CHAPTER FOUR#
The Deliberative Chambers of the Empire#
Article 30#
The deliberative chambers of the empire are the two following: a. The first: Chamber of the Senate, b. The second: Chamber of Deputies.
Article 31#
The members of the Senate shall be appointed by His Majesty the Emperor from among the dignitaries (Mekuanent) who have for a long time served his empire as princes or ministers, judges or army leaders.
Article 32#
As a temporary measure until the people are capable of electing them themselves, the members of the Chamber of Deputies shall be chosen by the dignitaries (Mekuanent) and the local chiefs (Shumoch).
Article 33#
A person who has been appointed a member of the Senate may not, during the same parliamentary session, become a member of the Chamber of Deputies, and a person who has been chosen as a member of the Chamber of Deputies may not, during the same parliamentary session, become a member of the Senate.
Article 34#
No law shall be put into force without having been discussed by the chambers and having received the confirmation of the Emperor.
Article 35#
The members of the Chamber of Deputies are legally bound to receive and discuss proposals transmitted to them by the ministers of the various departments. However, when the deputies have an idea which might be of use to the empire or to the people, the law reserves to them the right of communicating it to the Emperor through their president, and the chamber shall discuss the subject if the Emperor consents thereto.
Article 36#
Each of the two chambers shall have the right to express separately its opinion to His Majesty the Emperor on a question relating to legislation or on any other matter whatsoever. If however the Emperor does not accept this opinion, the chambers may not reconsider the question in the same parliamentary session.
Article 37#
The two chambers shall be convened annually and shall sit for six months. If need be, the Emperor may prolong a session.
Article 38#
The chambers may be convened in extraordinary session, should the necessity arise. In such case, it is for the Emperor to fix the duration of such session.
Article 39#
The opening and closing, and the duration of sessions and recesses shall be fixed identically in respect of the two Chambers. If the Chamber of Deputies is dissolved, the Senate will adjourn its session until later.
Article 40#
If the Emperor avails himself of his right to dissolve the Chamber of Deputies completely, he will arrange for a new Chamber to meet within four months.
Article 41#
Neither of the Chambers shall commence its deliberations or undertake a debate or a vote without two-thirds of its members being present.
Article 42#
If during the deliberations of the Chambers the votes are equally divided, the opinion of the group to which the President of the Chamber shall have adhered shall prevail.
Article 43#
The President of the Chamber will announce in advance whether the question forming the subject matter of the deliberations is of a public or of a secret nature. If after a question has been declared to be secret, a member of the chamber makes it known to the public either in a speech, or by the press, or by writings or in any other way, he shall be punished according to the provisions of penal law.
Article 44#
The Emperor will establish in the form of a law the standing orders of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies.
Article 45#
Except in cases of crime, judgment whereof cannot be deferred, no member of the Chamber of Deputies can be prosecuted at law while a parliamentary session is in progress.
Article 46#
If after deliberating an important matter, the two Chambers come to different conclusions, the Emperor, having received written statements of their conflicting opinions, will examine the reasons for their disagreement, and having come to a conclusion in the matter will seek a compromise likely to bring them to a final agreement, by selecting what he considers best in the two different conclusions. In the event of it being impossible to reconcile the opinions of the two Chambers, the Emperor legally has the right of selecting and promulgating the opinion of one or of adjourning the matter.
Article 47#
Without first obtaining the consent of the Emperor, the Chambers may not call upon Ministers to assist at their deliberations. In the same way Ministers may not assist at meetings of the Chambers and take part in their deliberations, without first obtaining the consent of His Majesty.