The universal geography : earth and its inhabitants

1G0SCANDINAVIA.to pass a part of the year in Norway, -where he exercises his functions hy the aidof a State Council (Statsrad) composed of two ministers and nine councillors, allNorwegian citizens. One of the ministers and two of the councillors attend on theKino- during his absence in Sweden, the others constituting the National Governmentin Norway. On the advice of this Cabinet, the King appoints the civil,military, and ecclesiastical functionaries. But he can confer no patents ofnobility, which have long been abolished by theStorthing, notwithstanding theroyal opposition shown by three successive votes. Since this decision all sons ofearls took the title of baron, those of barons becoming simple citizens, and thearistocracy thus gradually died out.Formerly the judicial functions, which were combined with the legislative,belonged exclusively to the people, who exercised them through their delegates tothe assemblies. Even now the electors name the two judges of the commission ofpeace in each commune, who hear all civil affairs before suits are commenced.In police cases, when a fine is incurred, it must be submitted for voluntary acceptancebefore being formally imposed. In criminal affairs and matters connected withproperty the nation is also directly represented by four jurymen taking their seatson the bench, and voting on the same footing as, and often even against, the judge.Judges are in other respects always responsible for all wrongs inflicted by themwilfully or through ignorance. Summoned before a higher court, they are liableto grave punishments in their persons or property, and in case of death their heirsmay be sued for the penalties incurred.Norway possesses 116 courts of first instance, 36 for the boroughs and 80 forthe rural districts, which try all civil and criminal cases. That of Christianiacomprises eight judges and a president, but all the rest one judge only byfogedin the towns, sorenshriver in the country. In litigation connected with propertyfour jurymen are added, expressly named in each case.There are five tribunals of second instance, each with a president and one, two,or three judges, and special jurisdictions exist for ecclesiastics, teachers, and eventhe military. A Supreme Court, comprising a president and ten judges, constitutesa final court of appeal in all cases sent up from the lower courts. These latter,united with thirty- seven members of the Lagthing, form a tribunal which, underthe name of State Court (Rigsret), tries all cases of crime or misdemeanour committedby members of the Storthing, the Council of State, or the High Court inthe exercise of their functions.The Lutheran Church, in Norway the State religion, enjoys considerablepowers, since it possesses much property, and largely controls public instruction.Although appointed by the King, the clergy receive no direct salaries, but they havea residence, and in the country the usufruct of common lands. They have alsothe revenues of their benefices, besides tithes and offerings, the minimum of whichis fixed by the law. The average income of each cannot be estimated at less than£150. They are relatively few in numbers, at the end of 1877 only 637altogether, according to which proportion there would be no more than 12,000priests in France. The country is divided into 6 bishoprics (stifter), 83