GENERAL HISTORY. 



[U6 



CHAPTER XIV. 



Sweden and Norway. — Denmark. — Russia. — Ionian Islands. — Turkey. 



T the end of June, the Prince 

 J^\ Royal of Sweden, with his 

 son the Duke of Sudermania, ar- 

 rived at Christiania to attend the 

 close of the Norwegian Diet, or 

 Storthing, which had been assem- 

 bled a year before. The Prince 

 Royal delivered a speech on the 

 occasion in French, which was 

 repeated in the Norwegian lan- 

 guage by his son. It began with 

 announcing general peace, and 

 confirmed amity \a ith the nearest 

 powers, those of Russia, Prussia, 

 and England. Satisfaction was 

 then expressed with the friendly 

 confidence displayed by the Noi'- 

 wegians towards the S^^edes, and 

 the harmony subsisting between 

 (lie King and tlie Diet, notwith- 

 standing unfavourable predictions. 

 " You liave recently (lie said) 

 acquired the faculty of speaking 

 your rights : you liavc discussed 

 your interests and social prero- 

 gatives ; and we must hope, that 

 happy results will in fuiuie be 

 the fi uit of yovn- labours.'' Tile 

 Prince then touched upon the 

 difficulties and harilshi])s under 

 which nature hat! destined Nor- 

 way to labour, and the necessity 

 of encountering thcni by industry 

 and fiugality ; and hinted atsonie 

 provisions against tiie sufferings 

 of the indigent which remained 

 to be i)ut in jiractice. 



In the reply of the Diet it is 

 Vol. LVIII. 



said, " The constitution which 

 guarantees to us a legal liberty ; 

 the union of the Scandinavian 

 peninsula under a wise govern- 

 ment, which secures our political 

 coiiditionj tlie bases which we 

 have endeavoured to lay of a part 

 of our internal arrangements, and 

 the measures which we may ex- 

 pect in future, when the national 

 assemblies sliall have acquiied 

 more experience ; make us hope 

 for the future happiness of Noi-- 

 way." 



Prince Oscar, son of the Prince 

 Royal, lias been apiiointed Vice- 

 roy of Norway. 



A new survey of the frontier 

 lietween Sweden and Norway has 

 been determined on for the en- 

 suing year, to be divided into 

 three divisions, each to be visited 

 by a Norwegian and a Swedish 

 officei". The whole line is esti- 

 mated at between 7 and 80() Eng- 

 lisli miles, a great part in moun- 

 tainous and steril regions. 



Active measures have been taken 

 for meliorating the condition of 

 Sweden, which, like every other 

 kingdom in Europe, has been re- 

 duced to financial difficulties in 

 consequence of the war. Its fo- 

 reign debt has been partly paid 

 and partly liquidated by the money 

 received for Pomerania and Gua- 

 daloupe. Provincial committees 

 have been employed in framing 



[L] plans 



