In order to be a general elector it is necessary to be a Belgian by birth or to have received the grand naturaliza tion, to be twenty-one years of age, and to pay direct taxes to the amount of at least 20 florins (33s. 4d.) In 1874 the total number of general electors was 111,135, or at the rate of 21 - 15 per 1000 of the population.
The king appoints and dismisses his ministers at pleasure. No member of the royal family can be a minister, nor any but a Belgian, or one who has received the grand natu ralization. Ministers have a right of admission to the chambers, and may demand a hearing ; but they have no voice in the deliberations unless they are members. The chambers can at any time require the presence of the ministers. No act or writing by the king can free a minister from responsibility. The Chamber of Represen tatives has the power of accusing the ministers, and of bringing them before the court of cassation, which alone has the right of judging them, in all cases of offences committed in the exercise of their functions. There are six ministers, viz., of foreign affairs, of the interior, of justice, of finance, of war, and of public works.
Naturalization is of two kinds, the one conferring on the foreigner all the civil and political rights belonging to a Belgian, with certain exceptions specified by law, such as the right to vote in the choice of members for the legisla tive chambers or of sitting there; to obtain these the grand naturalization is requisite. The registration-fee for the former is 500 francs; for the latter, 1000. Since 1831 only 47 have received the grand naturalization and 1527 the ordinary.
For civil purposes the provinces are divided into 26 arrondissements, 204 justice-of-peace cantons, and 2528 communes ; and for military purposes, into 41 arrondisse ments, 303 military cantons, and 2563 communes.
In each province is a governor named directly by the king, for the purpose of superintending and securing the due execution of the laws, and a provincial council, com posed of Belgian citizens at least twenty-five years of age, residing in the province, and in the enjoyment of civil and political rights. The number of members of each provincial council is made to depend upon the population, and varies in the different provinces from one for every 11,500 of the population in Brabant and Hainault, to one for every 5000 in Limbourg and Luxembourg. Each canton, however, is entitled to be represented by at least one member, and the number of members for each canton depends upon the population according to the scale fixed for the province. The total number of members in 1874 was 559, Antwerp council having 58; Brabant, 73; East Flanders, 80; West Flandirs, 69; Hainault, 76; Liege, 67; Limbourg, 40; Luxembourg, 41; and Namur, 55. The electors of the members of the provincial councils were formerly the same as the electors of the legislative chambers, but in 1872 the provincial franchise was lowered, and the number of electors in 1874 was 219,619, or 41 80 to 1000 inhabitants. A pro vincial elector requires to be a Belgian or to have received naturalization, and to pay taxes to the amount of 20 francs (16s.) Members of th chambers, governors, and persons in the employment of the state or province, are ineligible as councillors. The councils have an annual session of not more than four weeks; but the king can convoke them on extraordinary occasions. Those not residing in the provincial capital receive an indemnity during the session. Each provincial council appoints a permanent deputation for conducting business in the interval between the sessions, particularly in matters requiring immediate attention. It is composed of six members chosen for four years, one-half going out every two years.
These councils are of the highest importance to the country. They watch over the interests of their several provinces, prepare the budgets, direct taxation, and super intend public works. They give a healthy impulse to agriculture, trade, and commerce ; direct the construction of roads, canals, and bridges ; and extend the benefits of education and religion throughout the country. The com munes have the power of appeal to the king if they consider themselves aggrieved by any of the acts of the provincial council, or of the permanent deputation.
Matters exclusively communal are managed by communal councils. The councillors are Belgian citizens in the full enjoyment of civil and political rights, and, except in some special cases, resident in the commune. They are elected for six years, one-half going out every three years. The number of the councillors is from 7 to 31, in proportion to the population of the commune, which varies from under 1 000 to upwards of 70,000 inhabitants. Communal electors require to be Belgians or to have received naturalization, and to pay taxes to the amount of 10 francs (4s.) The total number of electors in 1874 was 347,441, being 66 13 per 1000 of the population. Communes with less than 20,000 inhabitants have two aldermen, and those having more than that number have four. There is also in each com mune a burgomaster, who, as well as the aldermen, is chosen by the king from among the members of the communal council.
Full liberty is guaranteed to all in the exercise of the public or private rites of their worship ; nor does the state interfere in any way in matters of religion, except where the public safety may be concerned or the laws infringed. Almost the entire population of Belgium is Roman Catholic, there being only about 15,000 Protestants and 3000 Jews. The ministers of each denomination are paid by the state, the amount so paid in 1873 being 4,648,757 francs, or 185,950, of which Roman Catholics received 4,568,200 francs, Protestants 69,336, Jews 11,221.
The kingdom is divided into six Roman Catholic dioceses, the archbishopric of Malines, and the bishoprics of Bruges, Ghent, Liege, Xamur, and Tournay. The arch bishopric has three vicars-general, and a chapter of twelve canons ; and each of the bishoprics, two vicars-general, and a chapter of eight canons. In 1873 there were 156 deaneries, 233 rectories, 2788 chapels of ease, 148 public chapels, and 1745 vicariates.
The temporal affairs of the churches are managed by a vestry-board and a board of wardens. There is an ecclesiastical seminary in each diocese, and scholarships are annually given by the state to certain of the students upon the presentation of the chief of the diocese. The state also contributes to the salaries of the professors by an annual grant to each of the seminaries, except that of Liege which has sufficient funds otherwise. The provinces are bound to provide and maintain suitable buildings for these seminaries. There are a number of religious houses in Belgium for males and females, whose lives are spent in pious contemplation, teaching, and visiting the sick. The number of these houses in 1866 was, for males 178, and for females 8144; the number of persons in the former was 2991, and 15,205 in the latter.
The Protestant Evangelical Church is under a synod, composed of the clergymen of the body and a representative from each of the churches. It sits in Brussels once a year, when each member is required to be present, or to delegate his powers to another member. The Anglican Church has eight pastors and as many chapels in Belgium, three in Brussels and one in each of the towns Antwerp, Bruges, Ghent, Ostend, and Spa.
branch synagogues of the first-class at Antwerp. Ghent, and Liege, and two of the second-class at Arlon and
Xamur. The civil and religious affairs are conducted by a