The General Assembly was the bicameral parliament of the Empire of Brazil.

[4] The Constitution already expressly provided the possibility of the two chambers meeting together.

The first of these meetings was for the swearing in of the Emperor, as well as the Regents, when this was the case, due to the monarch being underage or interdicted.

Another possibility was the annual opening and closing sessions of the General Assembly, called imperial because of the Emperor's attendance.

The Senators were chosen in a direct election in which those voted for made up a triple list and from this the Emperor, as determined by the Brazilian Constitution of 1824, appointed one of the 3 who would have a lifetime mandate.