explicit that the crown is
left small discretion in the matter. The king, finally, is authorized
to remit or to reduce the penalties imposed by the tribunals of
justice, to coin money, to confer titles of nobility (which must be
purely honorary), and to bestow military orders in accordance with
provisions of law.[754]

[Footnote 753: Art. 78. Dodd, Modern Constitutions,
I., 138.]

[Footnote 754: Arts. 66-67. Dodd, Modern
Constitutions, I., 137-138.]

II. THE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT--THE ELECTORAL SYSTEM

*593. The Senate.*--The Belgian parliament consists of two houses, both
elective and both representative of the nation as a whole. The upper
house, or Senate, is composed of 112 members, chosen for a term of
eight years. With respect to the method of their election, the members
fall into two categories. Under constitutional provision, as amended
by law of September 7, 1893, a number of senators equal to one-half
the number of members of the House of Representatives is elected
directly by the voters, in proportion to the population of the several
provinces. The electorate which returns these senators is identical
with that which returns the deputies, and by law of December 29, 1899,
the principle of proportional representation, as applied in elections
of the lower chamber, is applied to senatorial elections within each
province. A second group of members consists of those elected by the
provincial councils, to the number of two for each province having
fewer than 500,000 inhabitants, of three for each province having from
500,000 to 1,000,000 inhabitants, and of four for each province having
more than 1,000,000 inhabitants. The proportion of senators elected
directly by the people is approximately three-fourths, being at
present 76 to 26. Prior to the amendment of 1893 all members of the
Senate were chosen by the same electorate which chose the members of
the lower chamber. Inasmuch as only payers of direct taxes to the
amount of 2,000 francs a year were eligible as senators, the upper
house represented almost exclusively the interests of wealth. By
vesting in the provincial councils the choice of a portion of the
senators, who should be eligible regardless of taxpaying
qualifications, it was hoped to impart to the Senate a more broadly
representative character. At the same time the tax qualification for
popularly elected members was reduced