ART. 19. Liberty of religion, that of its public exercise, as well as the liberty to express one's religious opinions, are guaranteed, except for the repression of offenses committed on the occasion of the use of these liberties.

ART. 20. No one shall be compelled to concur, in any manner whatever, in acts and ceremonies of a religion nor observe the rest days thereof.

ART. 21. Civil marriage must always precede the nuptial benediction.

ART. 22. The intervention of the State in the nomination and installation of the heads of religions, the mode of nomination and of revocation of the other ministers of religions, the faculty for both to correspond with their superiors and to publish their acts, as well as the relations of the Church with the State, constitute the object of conventions to be submitted to the Chamber of Deputies for the provisions which necessitate its intervention.

ART. 23. The State takes care that every Luxemburger receives primary instruction.

It creates establishments of intermediate instruction and the necessary courses of higher education.

The law determines the means of providing for public instruction, as well as the conditions of supervision by the government and the communes; it regulates, besides, everything relating to education.1

Every Luxemburger is free to make his studies in the Grand Duchy or abroad and to attend the universities of his choice, under the provisions of the law on the conditions of admission to the employments or the exercise of certain professions.

ART. 24. Liberty to manifest one's opinions by word in all matters and the liberty of the press are guaranteed, except for the repression of offenses committed on the occasion of the exercise of these liberties.2

Censorship shall never be established.

No caution-money shall be exacted from writers, publishers or printers.

Stamp-duties on native newspapers and periodical writings are abolished.

The publisher, printer or distributor shall not be sued, if the author is known, if he is a Luxemburger and domiciled in the Grand Duchy.

ART. 25. Luxemburgers have the right to assemble peaceably and without arms, if they conform to the laws which regulate the exercise of this right, without the power to submit it to a prior authorization.

1 Law of 20 April 1881 concerning compulsory education. Laws of 20 April 1881 and 6 June 1898 on primary education. Law of 23 April 1878 on secondary education. 2 Law of 20 July 1869 on the press, and the Penal Code.

This provision does not apply to assemblies in the open air, political, religious or otherwise; these assemblies remain entirely subject to the laws and police regulations.

ART. 26. Luxemburgers have the right to form associations. This right shall not be subjected to any prior authorization.

The establishment of every religious corporation must be authorized by a law.1

ART. 27. Every one has the right to address, to the public authorities, petitions signed by one or several persons.

The constituted authorities alone have the right to address petitions in the collective name.

ART. 28. The secrecy of letters is inviolable.

The law determines who are the agents responsible for the violation of the secrecy of letters confided to the post.

The law shall regulate the guarantee to be given for the secrecy of telegrams.

ART. 29. The use of the German and French languages is optional. Their use shall not be limited.

ART. 30. No prior authorization is required to enter suits against public functionaries for acts of their administration, except what is decreed with regard to members of the government.

ART. 31. Public functionaries, to whatever order they belong, the members of the government excepted, shall not be deprived of their functions, honors and pensions, except in the manner determined by the law.

CHAPTER III.—THE SOVEREIGN POWER.

ART. 32. The Grand Duke exercises the sovereign power conformably to the present Constitution and to the laws of the country.

SECTION 1.THE PREROGATIVE OF THE GRAND duke.

ART. 33. The Grand Duke exercises alone the executive power. ART. 34. The Grand Duke sanctions and promulgates the laws. He makes known his decision within 6 months from the vote of the Chamber.

ART. 35. The Grand Duke appoints to the civil and military offices, conformably to the law, and saving exceptions established by it.

No function salaried by the State shall be created except by virtue of a legislative provision.

ART. 36. The Grand Duke makes the regulations and decrees necessary for the execution of the laws, without the power ever to suspend the laws themselves or to dispense with their execution.

1 In practice, religious corporations may be freely established in the Grand Duchy; the intervention of the legislature is required only if they desire to acquire civil personality.

ART. 37. The Grand Duke commands the armed force, declares war and makes treaties. He informs the Chamber thereof, as soon as the interest and safety of the State permit it, adding suitable communications.

Treaties of commerce and those which can burden the State or bind the Luxemburgers individually, and, in general, all those bearing on a matter which can only be regulated by a law, have effect only after having received the assent of the Chamber. No cession, no exchange no addition of territory shall take place except by virtue of a law.

In no case shall the secret articles of a treaty be destructive of the patent articles.

ART. 38. The Grand Duke has the right to remit or to reduce the penalties pronounced by the judges, except what is decreed relative to the members of the government.

ART. 39. The Grand Duke has the right to coin money, in execution of the law.

ART. 40. The Grand Duke has the right to confer titles of nobility, without the power ever to attach thereto any privilege.

ART. 41. The Grand Duke confers military and civil orders, observing in this respect what the law prescribes.

ART. 42. The Grand Duke may cause himself to be represented by a prince of the blood, who shall have the title of lieutenant of the Grand Duke and shall reside in the Grand Duchy.

This representative shall take oath to observe the Constitution before exercising his powers.

ART. 43. The civil list is fixed at 200,000 francs per annum. It may be changed by law at the commencement of each reign.1

ART. 44. The Government House in Luxemburg and the Chateau of Walferdange are set aside for the residence of the Grand Duke during his stay within the country.

ART. 45. The dispositions of the Grand Duke must be countersigned by a responsible councilor of the crown, with the exception of those which have for their object the bestowal on foreigners of decorations not destined to recompense services rendered to the Grand Duchy.

SECTION 2.-LEGISLATION.

ART. 46. The assent of the Chamber of Deputies is required for every law.

ART. 47. The Grand Duke addresses to the Chamber proposals or bills which he wishes to submit for its adoption.

1 These figures were not changed on the accession of Grand Duke Adolphus (1891, and Grand Duke William (1905).

The Chamber has the right to propose bills to the Grand Duke. ART. 48. The interpretation of laws by way of authority shall take place only by the law.

SECTION 3.-JUSTICE.

ART. 49. Justice is rendered in the name of the Grand Duke by the courts and tribunals.

Decrees and judgments are executed in the name of the Grand Duke.

CHAPTER IV.-THE CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES.

ART. 50. The Chamber of Deputies represents the country. The deputies vote without consulting with their constituents and shall have in view only the general interests of the Grand Duchy. ART. 51. The organization and the mode of election of the Chamber are regulated by the law.1

The electoral law fixes the number of deputies according to the population. This number shall not exceed 1 deputy for 4,000 inhabitants, nor be less than 1 deputy for 5,500 inhabitants.2

The election is direct.

ART. 52. To be elector or eligible, it is necessary:

1. To be a Luxemburger by birth or to be naturalized.
2. To enjoy civil and political rights.

3. To be 25 years of age.

4. To be domiciled within the Grand Duchy.

No other condition of eligibility shall be required.

To be elector, there must be joined to these four conditions those determined by the law and there must be paid, besides, the qualification tax, to be fixed, which shall not exceed 30 francs nor be less than 10 francs.3

ART. 53. The following shall not be electors nor eligibles:

1. Those condemned to corporal or infamous punishment. 2. Those who have been condemned for theft, swindling or breach of trust.

3. Those who obtain aid from a public charitable institution. 4. Those who are in a state of declared bankruptcy, bankrupts and interdicts, and those for whom judicial counsel has been named.

1 Electoral Code of 5 March 1884 (203 articles) governs legislative and communal elections. This code was amended successively in 1885, 1886, 1892, 1901, 1904 and 1906. According to Article 176 of the Electoral Code, cantons elect 1 deputy for each 5,000 inhabitants, fractions over 3,000 counting as 5,000. The number of deputies at present is 50.

The electoral qualification tax, after having been reduced from 30 to 15 francs by the Law of 30 June 1892, was further reduced to the minimum of 10 francs by the Law of 22 June 1901 (Electoral Code, Article 1).

ART. 54. The mandate of deputy is incompatible:

1. With the functions of member of the government.

2. With those of prosecuting magistrates.

3. With those of member of the Chamber of Accounts.

4. With those of district commissioner.

5. With those of receiver or accountable agent of the State.
6. With military functions above the grade of captain.

The functionaries finding themselves in a case of incompatibility have the right to choose between the mandate confided to them and their functions.

ART. 55. The incompatibilities provided by the preceding article do not constitute an obstacle to the establishment of others by the law in the future.1

ART. 56. Deputies are elected for 6 years. They are renewed by halves every 3 years, according to the order of the series determined by the electoral law.

In case of dissolution, the Chamber of Deputies is renewed integrally.

ART. 57. The Chamber verifies the powers of its members and decides the contests which arise on this subject.

On their entrance into office, they take the oath which follows:

I swear fidelity to the Grand Duke, obedience to the Constitution and to the laws of the State. So help me God!

This oath is taken in public session, under the direction of the president of the Chamber.

ART. 58. The deputy, appointed by the government to a salaried position which he accepts, ceases immediately to sit, and resumes his functions only by virtue of a new election.

ART. 59. All laws are submitted to a second vote, unless the Chamber, in accord with the Council of State, sitting in public session, decides otherwise.

There shall be an interval of at least three months between the two votes.2

ART. 60. At each session the Chamber names its president and its vice-president, and organizes its bureau.

ART. 61. The meetings of the Chamber are public, with the exceptions to be determined by regulations.

1 Article 8 of the Law of 8 May 1872 on the rights and duties of functionaries reads as follows: "The exercise of public functions under the pay of the State is incompatible with the mandate of deputy. The acceptance of this mandate entails by that very fact the resignation of public functions." A law of 18 February 1885 (Article 100) decided that the functions of the judicial order would henceforth be incompatible with those of deputy.

After the vote on a bill as a whole, the president consults the Chamber as to whether there should or should not be a second vote. If the Chamber decides on a second vote, the bill is sent to the Council of State which decides in its turn whether there should or should not be a second vote.