Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/1221

 COMSTITUTION AND GOVERNMENT 1099

iecomes the law of the land Avithout the assent of the sovereign. The King kas the command of the land and sea forces, and makes all appointments, but, except in a few cases, is not allowed to nominate any but Norwegians to public offices under the crown.

The Storting assembles every year. The meetings take place suo jure, and not by any writ from the King or the executive. They begin on the first weekday after January 10 each year, and must receive the sanction of the King to sit longer than two months. Every Norwegian citizen of twenty- five years of age (provided that he resides and has resided for five years in the country) is entitled to elect, unless he is disqualified from a special cause, for instance, actual receiving of parish relief. Women are under the same conditions since 1907 entitled to vote if they (or the husband, when the couple have the property in common) have paid income tax on an annual income of 400 kroner in the towns, 300 kroner in the country districts, including 'Ladesteder' (some of the smaller towns). The mode of election is direct. Every third year the people choose their representatives, the total number being 123 (forty-one from towns, and eighty-two from rural districts). The country is divided into districts, each electing one representative. Representatives must not be less than thirty years of age, must have resided in Norway for ten years, and be voters in the district from which they are chosen. Former members of the Council of State can be elected repre- sentatives of any district of the Kingdom without regard to their residence. At the election in 1909 the number of electors was 785,358, or 33-23 per cent, of total population, while 487,193 votes, or 62-04 per cent, of the whole number, were recorded.

Storting (1912) : Liberals 24, Couservatives 75, Socialists 24, Inde- pendents 2.

The Storting, when assembled, divides itself into two houses, the 'Lagting' and the 'Odelsting.' The former is comx^osed of one-fourth of the members of the Storting, and the other of the remaining three-fourths. The Ting nominates its own presidents. Questions relating to laws must be considered by each house separately. The inspection of public accounts and the revision of the Government, and impeachment before the Rigsret, belong exclusively to the Odelsting. All other matters are settled by both houses in common sitting. The Storting elects five delegates, whose duty it is to revise the public accounts. All new laws must first be laid before the Odelsting, from which they pass into the Lagting to be either accepted or rejected. If the Odelsting and Lagting do not agree, the two houses assemble in common sitting to deliberate, and the final decision is given by a majority of two-thirds of the voters. The same majority is required for alterations of the Constitution. The Lagting and the ordinary members of the supreme court of justice {Hoiesteret) form a high court of justice (the Rigsret) for the impeachment and trial of Ministers, members of the Hoiesteret, and members of the Storting. Every member of the Storting has a salary of three thousand kroner per annum, besides travelling expenses.

The executive is represented by the King, who exercises his authority through a Council of State, composed of one Minister of State and at least seven Councillors. Minister and Councillors of State are entitled to be present in the Storting and to take part in the discussions, when public, but without a vote. The following are the members of the Council of State, appointed Januar}^ 29, 1913.

Minister of State. President of the Council. — Guunar Kiuulsen.