Charter of 1826

The Constitutional Charter of 1826, often referred to simply as Charter, was the second constitution in the history of Portugal. It was the country in 1826 by King Peter IV.

Unlike the first constitution of the country, which was adopted in 1822 by a Constituent Assembly ( Cortes ) (see Liberal revolution in Portugal), it was at the Charter to a so-called " imposed constitution ", as they from without the participation of the people King was adopted in its own absolute power.

The Charter provided for a bicameral parliament. The upper chamber, after the model of the British House of Lords, consisted of hereditary peers, the House of Representatives was elected in part, appointed partly by the king. The Charter was much more conservative than the Constitution of 1821, when the king wanted to satisfy even the supporters of absolute monarchy with her. Nevertheless, the Charter was rejected by this set with the takeover of the absolutist King Michael I. repealed and re-introduced in Miguelistenkrieg only after the victory of the Liberals.

After Miguelistenkrieg it came under the liberals on the question whether the Charter still apply or a liberal constitution should be introduced to the model of 1822, for a national cleavage. The supporters of both sides, the Cartisten one hand (followers of the Charter) and the Setembristen other ( supporters of a liberal constitution ), fought each other in a way that would eventually lead to civil war. Depending on who is in this conflict just had the upper hand, the Charter has been overridden or reintroduced. So was the Charter as Constitution of Portugal from 1826 to 1828, from 1834 to 1836 and from 1842 until the end of the monarchy 1910. The Charter in 1852 significantly changed by a constitutional reform in order to make it acceptable for the Setembristen.