754 



SWEDEN AND NOKWAY. 



era are vested in the Diet, subject to the ap- 

 proval of the King, save in matters of political 

 administration and taxation, the former of 

 which is the exclusive province of the sover- 

 eign, and the latter that of the Diet. The Diet 

 consists of two chambers, both elective. The 

 franchise is limited by a property qualification. 



Area and Population. The area of Sweden is 

 170,979 square miles. The population in 1880 

 was 4,565,668. The estimated population on 

 Dec. 31, 1882, was 4,579,115, The mean an- 

 nual emigration in 1851-60 was 1,690; in 

 1861-70, 12,245; in 1871, 17,450; in 1872, 15,- 

 915; in 1873, 13,580; in 1874, 7,791 ; in 1875, 

 9,727; in 1876, 9,418; in 1877, 7,610; in 1878, 

 9,032; in 1879, 17,637; in 1880, 42,109; in 

 1881, 45,992. 



Commerce* The imports increased from 82,- 

 469,000 crowns, in 1860, to 288,060,000 in 

 1881 ; the exports from 86,496,000 to 223,196,- 

 000 crowns (1 crown=26'8 cents). The im- 

 ports from the United States in 1881 amounted 

 to 9,820,000 crowns; exports to the United 

 States, 355,000 crowns. The staple articles of 

 export are timber, pig-iron, and grain. The 

 leading imports are textile manufactures, coal, 

 and colonial merchandise, the latter largely on 

 the increase. 



The length of railroads in operation in 1881 

 was 3,830 miles, of which the state owned 

 1,365 miles. The length of telegraph lines 

 was 7,210 miles; of wires, 18,380 miles. The 

 number of letters and journals carried by post 

 in 1881 was 68,731,121. 



The Army. The army is composed of five 

 classes of troops: men enlisted for three, four, 

 and six years, forming the guards, hussars, ar- 

 tillery, and engineers; the Indelta, who are 

 enlisted for life and cantoned on the estates of 

 the land-owners : the Gothland militia, not lia- 

 ble to service outside of the island ; the con- 

 scripted troops, who are called out annually 

 for 15 days; and the volunteer rifle corps, in 

 1881 numbering 11,065 men. The total 

 strength of the army in 1883 was 182,572 

 officers and men, with 836 guns and 6,649 

 horses. 



Finances. The ordinary receipts of the treas- 

 ury are estimated in the budget for 1884 at 

 21,270,000 crowns; the balance carried over 

 from former years, 4,100,000 crowns; net re- 

 ceipts of the Bank of Sweden, 1,300,000 

 crowns; extraordinary receipts, 52,340,000 

 crowns; total, 79,010,000 crowns. The ordi- 

 nary expenditures are estimated at 59,135,665 

 crowns; extraordinary expenditures, 8,221,335 

 crowns ; expenditures on account of the public 

 debt, 10,240,036 crowns; balance carried over, 

 1,412,964 crowns; total, 79,010,000 crowns. 

 Not only a large part of the army, but a great 

 number of the ecclesiastical functionaries, are 

 paid wholly or in part from the produce of 

 certain public domains. The expenses of pub- 

 lic instruction are mainly borne by the com- 

 munes and provinces. 

 Politics and Legislation. For many years past 



the Government has urged upon the Diet the 

 necessity of army reorganization, without 

 avail, until finally the question has been al- 

 lowed to rest. The great land-owners, who 

 control the vote of the First Chamber, are not 

 in favor of a change, because the charge of the 

 militia at present bears not so much on them 

 as on the farming class; while the Land-men's 

 party, who are in the majority in the popular 

 house, are averse to the new system because it 

 would greatly increase the burdens of the peo- 

 ple. The financial returns for 1883 are favora- 

 ble for the first time in a long period, and allow 

 of a reduction in the coffee duty instead of the 

 accustomed increase of taxation. In 1883 the 

 stamp-duties were enhanced, and the tax on 

 the manufacture of spirits increased. 



NORWAY. Constitution. The Grundlov of 

 Nov. 4, 1814, vests the legislative power in 

 the Storthing. Laws passed in three Stor- 

 things can not again be vetoed. The King has 

 command of the army and navy, and makes all 

 civil appointments. Since 1869 the sessions of 

 the Storthing have been annual. All property- 

 holders are electors. The members of the 

 Storthing are elected indirectly every three 

 years. After assembling they divide them- 

 selves into two bodies, three fourths forming 

 the Odelsthing, which originates all bills ; and 

 the other fourth the Lagthing, which approves 

 or rejects them. 



The executive authority is exercised in the 

 name of the King by a State Council, com- 

 posed of two Ministers of State and at least 

 seven councilors. Two councilors, who are 

 changed annually, and one of the ministers, 

 form a deputation residing near the person of 

 the King, at Stockholm. 



Area and Population. The area of Norway is 

 122,869 square miles. The population in 1875 

 was 1,806,900, as compared with 1,701,365 in 

 1865. The town population in 1875 was 332,- 

 398, showing an increase of 24 per cent., 

 against 4 per cent, in the rural districts. Emi- 

 gration has assumed considerable proportions 

 of late years, the movement being almost ex- 

 clusively to the United States. The number 

 of emigrants in 1871 was 12,276; in 1872, 

 13,865; in 1878, 10,352; in 1874, 4,601; in 

 1875, 4,048; in 1876, 4,355; in 1877, 3,206; 

 in 1878", 4,863 ; in 1879, 7,608 ; in 1880, 20,- 

 212; in 1881, 25,976; in 1882, 28,804. 



Commerce. The average annual value of the 

 imports in the five years, 1877-'81, was 161,- 

 300,000 crowns (one crown = 26'8 cents) ; of 

 the exports, 102,300,000 crowns. The imports 

 in 1882 amounted to 160,475,000 crowns. The 

 imports from the United States were valued at 

 2,569,000 crowns; the exports to the United 

 States at 156,000 crowns. 



The tonnage entered at Norwegian ports in 

 1881 was 1,976,462 tons, of which 1,306,960 

 were Norwegian. The merchant fleet, which 

 in proportion to population is the largest in the 

 world, comprised in 1881 7,977 sail-vessels, of 

 1,520,404 tons, against 1,007,908 in 1870, and 





