Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-02-28
NORWEGIAN POLITICS.
The Conflict Betceen the Crown and I
Parliament.

Parliament.
A letter in the Spectator from cores
pondent gives an account of the conflict
between the crown and the storthing,
about which some alarming rumors, he
says, appeared in the foreign newspapers.
The conflict began so far back as 1872,
when the storthing carried by 80 against
20 bill inviting the ministers to be pres
ent at the meetings of the storthing, as is
the case in other constitutional countries.
The king refused his sanction, but pre-
scented to the next storthing list of sever
al constitutional changes which were con-
sidered necessary guarantees to balance
the proposed reforms. These proposals
were unanimously rejected. and the dis
missal of the ministry was demanded, but
the king again refused. There is provi-
sion in the Norwegian constitution that if
three different storthings, the members in
which sit for three years, adhere to a pro-
posal without alteration it is to be a law,
even if the king refuses his sanction. The
storthing next endeavored to obtain its
way by means of this provision. The bill
was twice more passed, the king again re-
fused his sanction, and ga new struggle
arose, more fierce than any before, and on
quite new and different ground, the nat
ure of the kings Veto" The general opinion
now even among conservatives outside the
small faction of the intransigeants of the
extreme right is. that 1t was a deplorable
mistake not to acquiesce in the will of the
people on this occasion, and the general
indignation found an expression in the
famous resolution of June 8, 1881. In this
the storthing declared the bill about the
ministers presence at its meetings, thrice
carried by the legal majority, TO be valid
law in the kingdom OF Norway" The res
olUtion was met by firm protest from
the crown, and this only considerably
widened the gulf between the contending
parties. The crowns claim for an abso-
lutte veto has been pushed further. Lately
! it was employed to Illustrate the perma-
nent sitting, the storth1ng appointment of
a parliamentary committee and even some
of its financial arrangements. Besides
these leading questions there is on nearly
all points general difference of opinion
between the government and the represen-
tation. The other reforms of the liberal
programme, such as the introduction of
juries, reasonable extension of the right
of suffrage. reorganization of the army
on the model of the Swiss system of mill
tia, are all met by an unyielding resistance
on'the side of the government, and as little
regard is paid by the Liberals to the guar
antees claimed by the crown. Thus mat
ters stand at present. The new elections
have returned to the storthing, which was
opened on February 2, more formidable
liberal majority than ever, ready to use
all the means placed in their hands by the
constitution to maintain their will-for in
stance, the refusing of the budget, already
adopted to great extent in the last stor-
thing, and perhaps impeaching the minis
tiers before parliamentary tribunal. On
the other hand, the kings speech at the
adjournment of the last storthing, irritat-
eing in its rebuk, does not give much pro-
mise Of reconciliation.