Belgium is in the throes of a very interesting constitutional
struggle. It is felt that the demand for a larger franchise cannot be resisted, and the Liberals, afraid of seeing the cities overborne, demand universal suffrage. The Government refuses that, but offers household suffrage, provided that the Royal Veto may be reinvigorated in a new form,—that is to say, the King is to be invested with the right of taking a Re- ferendum on important Bills. The effect of this, it is believed, will be that on great questions the cities will be paralysed by the country vote ; and two parties are exceedingly angry, the Socialists, because they cannot convert peasant-freeholders, and the Old Liberals, who say this is not constitutional but plebiscitary government. The Ministry, however, holds to its purpose, and will probably carry the Referendum,—first, because it has a majority ; secondly, because the voters, who are not Socialists, but Radicals, think a mass-vote strictly in accord with democratic principles.
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