A bishop-prince of Liege could make no change in the laws without the consent of the estates, and he could administer justice only by means of the regular tribunals.  Every edict had to be countersigned.  When there was an issue between overlord and people, the question was submitted to the schepens or superior judges who, before they gave their opinion, consulted the various charters which had been granted from time to time, and which were not allowed to become dead letters.  A permanent committee of the three orders supervised the executive and the administration of the laws.  These “twenty-two” received an appeal from the meanest citizen, and the Liege proverb “In his own home the poor man is king,” was very near the possible truth.

Yet the wheels of government were by no means perfect in their running.  Many were the conflicts between the different members of the state, and broils, with the character of civil war in miniature, were of frequent occurrence.  The submergence of the aristocratic element, the nobles, destroyed a natural balance of power between the bishop-prince and the people.  The commons exerted power beyond their intelligence.  Annual elections, party contests headed by rival demagogues kept the capital, and, to a lesser extent, the smaller towns of the little state in continuous commotion[4].

The ecclesiastical origin of the community was evident at all points of daily life.  The cathedral of St. Lambert was the pride of the city.  Its chapter, consisting of sixty canons, took the place held by the aristocratic element in the other towns.

In the cathedral, the holy standard of St. Lambert was suspended.  At the outbreak of war this was taken down and carried to the door by the clergy in solemn procession.  There it was unfurled and delivered to the commander of the civic militia mounted on a snow-white steed.  When he received the precious charge he swore to defend it with his life.

One object of popular veneration was this standard, another was the perron, an emblem of the civic organisation.  This was a pillar of gilded bronze, its top representing a pineapple surmounted by a cross.  This stood on a pedestal in the centre of the square where was the violet or city hall.  In front of the perron were proclaimed all the ordinances issued by the magistrates, or the decrees adopted by the people in general assembly.  On these occasions the tocsin was rung, the deans of the gilds would hasten out with their banners and plant them near the perron as rallying points for the various gild members who poured out from forge, work-shop, and factory until the square was filled.