ABSTRACT
In 1815, the Northern and Southern Netherlands were united to create a strong buffer state against France. Instigated by the Southern nobility and clergy, the new Kingdom of the Netherlands adopted a bicameral system. After the revolution of 1830, Belgium became an independent nation under King Leopold I of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Firstly, I elucidate how in 1815 the Southern members of the constitutional committee contributed to the formation of the Senate. According to these members, the Senate was to be dominated by the nobility. To explain their motives, we should analyse the social and political context of the monarchical regime of King William I in the English Restoration, focusing on the position of the Southern nobility. Secondly, I compare both the supporting and the opposing roles of the Senate and the people’s assembly vis-à-vis the Dutch king and his government. The weaker opposition of the Senate might (again) be explained by examining the characteristics of the noble elites in the Senate. Finally, I concentrate my study on the emergence of the Senate in the new Kingdom of Belgium in 1831. While republicans, radicals and liberals wanted unicameralism, conservatives and nobility advocated bicameralism. It was a fierce struggle in which both sides referred to the Senate during the reign of King William I. In the end, a compromise was reached. A Senate, comprising (and chosen from among) the nobles and well-to-do citizens, would become a conservative counterforce for a more democratic people’s chamber.
