![]() | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
69 of the 138 seats in the Chamber of Representatives 70 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
![]() |
---|
![]() |
Legislative elections were held in Belgium in June and July 1884, for partial Chamber and full Senate elections respectively. [1] [2] Voter turnout was 79.1% in the Chamber of Representatives elections, although only 69,276 people were eligible to vote.
The election occurred during the First School War. The incumbent Liberal government under Walthère Frère-Orban aimed to secularize education, which sparked heavy protests from Catholics.
Regular partial elections for the Chamber of Representatives were held on Tuesday 10 June 1884, with a run-off on Tuesday 17 June. Under the alternating system, elections for the Chamber of Representatives were only held in five out of the nine provinces: Antwerp, Brabant, Luxembourg, Namur and West Flanders. Special elections were held in the arrondissements of Aalst and Sint-Niklaas, for one representative in each.
The result was a large victory for the Catholic Party. The Frère-Orban government resigned and was succeeded by a Catholic government led by Jules Malou, which immediately abolished the Ministry of Public Education.
The Liberals however retained a majority in the Senate, which was not up for election. It was subsequently dissolved, triggering its complete re-election. Senate elections were held on Tuesday 8 July 1884, with a run-off on Tuesday 15 July. The Catholic Party won 43 of the 69 seats in the Senate. [2]
The election ended the First School War and marked the end of the last homogeneously liberal government. The Catholic Party under Jules Malou gained an absolute majority, which they would retain until the First World War.
Among the 69 Chamber seats up for election: [3]
The Catholics gained 27 Chamber seats from the Liberals: 16 in Brussels, four in Nivelles, two in Namur, one in Philippeville, one in Antwerp, one in Ostend, one in Neufchâteau and one in Bruges. The Liberals only retained the single seats in Arlon and Virton, both in Luxembourg.
![]() | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Votes | % | Seats | |||||
Won | Total | +/– | ||||||
Catholic Party | 33,428 | 61.01 | 67 | 86 | +27 | |||
Liberal Party | 21,294 | 38.86 | 2 | 52 | –27 | |||
Others | 68 | 0.12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
Total | 54,790 | 100.00 | 69 | 138 | 0 | |||
Total votes | 54,790 | – | ||||||
Registered voters/turnout | 69,276 | 79.09 | ||||||
Source: Mackie & Rose, [4] Sternberger et al. |
![]() | |||
---|---|---|---|
Party | Seats | +/– | |
Catholic Party | 43 | +11 | |
Liberal Party | 26 | –11 | |
Total | 69 | 0 | |
Source: Sternberger et al. |
Transport in Belgium is facilitated with well-developed road, air, rail and water networks. The rail network has 2,950 km (1,830 mi) of electrified tracks. There are 118,414 km (73,579 mi) of roads, among which there are 1,747 km (1,086 mi) of motorways, 13,892 km (8,632 mi) of main roads and 102,775 km (63,861 mi) of other paved roads. There is also a well-developed urban rail network in Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent and Charleroi. The ports of Antwerp and Bruges-Zeebrugge are two of the biggest seaports in Europe. Brussels Airport is Belgium's biggest airport.
Jules Edouard Xavier Malou was a Belgian statesman, a leader of the clerical party.
Jules Bara was a Belgian statesman and liberal politician.
Brussels-North railway station, officially Brussels-North, is one of the three major railway stations in Brussels, Belgium; the other two are Brussels-Central and Brussels-South. Every regular domestic and international train passing there has a planned stop. The station has 200,000 passengers per week, mainly commuters, making it one of the busiest in Belgium.
Full general elections were held in Belgium on 27 May 1900.
Partial general elections were held in Belgium on 29 May 1904. The result was a victory for the Catholic Party, which won 38 of the 81 seats in the Chamber of Representatives.
Partial general elections were held in Belgium on 22 May 1910. The result was a victory for the Catholic Party, which won 49 of the 87 seats up for election in the Chamber of Representatives.
Full general elections were held in Belgium on 2 June 1912.
Partial general elections were held in Belgium on 24 May 1914. The result was a victory for the Catholic Party, which won 41 of the 88 seats up for election in the Chamber of Representatives.
General elections were held in Belgium on Tuesday 14 June 1892, the first full general elections since 1870 and the last before the introduction of universal male suffrage prior to the 1894 elections. The result was a victory for the Catholic Party, which won 92 of the 152 seats in the Chamber of Representatives and 46 of the 76 seats in the Senate. Only 2.2% of the country's population were eligible to vote.
General elections were held in Belgium on 29 August 1831. They were the first elections to the new bicameral parliament created by the constitution adopted in February 1831.
General elections were held in Belgium on 11 August 1864, the first full general elections since 1857. The snap elections were called upon the loss of a parliamentary majority for the liberal government of Charles Rogier and a hung parliament, following the death of liberal representative Charles Cumont on 10 July 1864. In the last few parliamentary sessions preceding the elections, all Catholic members quit the Chamber, resulting in it not being quorate. The Chamber was disbanded by order of 16 July.
Partial general elections were held in Belgium on Tuesday 11 June 1872. In the elections for the Chamber of Representatives the result was a victory for the Catholic Party, which won 71 of the 124 seats. Voter turnout was 55.5%, although only 54,933 people were eligible to vote.
Partial general elections were held in Belgium on 13 June 1876. In the elections for the Chamber of Representatives the result was a victory for the Catholic Party, which won 67 of the 124 seats. Voter turnout was 67.5%, although only 63,278 people were eligible to vote.
Partial general elections were held in Belgium on 14 June 1859. The result was a victory for the Liberal Party, which won 69 of the 116 seats in the Chamber of Representatives and 31 of the 58 seats in the Senate. Voter turnout was 55.9%, although only 49,672 people were eligible to vote.
Partial general elections were held in Belgium on 13 June 1882. The result was a victory for the Liberal Party, which won 79 of the 138 seats in the Chamber of Representatives and 37 of the 69 seats in the Senate. Voter turnout was 75.1%, although only 55,517 people were eligible to vote.
Bel RTL is a commercial radio network broadcasting in Brussels and Wallonia. The station is owned by the Radio H holding company, which is part of the Belgium-based RTL Belgium. It is now owned by DPG Media and Groupe Rossel since 31 March 2022.
The following lists events that happened during 1884 in the Kingdom of Belgium.