Sierra County advocate. [volume] (Kingston, N.M.) 1884-1960, 1886-03-27
THE SWEDISH DIET.
Opening 1t With Impressive Royal
Ceremonies.

The Diet answers to the American
Congress, being composed of two
Chambers. The second Chamber has
two hundred and fifty members, elected
every two years, while the first Cham
Der has one hundred and fifty, elected
every four years. In appearance they
resemble very much any deliberative
body selected from the mass of the
people. Many of them have the air of
well-to-do business men or farmers.
while here and there YOU can pick out
a professional man from the greater
ease in his bearing and his readiness
IN debate. Altogether, however, they
are a solid, substantial and worthy
looking body of men. The opening of
the Diet, or Riksdag, as it is called in
Swedish, is always an important event,
and Is attended with great ceremony,
as II is the one occasion of the year in
which the King assumes the crown
and scepter, and, clad in his kingly
robes, ascends the silver throne and
personally delivers the opening ad- |
dress. One also sees, provided he be !
fortunate enough to be invited to be
present, all that is ceremonial and inn |
pressiye in royal court. In addition
to the King and his family, the open |
ing ceremonies are attended by the |
state Ministers, all the principal oni-
GERS of the palace, the leading officers
of the army and navy, the chamber
lains, attendants, gentlemcn-in-w wait |
ing and the diplomatic corps. Each |
individual man is in uniform. gay in
brilliant colors and trappings, and
many of them having their breasts
covered with decorations earned for
merltorious services in their country's
interest. The ceremony always takes
place in the grand hall of the palace,
room built expressly for the purpose,
which, upon the occasion of Yesterday.
was filled with AS brilliant gathering
Of ladies and gentlemen as a most
formal and ceremonious court could
bring together. There was, nothing
simple about it, but, upon the CON
rary, IT was as imposing and Impress
We as human display could make it,
presenting a spectacle at once novel
md interesting
At eleven o'clock in the morning the
wo Chambers attended church in a
'ody. and upon the conclusion of di-
'inc service repaired to the hall, where
hey awaited the coming of the King. ,
Wy invitation required me to be pres ,
mt at twelve O'Clock, and knowing {
hat an invitation from King means a I
Command, was prompt in my attend i
nee, although it was full half hour {
efore the trumpets sounded the APP
roach of his Majesty, and we re-
aired to the gallery in the hall re-
erved for our accommodation. The A
vidences of the coming event were to
c seen by the great crowds of people
n the streets leading to the palace, /
nd in and about the court. have d,
ften been impressed with the orderly !
onduct of Il Swedish crowd They {
re quiet, wcll-behaved and orderly il
eople, making no sign of approval or a
isapproval, but quietly satisfying
heir inordinate curiosity by silently n
landing and looking at what may be
zen. If there is any enthusiasm it is |,
II pent up and never permitted to un- {
Ork itself after the fashion of Amcri-
ans.
The stairway leading from the court :.
, the room in which | was received is -
broad, winding one, and on this oc-
ision contained two rows of uni nj
'rmed guards, with crested helmets,
a present arms. Through this line u,
soldiery the visitors passed to
,acious reception room adjoining the +,
reat hall In this room were sta :,
oned the gentlemen-in-w waiting, in h,
'illiant colored uniforms, VINO waited n,
e approach of the royal procession, r.
I'd preceded it to the hall. Every or n,
II is by rank and precedent, and as a,
cry one knows his or her place there a,
no confusion or scrambling for van =,
ge places. The hall is about sixty y"
. two hundred feet with a small gal .,
ry on either side. 1t displays a very a,
economy in It's in
rior. 1t is severely plain and
lpretentious. Aside from two v
roic statutes in marble-one of Gus =,
vus Adolphus and one of Gustavus
There are no works of art to re- =,
we the barrenncss of its white walls. \,
thout it is the frieze, which is in
aster bas relief The throne stands
one end on a dais raised four steps th
I'm the level of the floor. and above IN
a canopy of faded green to
lvet, plentifully adorned with crowns of
gold. The floor and steps of the m
is were covered with black tapestry, nj
20 besprinklcd with crowns in yellow. pe
open space some forty feet square, In
IN front of the throne, ha
s enclosed by small railing, and lal
Is space was covered with rich
rkish rug. The members sat IN the
ditorium on raised seats. the first XII
amber to the right and the second no
the left of the large aisle running tn
IN the open space TO the rear Of the LET
n D