage

without consent. Relief from such forfeiture.

61. The naming of a successor when necessary.

62. Consent of chambers necessary to the king's being the head of

another state.

63. Inviolability of the king's person.

ministers.

Responsibility of his

64. Signature of a minister necessary to all decrees.

65. Appointment and dismissal of ministers.

66. Appointment of army officers, administrative, diplomatic and

other governmental officials.

67. Royal duty to issue regulations and decrees for execution of

laws.

68. Military powers. Right to declare war and make treaties.

Approval of the chambers to commercial treaties. Cession

exchange or increase of territory.

69. Promulgation of laws.

70. Date of assembly of chambers. Length of session. Closing

and extra sessions.

71. Dissolution of the chambers. New election.

72. Royal adjournment of the chambers. Length and renewal of

such adjournment.

73. Right to pardon or reduce penalties.

74. Right to coin money.

75. Right to confer titles of nobility.

76. Right to confer military orders.

77. Civil list.

78. Limitation of the king's powers.

79. Assembly of the chambers at the king's death. Temporary

exercise by the ministers of the king's powers.

80. Majority of the king. His oath.

81. Appointment of a regent in case of a minority succession.

82. Appointment in case of king's incapacity.

83. A single regent. His oath.

84. No constitutional change during a regency.

85. Temporary regency.

Section II.-THE MINISTERS.

86. Qualifications of ministers.

87. No royal ministers.

88. Legislative rights and duties.

89. No relief from responsibility.

90. Accusation, trial and penalties of ministers.

91. Pardon of ministers.

Chapter III.-THE JUDICIARY.

92. Actions involving questions of civil rights.

93. Actions involving questions of political rights.

94. Establishment of illegal or extraordinary tribunals and com-

missions forbidden.

95. Court of cassation.

96. Public sessions of tribunals, especially in trials of political and

press-law offences.

97. Public judgment with a statement of reason.

98. Right of trial by jury.

99. Royal appointment of judiciary. Limitations on this power in

the cases of the higher courts.

courts.

Election of officers by the

100. Term of judges. Change of jurisdiction.

IOI. Royal appointment of state officials connected with courts.

102. Salary of judges.

103. Restrictions on judges holding other salaried governmental

positions.

104. Courts of appeal.

105. Military and commercial tribunals.

106. Decision of conflicts of jurisdiction.

107. Judicial enforcement of executive decrees.

Chapter IV.-PROVINCIAL AND COMMUNAL INSTITUTIONS.

108. Regulation of provincial and communal institutions. Princi-

ples to be established.

109. Civil register.

TITLE IV.-FINANCES.

110. Limitations on the imposition of state taxes and provincial

and communal assessments.

III. Annual assessment necessary.

112. Tax privileges forbidden. Exemption or abatement of taxes.