Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XV.djvu/530

 506 SWEDEN 39J cts., or three eighths of the specie dollar and 1J of the riksgalds. The riksdaler banco hence became the official money of accounts. All three (the specie, banco, and riksgald) were divided into 48 stilling*, and the skilling into 12 rundstyks. In 1854 the diet adopted a deci- mal system, which was put into operation Jan. 1, 1858. In this system the riksgald dollar (26 cts.) is the unit ; it is called the riksdaler ryksmint, and divided into 100 ores. In 1872 a convention was signed at Stockholm by the B'enipotentiaries of Sweden, Norway, and enmark, for the introduction of a common system of coinage into the Scandinavian king- doms. This was ratified by Sweden, and the new coinage was put into circulation on Jan. 1, 1875. The basis is gold, with silver and bronze for the smaller coins, the unit being the Tcronor or crown (26f cts.) of 100 ores. The gold coins, which are an alloy of 90 parts gold and 10 copper, are the 10-crown piece and the 20-crown piece. The silver coins have an alloy of copper, and consist of pieces of one and of two crowns, and of 50, 40, 25, and 10 ores respectively. The bronze coins are of 95 parts copper, 4 tin, and 1 zinc, and are of the respective values of 1, 2, and 5 ores. In weights, the Swedish pound, which is the unit, is equal to 0*937 of the pound avoirdupois; it is subdivided into 100 orts of 100 korns each; 100 pounds make a centner, and 100 centners a nylilst. In length, one Swedish foot is equal to 0*974 of an English foot, and is divided into 10 inches of 10 lines each. The Swedish mile is equal to 6*6235 English miles ; the square mile to 43*87 English square miles. The mea- sure of contents has the Swedish cubic foot for its unit, divided into 10 cans of 100 cubic inches each. Sweden and Norway form a single king- dom, but have separate internal administrations, the king residing alternately in each country. (See NORWAY.) The government is a limited monarchy, hereditary only in the male line. The king is sole executive of the realm, com- mander of the land and sea forces, and head of the church, and has the right to preside in the supreme court of justice. Ho must be a member of the Lutheran church. His per- son is inviolable, and his action exempt from censure, but he is required in Sweden to ad- vise and consult with a council of state com- posed of ten members, two of whom, called ministers of state, hold the portfolios of jus- tice and of foreign affairs, and eight of whom are called councillors of state; of the latter, five are the chiefs respectively of the depart- ments of marine, war, finance, ecclesiastical affairs, and the interior, and thrae have only consultative voices. All the members of the council are responsible for the acts of the gov- ernment. In practice the king submits all measures excepting military and diplomatic affairs to his councillors, but he is not bound to follow their advice. If he proceeds to unconstitutional measures, they must make a formal protest or bo held responsible before a high court convened for their trial. Du- ring the absence of the king in Norway, Swe- den is governed by a regency named by him, consisting of a prince of the blood or a min- ister of state and three councillors. In case of his absence in a foreign country, or of the minority of the sovereign, the two king- doms are governed by a joint regency consist- ing of ten Swedes and ten Norwegians. The law-making power is vested in a legislature called the diet, which previous to the amend- ment of the constitution in 1866 consisted of four houses, respectively of the nobles, clergy, burghers, and peasants, but is now divided into an upper and a lower chamber. The up- per chamber has one member for every 30,000 of population (in 1874, 128), who are elected for nine years and receive no salary. Each member must be more than 35 years old, and must have possessed for at least three years previous to election real estate of the taxed value of 80,000 riksdalers, or an annual income of 4,000 riksdalers. There are only 6,000 Swedes eligible to a seat in this chamber, of whom about 1,750 reside in the country. Mem- bers are elected indirectly, in cities by the mu- nicipalities and in the country by the 25 pro- vincial assemblies. These assemblies, called landsting, are selected by electors chosen by the people in the communal or parish elections, in which each property owner, male or female, is allowed one vote to each 100 riksdalers of taxable income. In the cities no one can cast more than 100 votes, the number authorized by 10,000 riksdalers of income. The lower chamber consists of one representative for every 10,000 inhabitants of towns, of one deputy for every rural district whose popula- tion is less than 40,000, and two deputies for those of more than 40,000. In 1874 the num- ber of members was 194, of whom 56 repre- sented the towns and 138 the rural districts. They are elected for three years, and receive each a salary of 1,200 riksdalers for the session of four months and travelling expenses. They are chosen generally by direct vote, although they may be by indirect vote at the option of a district. Every male Swede 21 years of age and over, who owns real property of the as- sessed value of 1,000 riksdalers, or holds a five years' lease of property of the value of 6,000 riksdalers, or pays an income tax on 800 riksdalers is entitled to vote in their elec- tion; and if he is 25 years old and has pos- sessed these property qualifications for one year preceding the election, he may be elected a member. The diet assembles every year, on Jan. 15, without special convocation.- The king appoints the president and vice presi- dent of each chamber. The diet appoints: 1, a lawyer as procurator general to superintend the execution of the laws by judges and offi- cers ; 2, a committee of 48 members, every third year, to report whether the members of the supreme court deserve to retain their posi- tions ; and 3, a committee of six members, also