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Religion.

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The mass of the population adhere to the Lutheran Protestant Church, recognised as the State religion. There are 13 bishoprics, and 2,576 parishes in 1904. At the census of 1890, the number of Evangelical Lutherans' was returned at 4,735,218, the Protestant Dissenters, Baptists, Methodists, and others numbering 44,378, including 23,307 unbaptized children. Of other creeds, there were 1,390 Roman Catholics, 46 Greek-Catholics, 313 Irvingites, 3,402 Jews, and 234 Mormons. No civil disabilities attach to

those not of the national religion. The clergy are chiefly supported from the parishes and the proceeds of the Church lands.

Instruction.

The Kingdom has two universities, at Upsala and Lund, the former frequented by 1,496 and the latter by 667 students in the spring of 1904. There are also a state faculty of medicine in Stockholm (263 students) and private philosophical faculties in Stockholm and Göteborg. Education is well advanced in Sweden. In 1903 there were 82 public high schools, with 19,501 pupils; 31 people's high schools, 1,634 pupils; 14 normal schools for elementary school teachers, 1,396 pupils; 2 high and 6 elementary technical schools, about 2,900 pupils ; 10 navigation schools, 641 pupils ; besides institutions and schools for deaf mutes and the blind; medical schools, military schools, veterinary and other special schools. Public elementary instruction is gratuitous and compulsory, and children not attending schools under the supervision of the Government must furnish proofs of having been privately educated. In 1902 there were 12,263 elementary schools, with 17,438 teachers and 747,608 pupils. In 1902 the expenditure on elementary education was 24,033,270 kronor, of which about one-fourth came from the national funds. Among the recruits (Beväring) of 1900 only 0.08 per cent. were unlettered, only 0.25 per cent. unable to write.

Justice and Crime.

The administration of justice is entirely independent of the Government. Two functionaries, the Justitie-Kansler, or Chancellor of Justice, and the Justitie-Ombudsman, or Attorney-General, exercise a control over the administration. The former, appointed by the King, acts also as a counsel for the Crown; while the latter, who is appointed by the Diet, has to extend a general supervision over all the courts of law. The Kingdom, which possesses one Supreme Court of Judicature, is divided (beginning of 1904) into 3 high court districts and 211 district courts divisions, of which 91 are urban districts and 120 country districts.

In town these district courts (or courts of first instance) are held by the burgomaster and his assessors; in the country by a judge and 12 jurorspeasant proprietors-the judge alone deciding, unless the jurors unanimously differ from him, when their decision prevails. In Sweden trial by jury only exists for affairs of the press.

In 1902, 2,457 men and 240 women were sentenced for serious crimes; at the end of 1902, there were 1,512 hard-labour prisoners.

Pauperism.

Each commune is bound to assist children under 15 years of age, if their circumstances require it, and all who from age or disease are unable to support themselves. In other cases the communal poor board decides what course to take. Each commune and each town (which may be divided) constitutes a poor district, and in each is a board of public assistance. In 1902 these districts possessed workhouses and similar establishments to the number of 1,853, capable of lodging 53, 693 people.

The number of paupers assisted in 1860 was 132,982; in 1880, 219,532;

of 300,000 kronor, or 16,520., voted to King Carl XIV. Johan and his successors on the throne of Sweden.

The following is a list of the kings and queens of Sweden, with the dates of their accession, from the accession of the House

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By the treaty of Kiel, Jan. 14, 1814, Norway was ceded to the King of Sweden by the King of Denmark, but the Norwegian people did not recognise A Constituent Assembly this cession, and declared themselves independent.

met at Eidsvold, and having adopted, on May 17, a Constitution, elected the Danish Prince Christian Fredrik King of Norway. The Swedish troops, how ever, entered Norway, and, the foreign Powers refusing to recognise the newly elected King, the parties concluded, August 14, the Convention of Moss, by which the independency of Norway in union with Sweden was solemnly proclaimed. An extraordinary Storthing was then convoked, which adopted the modifications in the Constitution made necessary by the union with Sweden, and then elected King Carl XIII. King of Norway, November 4, 1814. The following year was promulgated a charter, the Riksakt, establishing new fundamental laws on the terms that the union of the two Kingdoms be indissoluble and irrevocable, without prejudice, however, to the separate government, constitution, and code of laws of either Sweden or Norway.

The law of succession is the same in Sweden and Norway. In case of absolute vacancy of the throne, the two Diets assemble for the election of the future sovereign, and should they not be able to agree upon one person, an equal number of Swedish and Norwegian deputies have to meet at the city of Karlstad, in Sweden, for the appointment of the king, this nomination to be absolute. The common affairs are decided upon in a Council of State composed of Swedes and Norwegians. In case of minority of the king, the Council of State exercises the sovereign power until a regent or council of regency is appointed by the united action of the Diets of Sweden and Norway 1. SWEDEN.

Constitution and Government.

I. CENTRAL GOVERNMENT.

The fundamental laws of the Kingdom of Sweden are:-1. The Constitution or Regerings-formen of June 6, 1809; 2. The amended regulations for the formation of the Diet of June 22, 1866; 3. The law of royal succession of September 26, 1810; and

The

4. The law on the liberty of the press of July 16, 1812. According to these statutes, the king must be a member of the Lutheran Church, and have sworn fealty to the laws of the land. His person is inviolable. He has the right to declare war and make peace, after consulting the Council of State. He nominates to all higher appointments, both military and civil; concludes foreign treaties, and has a right to preside in the supreme Court of Justice. The princes of the blood royal, however, are excluded from all civil employments. The king possesses legislative power in matters of political administration, but in all other respects that power is exercised by the Diet in concert with the sovereign, and every new law must have the assent of the crown. right of imposing taxes is, however, vested in the Diet. This Diet, or Parliament of the realm, consists of two Chambers, both elected by the people. The First Chamber consists of 150 members. The election of the members takes place by the 'Landstings,' or provincial representations, 25 in number, and the municipal corporations of the towns, not already represented in the 'Landstings,' Stockholm, Göteborg, Malmö, Norrköping and Gefle. All members of the First Chamber must be above 35 years of age, and must have possessed for at least three years previous to the election either real property to the taxed value of 80,000 kronor, or 4,4057., or an annual income of 4,000 kronor, or 2201. They are elected for the term of nine years, and obtain no payment for their services. The Second Chamber consists of 230 members, of whom 80 are elected by the towns and 150 by the rural districts. All natives of Sweden, aged 21, possessing real property to the taxed value of 1,000 kronor, or 55l., or farming, for a period of not less than five years, landed property to the taxed value of 6,000 kronor, or 3307., or paying income tax on an annual income of 800 kronor, or 447., are electors; and all natives, aged 25, possessing the same qualifications, may be elected members of the Second Chamber. The number of qualified electors to the Second Chamber in 1902 was 382,075, or 74 of the population; only 180,529, or 47.2 of the electors, actually voted. In the smaller towns and country districts the election may either be direct or indirect, according to the wish of the majority. The election is for the term of three years, and the members obtain salaries for their services, at the rate of 1,200 kronor, or 667., for each session of four months, or, in the case of an extra session 10 kronor (118.) a day, besides travelling expenses. The salaries and travelling expenses of the deputies are paid out of the public purse. The members of both Chambers are elected by ballot, both in town and country.

It consists

The executive power is in the hands of the King, who acts under the advice of a Council of State, the head of which is the Minister of State. of eleven members, and is composed as follows:

Minister of State.-Erik Gustaf Boström; appointed July 5, 1902. Minister of Foreign Affairs.-Carl Herman Theodor Alfred Lagerheim; appointed December 20, 1899.

Minister of Justice.-Ossian Berger; appointed July 5, 1902.
Minister of War.-Otto Wilhelm Virgin; appointed July 27, 1903.
Minister of Marine.-Adolf Arnold Louis Palander; appointed May 31,

1901.

1902.

1902.

Minister of the Interior.-Hjalmar Georg Westring; appointed July 5, Minister of Finance.-Ernst Fredrik Wilhelm Meyer; appointed July 5, Minister of Education and Ecclesiastical Affairs.-Carl von Friesen; appointed July 5, 1902. Minister of Agriculture.—Albrecht Theodor Odelberg; appointed March 31, 1900. Without Department.-Karl Sigfrid Husberg; appointed July 12, 1900. Johan Olof Ramstedt; appointed July 5, 1902. All the members of the Council of State are responsible for the acts of

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the Government.

II. LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

The provincial administration is entrusted in Stockholm to a Governor. General, and in each of the 24 governments to a prefect, who is nominated by the King. As executive officers of the prefects there are 118 baillies (Kronofogdar) and 520 sub-officers (Länsmän). The right of the people to regulate their own local affairs is based on the communal law of March 21, 1862. Each rural parish, and each town, forms a commune or municipality in which all who pay the local taxes are voters. Each commune has a communal or municipal council. The communal assembly or municipal council decides on all questions of administration, police and communal economy. Ecclesiastical affairs and questions relating to primary schools are dealt with by the parish assemblies, presided over by the pastor of the parish. Each government has a general council which regulates the internal affairs of the government. The council meets annually for a few days in September under a president appointed by the King from among its members. The members are elected by the towns and provincial districts. Towns having a population of at least 1-150th of the total population of the country and towns already separated from the Landstings,' and where the number of inhabitants is not fallen below that which caused their separation, are administered separately by their municipal councils: these towns are Stockholm, Göteborg, Malmö, Norrköping, and Gefle.

Area and Population.

I. PROGRESS AND PRESENT CONDITION.

The first census took place in 1749, and it was repeated at first every third year, and subsequently, after 1775, every fifth year. At present, a general census is taken every ten years, beside which there are annual numerations of the people.

The area and population of Sweden, according to the census

taken on December 31, 1900, and estimate for December 31, 1903,

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In 1903 there were 2,544,962 males and 2,676,329 females.
The growth of the population has been as follows:-

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With the exception of (1890) 19,505 Finns, 6,846 Lapps, and some thousands others, the Swedish population is entirely of the Scandinavian branch of the Aryan family.

In 1890 the foreign-born population numbered 24,548, of whom 4,066 were born in Germany, 5,401 in Denmark, 6,287 in Norway, 4,609 in Finland, 1,195 in Russia, 598 in the United Kingdom, and 1,482 in the United States. According to civil condition the population was divided as follows in

1900:

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