Chapter VII (4)

Article 21.
The king shall nominate, as chancellor of justice, a
juris-consult, an able and impartial man, who has previously
held the office of a judge. It shall be his chief duty, as the
highest legal officer or attorney general of the king, to
prosecute, either personally or through the officers or
fiscals under him, in all such cases as concern the public
safety and the rights of the crown, on the king's behalf, to
superintend the administration of justice, and to take
cognizance of, and correct, errors committed by judges or
other legal officers in the discharge of their official
duties.

Article 28.
The king, in his council of state, has a right to appoint
native Swedes to all such offices and places within the
kingdom for which the king's commissions are granted. The
proper authorities shall, however, send in the names of the
candidates to be put in nomination for such employments. The
king may, likewise, appoint foreigners of eminent talents to
military offices, without, however, entrusting to them the
command of the fortresses of the realm. In preferments the
king shall only consider the merits and the abilities of the
candidates, without any regard to their birth. Ministers and
counsellors of state and of justice, secretaries of state,
judges, and all other civil officers, must always be of the
pure evangelical faith.

Article 29.
The archbishop and bishops shall be elected as formerly, and
the king nominates one of the three candidates proposed to
him.

Article 30.
The king appoints, as formerly, the incumbents of rectories in
the gift of the crown. As to the consistorial benefices, the
parishioners shall be maintained in their usual right of
election.

Article 31.
Citizens, who are freemen of towns, shall enjoy their
privilege as heretofore, of proposing to the king three
candidates for the office of burgomaster or mayor, one of whom
the king selects. The aldermen and secretaries of the
magistracy of Stockholm shall be elected in the same manner.

Article 32.
The king appoints envoys to foreign courts and the officers of
the embassies, in the presence of the minister of state for
foreign affairs and the aulic chancellor.

Article 33.
When offices, for which candidates are proposed, are to be
filled up, the members of the council of state shall deliver
their opinions on the qualifications and merits of the
applicants. They shall also have right to make respectful
remonstrances against the nomination of the king respecting
other offices.

Article 34.
The new functionaries created by this constitution, viz.—the
ministers and counsellors of state and counsellors of justice,
shall be paid by the crown, and may not hold any other civil
offices. The two ministers of state are the highest
functionaries of the realm. The counsellors of state shall
hold the rank of generals, and the counsellors of justice that
of lieutenant-generals.

Article 35.
The minister of state for foreign affairs, the counsellors of
state, the presidents of the public boards, the grand governor
of Stockholm, the deputy governor, and the chief magistrate of
police in the city, the aulic chancellor, the chancellor of
justice, the secretaries of state, the governors or
lord-lieutenants of provinces, field marshals, generals and
admirals of all degrees, adjutant generals, adjutant in chief,
adjutants of the staff, the governors of fortresses, captain
lieutenants, and officers of the king's life guards, colonels
of the regiments, and officers second in command in the foot
and horse guards, lieutenant-colonels in the brigade of the
life regiments, chiefs of the artillery of the royal
engineers, ministers, envoys, and commercial agents with
foreign powers, and official persons employed in the king's
cabinet for the foreign correspondence, and at the embassies,
as holding places of trust, can be removed by the king, when
he considers it necessary for the benefit of the realm. The
king shall, however, signify his determination in the council
of state, the members whereof shall be bound to make
respectful remonstrances, if they see it expedient.

Article 36.
Judges, and all other official persons, not included in the
preceding article, cannot be suspended from their situations
without legal trial, nor be translated or removed to other
places, without having themselves applied for these.

Article 31.
The king has power to confer dignities on those who have
served their country with fidelity, bravery, virtue, and zeal.
He may also promote to the order of counts and barons,
persons, who by eminent merits have deserved such an honour.
Nobility and the dignity of a count and baron, granted from
this time, shall no longer devolve to any other than the
individual himself thus created a noble, and after him, to the
oldest of his male issue in a direct descending line, and this
branch of the family being extinct, to the nearest male
descendant of the ancestor.

Article 38.
All despatches and orders emanating from the king, excepting
such as concern military affairs, shall be countersigned by
the secretary who has submitted them to the council, and is
responsible for their being conformable to the minutes. Should
the secretary find any of the decisions made by the king to be
contrary to the spirit of the constitution, he shall make his
remonstrances respecting the same, in the council of state.
Should the king still persist in his determination, it shall
then be the duty of the secretary to refuse his countersign,
and resign his place, which he may not resume until the
estates of the realm shall have examined and approved of his
conduct. He shall, however, in the mean time, receive his
salary, and all the fees of his office as formerly.

Article 39.
If the king wishes to go abroad, he shall communicate his
resolution to the council of state, in a full assembly, and
take the opinion of all its members, as enacted in the ninth
article. During the absence of the king he may not interfere
with the government, or exercise the regal power, which shall
be carried on, in his name, by the council of state; the
council of state cannot, however, confer dignities or create
counts, barons, and knights; and all officers appointed by the
council shall only hold their places ad interim.

Article 40.
Should the king be in such a state of health as to be
incapable of attending to the affairs of the kingdom, the
council of state shall conduct the administration, as enacted
in the preceding article.

Article 41.
The king shall be of age after having completed eighteen
years. Should the king die before the heir of the crown has
attained this age, the government shall be conducted by the
council of state, acting with regal power and authority, in
the name of the king, until the estates of the realm shall
have appointed a provisional government or regency; and the
council of state is enjoined strictly to conform to the
enactments of this constitution.

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Article 42.
Should the melancholy event take place, that the whole royal
family became extinct on the male side, the council of state
shall exercise the government with regal power and authority,
until the estates have chosen another royal house, and the new
king has taken upon himself the government. All occurrences or
things having reference to the four last articles, shall be
determined by the whole council of state and the secretaries
of state.

Article 43.
When the king takes the field of battle, or repairs to distant
parts of the kingdom, he shall constitute four of the members
of the council of state to exercise the government in those
affairs which he is pleased to prescribe.

Article 44.
No prince of the royal family shall be permitted to marry
without having obtained the consent of the king, and in the
contrary case shall forfeit his right of inheritance to the
kingdom, both for himself and descendants.

Article 45.
Neither the crown prince, or any other prince of the royal
family, shall have any appanage or civil place. The princes of
the blood may, however, bear titles of dukedoms and
principalities, as heretofore, but without any claims upon
those provinces.

Article 46.
The kingdom shall remain divided, as heretofore, into
governments, under the usual provincial administrations. No
governor-general shall, from this time, be appointed within
the kingdom.

Article 47.
The courts of justice, superior as well as inferior, shall
administer justice according to the laws and statutes of the
realm. The provincial governors, and all other public
functionaries, shall exercise the offices entrusted to them
according to existing regulations; they shall obey the orders
of the king, and be responsible to him if any act is done
contrary to law.

Article 48.
The court of the king is under his own management, and he may
at his own pleasure appoint or discharge all his officers and
attendants there.

Article 49.
The estates of the realm shall meet every fifth year. In the
decree of every Diet the day shall be fixed for the next
meeting of the estates. The king may, however, convoke the
estates to an extraordinary Diet before that time.

Article 50.
The Diets shall be held in the capital, except when the
invasion of an enemy, or some other important impediment, may
render it dangerous for the safety of the representatives.

Article 51.
When the king or council convokes the estates, the period for
the commencement of the Diet shall be subsequent to the
thirtieth, and within the fiftieth day, to reckon from that
day when the summons has been proclaimed in the churches of
the capital.

Article 52.
The king names the speakers of the nobles, the burghers and
the peasants: the archbishop is, at all times, the constant
speaker of the clergy.

Article 53.
The estates of the realm shall, immediately after the opening
of the Diet, elect the different committees, which are to
prepare the affairs intended for their consideration. Such
committees shall consist in,

a constitutional committee, which shall take cognizance of
questions concerning proposed alterations in the
fundamental laws, report thereupon to the representatives,
and examine the minutes held in the council of state;

a committee of finances, which shall examine and report
upon the state and management of the revenues;

a committee of taxation, for regulating the taxes;

a committee of the bank for inquiring into the
administration of the affairs of the national bank;

a law committee for digesting propositions concerning
improvements in the civil, criminal, and ecclesiastical
laws;

a committee of public grievances and matters of economy, to
attend to the defects in public institutions, suggest
alterations, &c.

Article 54.
Should the king desire a special committee for deliberating
with him on such matters as do not come within the cognizance
of any of the other committees, and are to be kept secret, the
estates shall select it. This committee shall, however, have
no right to adopt any resolutions, but only to give their
opinion on matters referred to them by the king.

Article 55.
The representatives of the realm shall not discuss any subject
in the presence of the king, nor can any other committee than
the one mentioned in the above article hold their
deliberations before him.

Article 56.
General questions started at the meetings or the orders of the
estates, cannot be immediately discussed or decided, but shall
be referred to the proper committees, which are to give their
opinion thereupon. The propositions or report of the
committees shall, in the first instance, without any
alteration or amendment, be referred to the estates at the
general meetings of all the orders. If at these meetings,
observations should be made which may prevent the adoption of
the proposed measure, these objections shall be communicated
to the committee, in order to its being examined and revised.
A proposition thus prepared having been again referred to the
estates, it shall remain with them to adopt it, with or
without alterations, or to reject it altogether. Questions
concerning alterations in the fundamental laws, shall be thus
treated:

If the constitutional committee approves of the suggestion
of one of the representatives, or the committee reports in
favour of or against a measure proposed by the king, the
opinion of the committee shall be referred to the estates,
who may discuss the topic, but not come to any resolution
during that Diet.

If at the general meetings of the orders no observations
are made against the opinion of the committee, the question
shall be postponed till the Diet following, and then be
decided solely by yes or no, as enacted in the 75th article
of the ordinance of Diet.

If, on the contrary, objections are urged at the general
meetings of the orders against the opinion of the
committee, these shall be referred back for its
reconsideration. If all the orders be of one opinion, the
question shall be postponed for final decision, as enacted
above. Should again a particular order differ from the
other orders, twenty members shall be elected from among
every order, and added to the committee, for adjusting the
differences. The question being thus prepared, shall be
decided at the following Diet.

Article 57.
The ancient right of the Swedish people, of imposing taxes on
themselves, shall be exercised by the estates only at a
general Diet.

Article 58.
The king shall at every Diet lay before the committee of
finances the state of the revenues in all their branches.
Should the crown have obtained subsidies through treaties with
foreign powers, these shall be explained in the usual way.

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Article 59.
The king shall refer to the decision of this committee to
determine what the government may require beyond the ordinary
taxation, to be raised by an extraordinary grant.

Article 60.
No taxes of any description whatever can be increased without
the express consent of the estates. The king may not farm or
let on lease the revenues of state, for the sake of profit to
himself and the crown; nor grant monopolies to private
individuals, or corporations.

Article 61.
All taxes shall be paid to the end of that term for which they
have been imposed. Should, however, the estates meet before
the expiration of that term, new regulations shall take place.

Article 62.
The funds required by government having been ascertained by
the committee of finances, it shall rest with the estates
whether to assign proportionate means, and also to determine
how the various sums granted shall be appropriated.

Article 63.
Besides these means, two adequate sums shall be voted and set
apart for the disposal of the king, after he has consulted the
council of state,—for the defence of the kingdom, or some
other important object;—the other sum to be deposited in the
national bank, in case of war, after the king has ascertained
the opinion of the council and convened the estates. The seal
of the order for this latter sum may not be broken, nor the
money be paid by the commissioners of the bank, till the
summons to Diet shall have been duly proclaimed in the
churches of the capital.

Article 64.
The ordinary revenues of the land, as well as the
extraordinary grants which may be voted by the estates, shall
be at the disposal of the king for the civil list and other
specified purposes.

Article 65.
The above means may not be applied but for the assigned
purposes, and the council of state shall be responsible if
they permit any deviation in this respect, without entering
their remonstrances in the minutes, and pointing out what the
constitution in this case ordains.

Article 66.
The funds of amortissement or national debt, shall remain, as
heretofore, under the superintendence and direction of the
estates, who have guaranteed or come under a responsibility
for the national debt; and after having received the report of
the committee of finances on the affairs of that
establishment, the estates will provide, through a special
grant, the requisite means for paying the capital as well as
the interest of this debt, in order that the credit of the
kingdom may be maintained.

Article 67.
The deputy of the king shall not attend the meetings of the
directors or commissioners of the funds of amortissement, on
any other occasion than when the directors are disposed to
take his opinion.

Article 68.
The means assigned for paying off the national debt shall not,
under any pretence or condition, be appropriated to other
purposes.

Article 69.
Should the estates, or any particular order, entertain doubts
either in allowing the grant proposed by the committee of
finances, or as to the participation in the taxes, or the
principles of the management of the funds of amortissement,
these doubts shall be communicated to the committee for their
further consideration.—If the committee cannot coincide in
the opinions of the estates, or a single order, it shall
depute some members to explain circumstances. Should this
order still persist in its opinion, the question shall be
decided by the resolution of three orders. If two orders be of
one, and the other two of a different opinion, thirty new
members of every order shall be added to the committee—the
committee shall then vote conjointly, and not by orders, with
folded billets, for adopting, or rejecting, unconditionally
the proposition of the committee.

Article 70.
The committee of taxation shall at every Diet suggest general
principles for dividing the future taxes, and the amount
having been fixed, the committee shall also propose how these
are to be paid, referring their proposition to the
consideration and decision of the states.

Article 71.
Should a difference of opinion arise between the orders, as to
these principles and the mode of applying them, and dividing
the taxes; or, what hardly can be presumed, any order decline
participating in the proposed taxation, the order, which may
thus desire some alteration, shall communicate their views to
the other representatives, and suggest in what mode this
alteration may be effected without frustrating the general
object. The committee of taxation having again reported
thereon to the estates, they, the estates, shall decide the
question at issue. If three orders object to the proposition
of the committee, it shall be rejected. If, again, three
orders oppose the demands of a single order, or if two be of
an opinion contrary to that of the other two, the question
shall be referred to the committee of finances, with an
additional number of members, as enacted in the above article.
If the majority of this committee assent to the proposition of
the committee of taxation, in those points concerning which
the representatives have disagreed, the proposition shall be
considered as the general resolution of the estates. Should
it, on the contrary, be negatived by a majority of votes, or
be rejected by three orders, the committee of taxation shall
propose other principles for levying and dividing the taxes.

Article 72.
The national bank shall remain, as formerly, under the
superintendence and guarantee of the estates, and the
management of directors selected from among all the orders,
according to existing regulations. The states alone can issue
bank-notes, which are to be recognized as the circulating
medium of the realm.

Article 73.
No troops, new taxes or imposts, either in money or kind, can
be levied without the voluntary consent of the estates, in the
usual order, as aforesaid.

Article 74.
The king shall have no right to demand or levy any other aid
for carrying on war, than that contribution of provisions
which may be necessary for the maintenance of the troops
during their march through a province. These contributions
shall, however, be immediately paid out of the treasury,
according to the fixed price-current of provisions, with an
augmentation of a moiety, according to this valuation. Such
contributions may not be demanded for troops which have been
quartered in a place, or are employed in military operations,
in which case they shall be supplied with provisions from the
magazines.

Article 75.
The annual estimation of such rentes as are paid in kind shall
be fixed by deputies elected from among all the orders of the
estates.

Article 76.
The king cannot, without the consent of the estates, contract
loans within or without the kingdom, nor burthen the land with
any new debts.

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Article 77.
He cannot also, without the consent of the estates, vend,
pledge, mortgage, or in any other way alienate domains, farms,
forests, parks, preserves of game, meadows, pasture-land,
fisheries, and other appurtenances of the crown. These shall
be managed according to the instructions of the estates.

Article 78.
No part of the kingdom can be alienated through sale,
mortgage, donation, or in any other way whatever.

Article 79.
No alteration can be effected in the standard value of the
coin, either for enhancing or deteriorating it, without the
consent of the estates.

Article 80.
The land and naval forces of the realm shall remain on the
same footing, till the king and the estates may think proper
to introduce some other principles. No regular troops can be
raised, without the mutual consent of the king and the
estates.

Article 81.
This form of government and the other fundamental laws cannot
be altered or repealed, without the unanimous consent of the
king and the estates. Questions to this effect cannot be
brought forward at the meetings of the orders, but must be
referred to the constitutional committee, whose province it is
to suggest such alterations in the fundamental laws, as may be
deemed necessary, useful, and practicable. The estates may not
decide on such proposed alterations at the same Diet. If all
the orders agree about the alteration, it shall be submitted
to the king, through the speakers, for obtaining his royal
sanction, After having ascertained the opinion of the council,
the king shall take his resolution, and communicate to the
estates either his approbation or reasons for refusing it. In
the event of the king proposing any alteration in the
fundamental laws, he shall, after having taken the opinion of
the council, deliver his proposition to the estates, who
shall, without discussing it, again refer it to the
constitutional committee. If the committee coincide in the
proposition of the king, the question shall remain till next
Diet. If again the committee is averse to the proposition of
the king, the estates may either reject it immediately or
adjourn it to the following Diet. In the case of all the
orders approving of the proposition, they shall request that a
day be appointed to declare their consent in the presence of
his majesty, or signify their disapprobation through their
speakers.

Article 82.
What the estates have thus unanimously resolved and the king
sanctioned, concerning alterations in the fundamental laws, or
the king has proposed and the estates approved of, shall for
the future have the force and effect of a fundamental law.

Article 83.
No explanation of the fundamental laws may be established by
any other mode or order, than that prescribed by the two
preceding articles. Laws shall be applied according to their
literal sense.

Article 84.
When the constitutional committee find no reason for approving
of the proposition, made by a representative concerning
alterations or explanations of the fundamental laws, it shall
be the duty of the committee to communicate to him, at his
request, their opinion, which the proposer of the resolution
may publish, with his own motion, and under the usual
responsibility of authors.

Article 85.
As fundamental laws of the present form of government, there
shall be considered the ordinance of Diet, the order of
succession, and the act concerning universal liberty of the
press.

Article 86.
By the liberty of the press is understood the right of every
Swedish subject to publish his writings, without any
impediment from the government, and without being responsible
for them, except before a court of justice, or liable to
punishment, unless their contents be contrary to a clear law,
made for the preservation of public peace. The minutes, or
protocols, or the proceedings, may be published in any case,
excepting the minutes kept in the council of state and before
the king in ministerial affairs, and those matters of military
command; nor may the records of the bank, and the office of
the funds of amortissement, or national debt, be printed.

Article 87.
The estates, together with the king, have the right to make
new and repeal old laws. In this view such questions must be
proposed at the general meetings of the orders of the estates,
and shall be decided by them, after having taken the opinion
of the law committee, as laid down in the 56th article. The
proposition shall be submitted, through the speakers, to the
king, who, after having ascertained the opinion of the council
of state and supreme court, shall declare either his royal
approbation, or motives for withholding it. Should the king
desire to propose any alteration in the laws, he shall, after
having consulted the council of state and supreme court, refer
his proposition, together with their opinion, to the
deliberation of the states, who, after having received the
report of the law committee, shall decide on the point. In all
such questions the resolution of three orders shall be
considered as the resolution of the estates of the realm. If
two orders are opposed to the other two, the proposition is
negatived, and the law is to remain as formerly.

Article 88.
The same course, or mode of proceeding, shall be observed in
explaining the civil, criminal, and ecclesiastical laws, as in
making these. Explanations concerning the proper sense of the
law given by the supreme court in the name of the king, in the
interval between the Diets, may be rejected by the states, and
shall not afterwards be valid, or cited by the courts of
judicature.

Article 89.
At the general meetings of the orders of the estates,
questions may be proposed for altering, explaining, repealing,
and issuing acts concerning public economy; and the principles
of public institutions of any kind may be discussed. These
questions shall afterwards be referred to the committee of
public grievances and economical affairs, and then be
submitted to the decision of the king, in a council of state.
When the king is pleased to invite the estates to deliberate
with him on questions concerning the general administration,
the same course shall be adopted as is prescribed for
questions concerning the laws.

Article 90.
During the deliberations of the orders, or their committees,
no questions shall be proposed but in the way expressly
prescribed by this fundamental law, concerning either
appointing or removing of officers, decisions and resolutions
of the government and courts of law, and the conduct of
private individuals and corporations.

Article 91.
When the king, in such cases as those mentioned in the 39th
article, is absent from the kingdom longer than twelve months,
the council shall convoke the estates to a general Diet, and
cause the summons to be proclaimed within fifteen days from
the above time, in the churches of the capital, and speedily
afterwards in the other parts of the kingdom. If the king,
after being informed thereof, does not return to the kingdom,
the estates shall adopt such measures as they deem most
beneficial for the country.

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Article 92.
The same shall be enacted in case of any disease or ill health
of the king, which might prevent him from attending to the
affairs of the kingdom for more than twelve months.

Article 93.
When the heir of the crown, at the decease of the king, is
under age, the council of state shall issue summons to the
representatives to meet. The estates of the realm shall have
the right, without regard to the will of a deceased king
concerning the administration, to appoint one or several
guardians, to rule in the king's name, according to this
fundamental law, till the king becomes of age.

Article 94.
Should it ever happen that the royal family become extinct in
the male line, the council of state shall convene the estates,
to elect another royal family to rule conformably to this
fundamental law.

Article 95.
Should, contrary to expectation, the council of state fail to
convoke the estates, in the cases prescribed by the 91st, 93d,
and 94th articles, it shall be the positive duty of the
directors of the house of nobles, the chapters throughout the
kingdom, the magistrates in the capital, and the governors in
the provinces, to give public notice thereof, in order that
elections of deputies to the Diet may forthwith take place,
and the estates assemble to protect their privileges and
rights of the kingdom. Such a Diet shall be opened on the
fiftieth day from that period when the council of state had
proclaimed the summons in the churches of the capital.

Article 96.
The estates shall at every Diet appoint an officer,
distinguished for integrity and learning in the law, to watch
over, as their deputy, the conduct of the judges and other
official men, and who shall, in legal order and at the proper
court, arraign those who in the performance of their offices
have betrayed negligence and partiality, or else have
committed any illegal act. He shall, however, be liable to the
same responsibility as the law prescribes for public
prosecutors in general.

Article 97.
This deputy or attorney-general of the estates shall be chosen
by twelve electors out of every order.

Article 98.
The electors shall at the same time they choose the said
attorney-general, elect a person possessing equal or similar
qualities to succeed him, in case of his death before the next
Diet.

Article 99.
The attorney-general may, whenever he pleases, attend the
sessions of all the superior and inferior courts, and the
public offices, and shall have free access to their records
and minutes; and the king's officers shall be bound to give
him every assistance.

Article 100.
The attorney-general shall at every Diet present a report of
the performance of his office, explaining the state of the
administration of justice in the land, noticing the defects in
the existing laws, and suggesting new improvements. He shall
also, at the end of each year, publish a general statement
concerning these.

Article 101.
Should the supreme court, or any of its members, from
interest, partiality, or negligence, judge so wrong that an
individual, contrary to law and evidence, did lose or might
have lost life, liberty, honour, or property, the
attorney-general shall be bound, and the chancellor of justice
authorised, to arraign the guilty, according to the laws of
the realm, in the court after mentioned.

Article 102.
This court is to be denominated the court of justice for the
realm, and shall be formed by the president in the superior
court of Swea, the presidents of all the public boards, four
senior members of the council of state, the highest commander
of the troops within the capital, and the commander of the
squadron of the fleet stationed at the capital, two of the
senior members of the superior court of Swea, and the senior
member of all the public boards. Should any of the officers
mentioned above decline attending this court, he shall be
legally responsible for such a neglect of duty. After trial,
the judgment shall be publicly announced: no one can alter
such a sentence. The king may, however, extend pardon to the
guilty, but not admitting him any more into the service of the
kingdom.

Article 103.
The estates shall at every Diet nominate a jury of twelve
members from out of each order, for deciding if the members of
the supreme court of justice have deserved to fill their
important places, or if any member, without having been
legally convicted for the faults mentioned in the above
articles, yet ought to be removed from office.

Article 104.
The estates shall not resolve themselves into a court of
justice, nor enter into any special examination of the
decrees, verdicts, resolutions of the supreme court.

Article 105.
The constitutional committee shall have right to demand the
minutes of the council of state, except those which concern
ministerial or foreign affairs, and matters of military
command, which may only be communicated as far as these have a
reference to generally known events, specified by the
committee.

Article 106.
Should the committee find from these minutes that any member
of the council of state has openly acted against the clear
dictates of the constitution, or advised any infringement
either of the same or of the other laws of the realm, or that
he had omitted to remonstrate against such a violation, or
caused and promoted it by wilfully concealing any information,
the committee shall order the attorney-general to institute
the proper proceedings against the guilty.

Article 107.
If the constitutional committee should find that any or all
the members of the council of state have not consulted the
real interest of the kingdom, or that any of the secretaries
of state have not performed his or their official duties with
impartiality, activity, and skill, the committee shall report
it to the estates, who, if they deem it necessary, may signify
to the king their wish of having those removed, who may thus
have given dissatisfaction. Questions to this effect may be
brought forward at the general meetings of the orders, and
even be proposed by any of the committees. These cannot,
however, be decided until the constitutional committee have
delivered their opinion.

Article 108.
The estates shall at every Diet appoint six individuals, two
of whom must be learned in the law, besides the
attorney-general, to watch over the liberty of the press.
These deputies shall be bound to give their opinion as to the
legality of publications, if such be requested by the authors.
These deputies shall be chosen by six electors out of every
order.

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Article 109.
Diets may not last longer than three months from the time that
the king has informed the representatives of the state of the
revenues. Should, however, the estates at the expiration of
that time not have concluded their deliberations, they may
demand the Diet to be prolonged for another month, which the
king shall not refuse. If again, contrary to expectation, the
estates at the expiration of this term have not regulated the
civil list, the king shall dissolve the Diet, and taxation
continue in its former state till the next meeting of
representatives.

Article 110.
No representative shall be responsible for any opinion uttered
at meetings of the orders, or of the committees, unless by the
express permission of at least five-sixths of his own order:
nor can a representative be banished from the Diet. Should any
individual or body, either civil or military, endeavour to
offer violence to the estates, or to any individual
representative, or presume to interrupt and disturb their
deliberations, it shall be considered as an act of treason,
and it rests with the estates to take legal cognizance of such
an offence.

Article 111.
Should any representative, after having announced himself as
such, be insulted, either at the Diet or on his way to or from
the same, it shall be punished as a violation of the peace of
the king.

Article 112.
No official person may exercise his official authority (his
authority in that capacity) to influence the elections of
deputies to the Diet, under pain of losing his place.

Article 113.
Individuals elected for regulating the taxation shall not be
responsible for their lawful deeds in this their capacity.

Article 114.
The king shall leave the estates in undisturbed possession of
their liberties, privileges, and immunities. Modifications
which the prosperity of the realm may demand can only be done
with the general concurrence and consent of the estates and
the sanction of the king. Nor can any new privileges be
granted to one order, without the consent of the other, and
the sanction of the sovereign.

This we have confirmed by our names and seals, on the sixth
day of the month of June, in the year after the birth of our
Lord one thousand eight hundred and nine.

On behalf of the Nobles, M. Ankarsvard.
On behalf of the Clergy, Jac. Ax. Lindblom.
On behalf of the Burghers, H. N. Schwan.
On behalf of the Peasantry, Lars Olsson, Speakers.

The above form of government we have not only acknowledged
Ourselves, but do also command all our faithful subjects to
obey it; in confirmation of which, we have thereto affixed our
manual signature and the seal of the realm. In the city of our
royal residence, Stockholm, on the sixth day of the month of
June, in the year after the birth of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and nine.

CHARLES.

----------CONSTITUTION OF SWEDEN: End----------

CONSTITUTION OF THE SWISS CONFEDERATION.

After the Sonderbund secession and war of 1847 (see
SWITZERLAND: A. D. 1803-1848), the task of drawing up a
Constitution for the Confederacy was confided to a committee
of fourteen members, and the work was finished on the 14th of
April, 1848. "The project was submitted to the Cantons, and
accepted at once by thirteen and a half; others joined during
the summer, and the new Constitution was finally promulgated
with the assent of all on the 12th September. Hence arose the
seventh and last phase of the Confederation, by the adoption
of a Federal Constitution for the whole of Switzerland, being
the first which was entirely the work of Swiss, without any
foreign influence, although its authors had studied that of
the United States. … It was natural that, as in process of
time commerce and industry were developed, and as the
differences between the legislation of the various Cantons
became more apparent, a revision of the first really Swiss
Confederation should be necessary. This was proposed both in
1871 and 1872, but the partisans of a further centralization,
though successful in the Chambers, were defeated upon an
appeal to the popular vote on the 12th of May 1872, by a
majority of between five and six thousand, and by thirteen
Cantons to nine. The question was, however, by no means
settled, and in 1874 a new project of revision more acceptable
to the partisans of cantonal independence, was adopted by the
people, the numbers being 340,199, to 198,013. The Cantons
were about two to one in favour of the revision, 14½ declaring
for and 7½ against it. This Constitution bears date the 29th
May, 1874, and has since been added to and altered in certain
particulars."

_Sir F. O. Adams and C. D. Cunningham,
The Swiss Confederation,
chapter 1._

"Since 1848, … Switzerland has been a federal state,
consisting of a central authority, the Bund, and 19 entire and
six half states, the Cantons; to foreign powers she presents
an united front, while her internal policy allows to each
Canton a large amount of independence. … The basis of all
legislative division is the Commune or Gemeinde; corresponding
in some slight degree to the English Parish. The Commune in
its legislative and administrative aspect or
'Einwohnergemeinde' is composed of all the inhabitants of a
Commune. It is self-governing and has the control of the local
police; it also administers all matters connected with
pauperism, education, sanitary and funeral regulations, the
fire brigade, the maintenance of public peace and
trusteeships. … At the head of the Commune is the
Gemeinderath, or Communal Council, whose members are elected
from the inhabitants for a fixed period. It is presided over
by an Ammann, or Mayor, or President. … Above the Commune on
the ascending scale comes the Canton. … Each of the 19
Cantons and 6 half Cantons is a sovereign state, whose
privileges are nevertheless limited by the Federal
Constitution, particularly as regards legal and military
matters; the Constitution also defines the extent of each
Canton, and no portion of a Canton is allowed to secede and
join itself to another Canton. … Legislative power is in the
hands of the 'Volk'; in the political sense of the word the
'Volk' consists of all the Swiss living in the Canton, who
have passed their 20th year and are not under disability from
crime or bankruptcy.
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The voting on the part of the people deals mostly with
alterations in the cantonal constitution, treaties, laws,
decisions of the First Council involving expenditures of Frs.
100,000 and upward, and other decisions which the Council
considers advisable to subject to the public vote, which also
determines the adoption of propositions for the creation of
new laws, or the alteration or abolition of old ones, when
such a plebiscite is demanded by a petition signed by 5,000
voters. … The First Council (Grosse Rath) is the highest
political and administrative power of the Canton. It
corresponds to the 'Chamber' of other countries. Every 1,300
inhabitants of an electoral circuit send one member. … The
Kleine Rath or special council (corresponding to the
'Ministerium' of other continental countries) is composed of
three members and has three proxies. It is chosen by the First
Council for a period of two years. It superintends all
cantonal institutions and controls the various public boards.
… The populations of the 22 sovereign Cantons constitute
together the Swiss Confederation."

_P. Hauri,
Sketch of the Constitution of Switzerland
(in Strickland's The Engadine)._

The following text of the Federal Constitution of the Swiss
Confederation is a translation from parallel French and German
texts, by Professor Albert Bushnell Hart, of Harvard College.
It appeared originally in "Old South Leaflets," No. 18, and is
now reprinted under permission from Professor Hart, who has
most kindly revised his translation throughout and introduced
the later amendments, to July, 1893.

In the Name of Almighty God.
The Swiss Confederation, desiring to confirm the alliance of
the Confederates, to maintain and to promote the unity,
strength, and honor of the Swiss nation, has adopted the
Federal Constitution following: