Durango semi-weekly herald., 1901-08-08

parliaments, after three successive
elections, pass bill in exactly the
same terms it does not require the
sanction of the king. Thus the peo
pie may exercise their soyer a:gnty.
All edicts of the executive. ali de
cisions of the court and all resolutions
of the legislature are proclaimed in
the kings name, but the ministry is re,
sponsible to the legislature Tor the
acts of the king, and if they are not
approved. as in England. the ministry
must resign and new one must be
organized in sympathy with a major
ity of the parliament. The king may
choose his own ministers. but they
must represent the will OF the peo-
pie. They are called counsellors of
state, are eight in number, and two OF
them, without portfolios. reside at
Stockholm alternately. The remain
ing members preside over as many
executive departments at Christian
Ia.
A record is kept of all meetings of
the ministry by permanent secre-
tary, and the constitution requires
that each minister shall express his
opinion upon all questions brough up
for consideration He. who remains
silent is counted in the affirmative.
No matter of business can be deter
mined by the king without the advice
of the ministry, unless an emergency
demands prompt decision, when he
must take the responsibility of secur-
ing ratification of his act. In the
same manner the king may issue
edicts of provisional character in
matters of commerce. finance, indus
trial activity, customs dues police ana
military affairs during recess of the
parliament, subject to its approval
within a limited time after assembling.
The ministry may act in the kings
name in cases of emergency or in the
kings absence from the country. sub
ject to his approval. These condi-
tions were adopted in earlier times,
when the Norwegian Legislature sat
only once in three years and some such
power was necessary, but now that
there are annual and often semi-an-
nual sessions. it is very seldom nee
essary for the executive power to eX-
ercise such responsibility.
The king and the parliament get.
along without much friction. The
only time the present king has ever
withheld his approval after the third
enactment of "a law was on the 10th
of December, 1898. when a bill was
passed to remove the Swedish en-.
blem from the Norwegian flag. He
still withheld his sanction. but with
great reluctance ordered the act to be
proclaimed in his name. as he was
convinced that serious mistake was
being made.
The king appoints all of the officials
of the executive department of the gov
ernment. all the officers of the army
and navy and all the clergymen of the
established church. but exercises this
power through the Norwegian minis
ters. Dissenting congregations are
not subject to government control,
and may choose their own ministers,
although the later are required to reg
lister an oath of allegiance and
pledge to obey the laws of the nation
and fulfill their duties with fidelity
and conscientiousness.
The king is the head of the estab-
lished church, which is the Lutheran.
He is also commandments of the
army and navy, but cannot increase or
decrease the military establishment
without the approval of the parlia-
ment. He has the right to declare
war and conclude peace, but cannot
expend money for military purposes
not even for the national defense with
out the consent of the legislature.
The Norwegian constitution is silent
concerning his authority to conclude
treaties with foreign powers, and the
question has never been raised. He
conducts negotiations through his
ministers and submits the result of
their labors for the approval of par
lament. He has the power to sus-
pend the collection of custom duties
temporarily until the parliament can
meet to consider the matter, but is
has been very rarely exercised
The parliament is called the storth-
ing and is composed of 113 represent
atives. 3S from the towns and 7G from
the rural districts. 1t divides itself
into two sections. known as the odels-
thing and the lagthing. The members
are elected for three years by an in
direct and complicated system which
is nearly the reverse of our own. The
voters of each parish. which forms an
election district assemble at given
place and time and select delegates
to a convention which chooses their
representatives in the storthing, and,
when the storthing meets. it's ia
memebers select one-fourth of their
own members. generally the most ex-
perienced and distinguished men, to
constitute senate, or upper chamber,
called the lagthing. which exercises
sort of supervisory power over legis
lation.
The storthing sits for about six
months every year. The members
are paid So per day during the session
and their travelling expenses. The