Page:The Annual Register 1899.djvu/357

 1899.] Norway. — The King's Attitude. [349

matter were expressed in a note stating that " the uniform resolution concerning the flag question, which the Norwegian Storthing has passed three times, has, as is well known, three times been refused my sanction as King of Norway, for the reasons I had placed on record in the Norwegian Council of State, held December 10, 1898. Here I must, as King of the United Kingdoms, declare that I disapprove and regret any change in the resolution of my exalted father, of June 20, 1844, and I still consider it would have been to the interest of both kingdoms — not the less for Norway — to main- tain it. By the emblem of the Union, thereby provided, a visible and fully satisfactory expression of the equal standing of the two nations had been established." Regretting the existing constitutional conditions in this connection the King, however, declared that the regulations of the royal letter of June 20, 1844, ceased to apply to the Norwegian merchant flag from December 15, 1899. The King also instructed the proper authorities to communicate this to foreign Powers and the legations and consulates of the United Kingdoms (Norway and Sweden). The removal of the visible emblem of the Union from the Norwegian flag caused even in Norway much regret and dissent, although the grave results anticipated in numerous quarters were probably chimerical.

In another way also the proceedings of the Storthing proved a disappointment. The advocates of calling the Storthing to- gether in October instead of, as hitherto, in January, insisted that the session would thereby be considerably shortened. The opposite proved to be the case, for the 1898-9 session was the longest on record, since annual sessions of the Storthing, which were introduced in 1871. The sessions had for years been steadily lengthening, without the legislative work being at all proportionately increased; and this year the end of May had arrived before the Storthing was prorogued, the session having then lasted seven months and seventeen days.

During the summer the King was present at a solemn military function at Haplund, where new standards were pre- sented to a number of regiments. The King made an eloquent speech to the troops and was received with much enthusiasm.

The Storthing reassembled (Oct. 11), and was solemnly opened a day or two later with a speech from M. Steen, the Premier. He announced that several new measures would be laid before the Storthing, including a military criminal code, a proposal dealing with disablement and old-age pensions, a new tariff, etc. Referring to the strained state of the money market, he referred to over-speculation and over-production in some branches as the causes. The credit side of the Budget amounted to 92,300,000 kr., whilst the expenditure was calculated at 90,200,000 kr. The greater portion of the surplus arose from extra taxation of income and property. It was proposed to apply 9,800,000 kr. to railway construction, this sum being