The Sun.
London, England, 1862-10-16 00:00:00

NORWAY.

King Charles XV. has just opened at Christiania
the Session of the Storthing of Norway with the
following speech :

" Honourable Gentlemen and Norwegians,—ln
seeing you again assembled before me to deliberate
on the affairs of the country, I conform to the terms
of the fundamental law by signalizing in a summary
manner the object upon which your attention will
be called. In the greater part of the country the
bad crops of the last three years, as well as circum-
stances unfavourable to several alimentary sources,
have exercised a temporary pressure upon our
economical situation, and, as a consequence, the
ordinary state of the public revenue has suffered a
diminution. From those motives I have caused the
Budget for the next three years to be drawn up
with the greatest economy that is compatible with
the solicitude necessary for regular progress. The
measure which will be submitted to you shows that
it will not be necessary to create any fresh charges
nor to increase the others in order to cover the ex-
penditure. Among the Bills to be presented is one
concerning a question on which the Storthing, as
well as the Government, has been for a long time
occupied—that is, criminal procedure. The ques-
tion is now sufficiently ripe for the Storthing to come
to a decision upon the materials prepared. The de-
cision recommended by the Bill submitted to you
tends not to abrogate, but to ameliorate our judi-
cial system. I cannot advise the abandonment of
a system which has been developed naturally and
conformably to the state of the country, and which
even now, although it has not for a long time
been subjected to any radical amelioration, may
suffice to assure the efficacy of the penal laws as well
las to protect the innocent. The introduction of
juries, setting aside their value, causes me to fear that
local reasons in a great part of the kingdom do not
appear to admit of a procedure founded upon that
system, and that state of things would require
great sacrifices of time and money on the part of
the treasury and the public. After having, how-
ever, enunciated my personal conviction, I add that
for several reasons it is important that the question
should be decided during the present session, and I
desire to be in accord on that subject with the na-
tional representatives."
After having announced the introduction of a bill
on the administration of forests, theliing continued:
" A bill will be submitted to you, tending to ob-
tain necessary contingent for the army in case of
war, and to ameliorate its qualities by employing
the conscription instead of voluntary engagements.
I believe those two measures to be indispensable for
giving to the army all its value, and for enabling it
to be worthy of the sacrifices which the people make
for it. In furtherance of those measures I ask for
no fresh resources nor for the prolongation of ser-
vice in time of peace. I only propose that of which
other nations, which have founded their defence
upon the system of conscription, have for a long
time past recognised the necessity. I trust that the
Storthing will acquire that conviction from the do-
cument which accompany the bill.
" Since the last session the question of the nvi-
-sion of the Act of Union between Norway and
Sweden has been the subject of deliberations. 1
have expressed my views relative to that question
' in the declaration consigned to the proses verbal of
the sitting of Feb. 18 of the Suedo-Norwegian
Council of State, which minute will be communi-
cated to the Storthing at the same time as the other
documents connected with the matter. I refer you
also to that declaration itself, as being the expression
of my solicitude for the union as well as the auto-
nomy of each of the two kingdoms. In it I also
expressed the hope that the representatives of the
two kingdoms would support my efforts to bring
that business to a successful end, I again express
that hope for the present session of the Norwegian
Storthing.
" I continue to receive the most satisfactory proofs
of the kindly feelings of all the foreign Powers.
" In now declaring the deliberations of the Stor
thing of Norway to be open, I implore Providence
that it may direct and bless your labours ; and I
assure you of all my grace and royal favour."