Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/1183

 CONSTITUTION AND OOVERNMKNT 1131

has the command of the land and tea foroes, 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 stio jure. <\nd not by any writ from the King or the executive. They begin on tru- first weekday after January 10 each year, and the Storting can sit as long as it may find it necessary. Every Norwegian citizen of twenty- three 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. Women are, siuce 1913, entitled to vote under the same conditions as men, and since 1915 are eligible as members of the Cabinet. The mode of election is direct, and the method of election is proportional. Everv third year the people choose their representatives, the total number as from the next election being 150. The country is divided into districts, each electing irom three to eight repreMntativ -entatives must not be Lea

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 Cabinet can be elected representatives of any district of the Kingdom without regard to their residence. At the election in 1918 the number of electors was 1,201,812 or 45 "64 per cent, of total population, while 717,446 votes, or 59 '72 per cent, of the whole numlier. were recorded.

Storting (1920) : Liberals 62, Conservatives 39, Moderate Liberals 10, Socialists 18, Agricultural Party 3, Democrats 3, Independents 1.

The Storting, when assembled, divides itself into two sections, the ' Lagting' and the 'Odelsting.' The former is composed 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 section 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 sections 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 sections 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 "the Realm 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, and, in recent years, an additional grant to cover the high, of living. For 1919 this amounted to 3.500 kroner.

The executive is represented by the King, who exercises his authority through a Cabinet called a Council of State (Stafsraml), composed of a Prime Minister or Minister of State (Sfaisi»i>i infer), and at least seven ministers (Statsramler). The ministers are entitled to be present in the Storting and to take part in the discussions, but without a vote. The following are the members of the Cabinet, originally appointed June 21, 1920. Premier and Minister of Justice. — Otto Bahr fiUwms. Ministry for Foreign AjTairs. — Christian Fredrik M'ehtbt. Ministry for Finance. — Edvard Hagerup Bull. M ttryfor Social Affairs. — Odd Sverresson Klingenbcrg. Ministry for Agriculture. — Gunder Anton Jahren.