Romania -- Description and travel; Romania -- History
The Constitution of Roumania contains one hundred and thirty-three
articles, and is framed with great regard to justice and to the national
liberties. The following are some of its leading provisions. The country
is divided into districts, the districts into arrondissements, the
arrondissements into communes.[202] It grants (Article 5) freedom of
conscience, of instruction, of the press, and of public meeting.
Abolishes (10 and 12)[203] distinctions and privileges of class and
foreign titles, such as Prince, Count, Baron, &c., as being contrary to
ancient institutions.[204] Capital punishment is abolished except under
martial law in time of war (18). The property of the peasantry and the
indemnity to landowners are inviolable (20). The Greek Catholic religion
is made the State Church, but all other sects are allowed freedom of
worship (21). Primary instruction is gratuitous and compulsory (23), and
primary schools are to be established in every commune. Freedom of
speech, except as to breaches of the Criminal Code, is unrestricted;
press offences must be tried by jury, and no journal can be 'warned,'
suspended, or suppressed; neither is there any kind of 'censure' of the
press (24). Freedom of assemblage (26) and the right to petition (28)
are confirmed; and the extradition of political exiles is forbidden. All
crimes are to be tried by jury (105). The legislative power is vested in
the Prince and the national representatives, namely, the Senate and the
Chamber of Deputies (32). But money bills and matters relating to the
army contingents must originate with the latter (33).
The executive power is vested in the prince (35) (now the king), who is
hereditary in the male line only (82), and who must belong to the
Orthodox Greek Church. He is inviolate, his ministers only being
responsible, and one of them must countersign all his decrees (92). He
sanctions, and may refuse his assent to, all laws; has the right of
amnesty (93); is the head of the army, makes war, concludes peace, and
performs the other acts of a constitutional sovereign. Should a vacancy
occur in the throne, various provisions exist for the eventuality, and
in case of failure of issue the two Assemblies conjointly 'elect a
prince of one of the sovereign dynasties of Western Europe' (84).
(Rather vague, but very significant.)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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