The Provincial Council of Hainaut was first constituted in 1831 after the province was incorporated with the Kingdom of Belgium following its declaration of independence from the Netherlands in 1830.
[6] It functions as the governing authority responsible for executing the decisions made by the Provincial Council and managing the day-to-day administration of the province.
[7] In 1917, the Senate of Belgium had 120 seats, 27 filled by Provincial Council elections and 93 by vote of the people, with members serving eight-year terms.
[8][9] The Polytechnic Faculty focused on teaching physics, mineralogy, geometry, mining, mechanics, and civil construction under the supervision of permanent deputations.
[16] The parliamentary assembly of Hainaut, elected every six years with 47 to 84 members, oversees all provincial matters, including internal administration, subsidy rules, police regulations, the budget, and tax collection.