DENMARK. 



249 



The following table exhibits the condition of the commercial navy from 1872 to 1875 : 



Besides, there were, in 1875, 10,920 vessels 

 having each 4 tons or less. The aggregate 

 length of railroads in operation on January 1, 

 1877, was 1,366.17 kilometres (1 kilometre = 

 0.62 English mile), of which 811.25 kilometres 

 were state roads, and 554.92 kilometres private 

 roads. 



The Danish Legislature met on January 9th. 

 The Folkething, or Lower House, organized 

 by reflecting its presidents of 1876, Krabbe, 

 J. A. Han sen, and Hogsbro. The Folkething 

 continued in its opposition to the Government 

 in the discussion of the budget. In January 

 the Landsthing passed a bill on the third read- 

 ing, introducing the metrical system of weights 

 and measures in the kingdom, after it had been 

 previously passed by the Folkething. The ma- 

 jority of the committee were in favor of the 

 rejection of the 50,000 crowns demanded by 

 the Government for the representation of Den- 

 mark at the Paris Exhibition of 1878. A large 

 number of Danish manufacturers also protested 

 against the participation, and sent an address 

 to the King, declaring that 50,000 crowns were 

 insufficient for the purpose, and 250,000 crowns, 

 the sum which would probably be necessary, 

 was too much for the country. At the third 

 reading of the budget, the Folkething rejected 

 all propositions of the Government, and sanc- 

 tioned all the suggestions of its budget com- 

 mittee, by a vote of 68 to 25. During the 

 general debate of January 29th, the speakers of 

 the Left were so excited, that the president 

 was forced to call them frequently to order. 

 The opposition rejected all plans of com- 

 promise, and even went so far as to move 

 the indictment of the former ministers, Krieger, 

 Holstein-Hol stein borg, Fonnesbech, Hall, and 

 "Worsaae, for building a new theatre a few years 

 previously, without waiting for the consent of 

 the Chamber. The motion was carried on Jan- 

 uary 30th, and the deputy Horup appointed 

 public prosecutor. The session of the Chambers, 

 which had been extended for two months on 

 December 2, 1876, was extended two more 

 months on February 2d, to give the Landsthing 

 time to consider the budget as passed by the 



Folkething. The general depression of busi- 

 ness caused large numbers of workmen to be 

 without employment. To relieve them, it was 

 proposed by the Government to advance 1,000,- 

 000 crowns to the different communes, to enable 

 them to employ those without any other work, 

 on public works. The united Left of the Folke- 

 thing passed a resolution to make a present of 

 this sum to the communes, while the Govern- 

 ment proposition was also adopted. In the 

 second week of March, the Landsthing returned 

 the budget to the Folkething, as originally pre- 

 sented by the Government. As the two Cham- 

 bers could not agree on the budget, a joint 

 committee of both Houses was appointed to 

 settle the matter. Of the 30 members of this 

 committee, 16 belonged to the Government 

 party, and 14 to the opposition. The Folke- 

 thing, in March, not only granted the 50,000 

 crowns demanded by the Government, to 

 represent Denmark at the Paris Exhibition 

 of 1878, which it had originally refused, but 

 raised it to 125,000 crowns. As the discussions 

 were yet unfinished on April 1st, the session 

 was again extended till April 15th. The joint 

 committee being unable to come to any agree- 

 ment, it contented itself by embodying the 

 wishes of the two parties in two resolutions, 

 which were presented to the two Chambers. 

 The resolution in favor of the Government was 

 adopted by the Landsthing, and that in favor 

 of the opposition by the Folkething. The 

 Government, therefore, was forced to content 

 itself with a provisional budget. The session 

 of the Chambers was closed, by a royal order, 

 on April 4th. 



In the latter part of July, General Haffner, 

 the Minister of War, resigned, and General 

 Dreyer, the Inspector-General of the Engineer 

 Corps, was appointed in his place. 



The Rigsdag was again opened, on October 

 1st, by the President of the Ministry, without 

 a speech from the throne. On the 2d the Min- 

 ister of Finance submitted the budget for 1878- 

 '79, and shortly afterward that for 1877-'78 

 to the Folkething. The latter budget was re- 

 ferred to a committee of 15, who were to con- 



