THE DEMOCRACY OF NORTHERN EUROPE. 437 



wisdom or warlike prowess to an election as Chief, Jarl or 

 King. 



The Northmen were also distinguished among heathens for 

 their reverence for women, who were &quot;so true to their country, 

 their friends and their home, that Odin sent down to them the 

 gift of healing from his splendid Hlidskjalf. &quot; Of the three 

 branches of the Scandinavian people, the Norwegians have best 

 preserved these characteristics the spirit of independence and 

 nationality and because they have so little to learn in respect 

 to self-government, they are, of all foreigners, the best pre 

 pared for the duties of American citizenship. 



Although Norway is attached to the Swedish crown, and is 

 governed as a hereditary constitutional monarchy, it is almost 

 an independent democratic government. It retains its own 

 official language, currency and flag, and the King is required 

 to be crowned in the cathedral at Drontheim, according to the 

 ancient custom. 



The democratic legislative assembly is chosen by the popular 

 vote, convenes triennially by its own right, and cannot be dis 

 solved by kingly interference until the constitutional three 

 months session has expired. 



It is the &quot;Storthing&quot; which makes war, peace, laws and 

 treaties, levies taxes, imposts and tariffs, provides for and con 

 trols all finances, salaries and pensions. Every male Norwegian 

 twenty -five years of age may vote if he possesses property to the 

 value of one hundred and sixty-eight dollars; every voter may 

 become a representative when thirty years of age, provided he 

 has resided ten years in the country. The Storthing, in reality 

 a single body, divides its functions by electing one fourth of its 

 members into an upper house, called the Odelsthing, and if a 

 bill passes both divisions of this assembly in three successive 

 storthings, it becomes a law of the land without the royal as 

 sent, a right which exists under no other constitution in Europe. 



The organization of .their judiciary and the government of 

 their towns is marked by the same democratic simplicity. A 

 certain number of householders choose arbitrators for the set 

 tlement of neighborhood differences for a term of three years. 

 Above this are sixty-four minor courts, distributed throughout 

 the kingdom, and sitting every three months; as a last resort 

 they have the hoiste ret, held at Christiana, consisting of a pres- 



