Page:The Annual Register 1899.djvu/350

 342] FOKEIGN HISTOEY. [1899.

the two Houses before Christmas. In the Folkething bills were introduced dealing with the constitution of a commercial department ; with increased pay in certain public departments of the State service ; with the insurance of fishermen against accidents ; with the building of a naval hospital ; with the State control of factory labour ; with a steam ferry connection between Denmark (Gjedser) and Germany (Warnemiinde), and with the erection of various new railway stations, etc. The Landsthing, in addition to the Taxation Bills, was called upon to consider a bill regulating the election of members of the Copenhagen Corporation, and bills dealing with parliamentary elections, the inspection of food, education in the high schools, etc. Not a few of these measures were intended to meet a distinct and long-standing demand, and, having mostly been carefully framed and well advanced in the respective Houses, were likely to be finally passed before the end of the session.

A report of far-reaching importance was also completed during the year, viz., that on the Reform of the Administration of the Law, the committee having been appointed in accordance with royal decree as far back as May 11, 1892. The report, which was in itself a proposal of reform, received much attention throughout the country, and a question having been put in the House to the Home Secretary, why a bill embodying the proposal in question had not been introduced, an order of the day was unanimously passed urging the Government to introduce a bill without delay — an order of the day which the Home Secretary said he could accept.

The political aspect was not altered to any marked degree during the year. Although matters had not gone particularly well with the Conservative party, nevertheless, at the annual and well-attended meeting of its delegates early in December votes in support of the party and its political programme were unanimously adopted.

VII. SWEDEN.

In few countries does the legislative machinery work more smoothly and more regularly than in Sweden, both as regards the doings within the Riksdag and the length of its sittings. A four months' session, from the middle of January till some time in May, had become a rule with but few exceptions, and things were generally managed so pleasantly during that period that one was often compelled to look for the political landmarks of the year outside Parliament. The somewhat protracted election towards the end of the summer and the "flag" dispute with Norway were the most important features in the history of the year.

A few days before the opening of the Riksdag it was decided in the joint Council of State to leave the establishment of a Swedish-Norwegian legation in Pekin in abeyance for the