50 [No. 99 PRESENT CONDITIONS (2 ) POLITICAL The Central Government. — The Belgian Congo, under the Constitution of 1908, as since modified in detail, is placed under the legislative and executive control of the King,' acting, however, on the responsibility of the Minister for the Colonies, an office created after the passing of the Colonial Charter. The King exercises his legislative power by decree , and his executive authority by regulations (règlements et arrêtés ), but subject to any law of the Belgian Parlia ment . He alone possesses the power of pardon and remission of penalties. In the government of the Congo the King is aided by a Colonial Council consisting of the Minister of the Colonies as president, and fourteen members--- eight chosen by himself, and three each by the Senate and the Chamber ; none of the members can be a member of the Senate or Chamber ; they retire by rotation , but are eligible for reappoint ment. The powers of this body, which may have been copied from the Council of the Secretary of State for India, are advisory; they may be consulted on any matters by the King, and they must, save in cases of urgency, be consulted on any proposed decree, and their opinions, including that of any minority, must be published ; they may demand information'andmay express opinions. The Belgian Parliament retains in its own hands the control of the colonial budget, which must be submitted to it annually, and, as the Colonial Charter, unlike ihe Belgian Charter, is not part of the formal Constitution, Parliament can at any time alter the Constitution or deal directly with any matter affecting the Congo. The foreign relations of the Congo are entrusted to the King acting on the advice of the Minister for Foreign Affairs. An annual report on 1 The details are given in Lannoy, L'Organisation coloniale belge.