The right of petition

Mass petitions lead directly and indirectly to the Belgian Revolution in the 1820s. Wisely, the King-Grand Duke does not include the right of petition in the Luxembourg Constitution of 1841. The representatives of the estates try to restore it by introducing a provision in their rules of procedure on how petitions that could be submitted to them should be handled. William II opposes this effort. Arguing that the estates must attend to the concerns of the municipalities, the right of petition is limited to the latter. Despite the prohibition, the government will have to allow spontaneous popular petitions starting in March 1848.