Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/781

 CONSTITUTION AND GOVERNMENT 659

two Chambers. No act of the King can have effect unless countersigned by one of his ministers, who thus becomes responsible for it. The King convokes, prorogues, and dissolves the Chambers. In default of male heirs, the King may nominate his successor with the consent of the Chambers. If the successor be under eighteen years of age, the two Chambers meet together for the purpose of nominating a regent during the minority.

The Senate consists of members elected for eight years, partly directly and partly indirectly. Their total number is 120, of whom 27 are elected by the Provincial Councils. The number elected directly is equal to half the number of members of the Chamber of Representatives, and is proportioned to the popiilation of each province. The constituent body is similar to that which elects deputies to the Chamber, except that the minimum age of electors is fixed at thirty years. In the election of members both of the Senate and Chamber of Representatives directly, the principle of proportional representation of parties was introduced by Law of December 29, 1899. In 1911-12 the number of electors for the Senate was 1,460,236, of whom 755,453 had each one vote, 394,123 two votes, and 310,660 three votes. Senators elected indirectly are chosen by the provincial councils, two for each province with less than 500,000 inhabitants ; three for each with a population up to 1,000,000 ; and four for each with over 1,000,000. No one, during two years preceding the election, must have been a member of the council appointing him. All senators must be at least forty years of age, those and elected directly must pay not less than 1,200 francs in direct taxes, or own immovable j>roperty in Belgium yielding an income of 12,000 francs. In provinces, however, where the number eligible for the Senate would be less than one in 5,000 of population, the list is extended to this proportion by admission of the most highly taxed. Sons of the King, or failing these, Belgian princes of the reigning branch of the Eoyal Family are by right Senatois at the age of eighteen, but have no voice in the deliberations till the age of twenty- five years.

The members of the Chamber of Representatives are all elected directly by the electoral body. Their number at present, 186, is proportioned to the population, and cannot exceed one for every 40,000 inhabitants. They sit for four years, one-half retiring every two years, except that after a dissolution a general election takes place. Every citizen over twenty-five years of age, domiciled for not less than one year in the same commune, and not legally disqualified, has a vote. Every citizen over thirty-five years of age Avitli legitimate issue, and paying at least 5 francs a year in house tax, has a a supplementary vote, as has also every citizen over twenty-five years of age owning immovable property to the cadastral value of 2,000 francs, or having a corresponding cadastral income from such property, or who for two years has derived at least 100 francs a year from Belgian funds either directly or through the Savings Bank. Two supplementary votes are given to citizens over twenty- five years of age who have received a diploma of higher instruction, or a certificate of higher secondary instruction, or who fill or have filled offices or engaged in private professional practice, implying at least average higher instruction. No person has more than 3 votes ; failure to vote is a misdemeanour, punishable by law. In 1911-12 the number of electors for the Chamber was 1,721,755,' of whom 998,483 had one vote, 404,786 two votes, and 318,486 three votes. Deputies must be not less than twenty-five years of age, and resident in Belgium. Each deputy has an annual indemiiity of 4,000 francs (160^.), and a free pass all the year

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