Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-03-09
The Crisis in Norway.


The trial and conviction of Christian
August Selmer, Minister of State of
Norway, is to be followed by the trial of
the other Ministers of the Kingdom. The
great question involved in these trials, as
has been heretofore alluded to, is the con-
stituti0nal power of the King to nullify
any act of the St0rthing. The present
question arose on an act first passed in
1872 to make the ministers responsible to
the StOrthing, whereas they had before
been responsible to the King alone. The
King vetoed the law, and it was passed a
second and third time with a like result.
The last time the law was passed, in 1880,
the King proclaimed his right to veto it
absolutely, and the Storthing published
the law as valid and called upon the Min
listers to obey it. The Ministers adhered
to the King and refused. This made the
issue direct between the King and Storth-
ing. In the next election the Liberals or
Republicans, who passed the bill, gained
a decided victory, and their strength in
the Storthing was largely increased.
Oscar IL. is true BernadOtte and firm
believer in the doctrine of the divine right
of Kings. In his speech from the throne
he reafiirmed his position stated in his
vetoes, and denounced the people for
voting to sustain the Storthing. The Nor
wegians are not an eXcitable people, con-
sequentlY there was no outbreak or violent
demonstration on account of the appa-
rently high-handed course the King and
Ministers had taken in multiplying the au-
thority of the legislative body. The policy
calmly agreed upon is to proceed in a
strictly legal and constitutional manner.
Should the King resist the removal of
the Ministers, which will undoubtedly be
decreed by the Supreme Court, a struggle
will be precipItated which will either re-
suit in the partial, if not entire abolition
of the Kings authority, or the blotting
out of the claim OF the people through the
Storthing to an influential voice in the
government of the nation.
The issue between the King and the
Storthing is not new one. In 1915 that
body passed a law abOlishing titles of
nobility. The King, Charles MIL. great
grandfather of the present King, refused
HIS dpAiIOf dls L ut utAL lNO CtOI NulusS
passed the same measure, although the
King made a personal appeal against it,
accompanied with a strong military
demonstration on the Swedish frontier
The Kings veto was thus rendered null,
it is claimed, in accordance with the pro-
visions of the constitution. Several years
after this the Storthing passed another
law 10 the effect that the people of Nor
way should be called citizens instead
of subjects of the kingdom. Oscar l..
father of the present King, pursued a con-
ciliatory policy towards the Norwegians,
and acquired great popularity among the
people. In Norway the large majority OF
the people are peasants. They are much
better educated than similar classes in
most other countries, and are decidedly
democratic in their ideas of gOvernme
They are opposed to classical education,
however, assOciating it with aristOcracy,
and in 1869 they secured the passage of a
law abolishing it in the university al
Christiana.
Whether the threatened contest will re-
suit in the overthrow of the monarchy
or its entire subordinatiOn to tn,
StOrthing, depends on the tact and power
of King Oscar IL. and the ability of the
} Liberals, as well as the limit of their de
/ mands