which had proved most satisfactory in their working. A law was also passed authorising the Government to grant loans direct to fishermen for the advancement of their industry. These loans, which must only be applied to the purchase of fishing boats, must not exceed 3,000 kr. in any individual case, and the aggregate of them must not exceed 200,000 kr. annually. The loans must be paid back within ten years and interest of 3 per cent. per annum is required.

Another measure, which was promoted by the Ministry for Agriculture, was one for keeping down tuberculosis in cattle and pigs. This, again, was a modified prolongation of a similar law of 1898. The temperature requisite for Pasteurising was slightly reduced.

A subject of very considerable interest, which had been under discussion for a number of years was satisfactorily disposed of, by a Bill for the regulation of the railway arrangements at Copenhagen, and the building of a new central station. This law provided for the construction of an underground railway from the new main station to the East Station along the Boulevards, the building of several new local stations, etc. The amount voted was 18,965,000 kr. A Bill was also passed for the extension and enlargement of the Polytechnic College, the grant amounting to 881,750 kr. No military laws of special importance were passed, the most interesting being the one providing for a continuation of the experimental catering by the military authorities for certain regiments.

Among the measures that were not carried through in the course of the 1903-4 session no one attracted more attention and gave rise to more heated discussion in and out of Parliament than the Home Secretary's, M. Alberti's Bill, proposing corporal punishment for male offenders between the ages of fifteen and fifty-five years, either as a sole or as a supplementary punishment for certain offences. The punishment was to consist of flogging on the back, with a limit of twenty-seven strokes, and the offences so punishable were violation of women, repeated vicious assault, etc. The Committee of the Lower House, to which the Bill was referred, did not complete a report, but eight of its members introduced a separate Bill. This had originally been intended to be brought forward as an amendment, but the Speaker declined to accept it in that form. It was a modification of M. Alberti's Bill, but no more so than the Home Secretary was prepared to accept in lieu of his own. Somewhat further modified, it was passed by the Folkething on March 26 by 54 votes against 23 (14 did not vote and 22 were absent). In the Landsthing after Easter three days were devoted to the first debate on this Bill, which was eventually referred to a Committee. When, on April 22, the Rigsdag was unexpectedly prorogued, the Home Secretary, it was understood, was angry at the fate supposed to be in store for his Bill. The measure was again introduced in the Landsthing in the autumn.

Of much greater actual importance was the Reform of the Administration of Justice Bill, which had already been lengthily discussed on previous occasions, and which the Folkething referred to a Committee in the middle of January. This Čommittee completed its report on February 25, and the Bill having again been discussed in both Houses it was referred to a Joint Committee consisting of fifteen Members of each House, which Committee finished its report on April 21, the day before the prorogation. The matter, consequently, could not be proceeded with during the spring session.

Signs of dissension within the Left Reform party further manifested themselves during the recess. One or two of the Ministers even spoke of the resignation of the Ministry as a possibility, and the Home Secretary, at a meeting, enlarged upon the absence of unity within the party. "We must," he said, "have order within the party, not anarchy. We hope and think that the Left party can find means to put right what has gone wrong. Should the opposite, contrary to our expectation, be the case, the time will come when the Ministry has to consider whether it had not better resign.'

The Rigsdag met again on October 3. During the earlier part of the session little of interest occurred, and of any material changes within the various parties there were but few signs. Nevertheless the belief gained ground that the fusion of the various fractions constituting the Left Reform party would be at an end, when the question of the national defence came up for final settlement. The Radicals continued their attacks upon the War Minister, General Madsen, and made his position at last so unpleasant for him that on December 24 he tendered his resignation.

The Budget of 1905-6 was laid before the Lower House on the second day of the session. The Minister of Finance stated that he was now able to introduce a Budget which showed no deficit, which was principally owing to the increased revenue from the State railways. The debate on the Budget was, though protracted, devoid of any special interest. The Premier delivered a speech of some weight, in which he laid special stress upon the reform of the municipal suffrage in a democratic spirit, doing away with the present system of dividing the electors into two classes. Although a considerable number of Bills were introduced, the Rigsdag took its labours easily, a fact commented upon, considering the length of the sessions. The various committees were comparatively busy. Amongst the measures before the respective Chambers at the end of the year were, besides the Budget, two Bills dealing with tuberculosis, a Bill about the treatment of neglected children and young persons; and, before the Upper House, the Corporal Punishment Bill, the Administration of Justice Reform Bill, a Bill for the suppression of immorality, the Municipal Suffrage Reform Bill, and others.

VII. SWEDEN.

Two subjects during the year engrossed public attention in Sweden: the relations with Norway and, still more, the suffrage. In spite of the intense interest taken in this latter question, however, the Riksdag failed to bring about any legislative solution of it, although it was no doubt advanced another important step towards its ultimate settlement.

It will be convenient to trace first the fortunes of the Government Suffrage Bill which was laid before the Second Chamber on February 9. It was based upon the report of the Suffrage Committee, which was completed late in the year 1903, and proposed to confer suffrage upon every man (subject of course to the usual conditions of not having forfeited his reputation, etc.) at the completion of his twenty-fifth year, provided he had paid the three previous years' taxes and rates to State and municipality, and not been in default as regarded his military service. The elections under this measure were to take place in September, according to the proportional system, the country was to be divided into thirty-three electoral districts, and the number of members of the Second Chamber was to be 230. The introduction of this important measure did not evoke much enthusiasm. A leading Liberal paper complimented the Government on not having further complicated the matter by introducing the question of female suffrage, but the condition of being a municipal taxpayer and the proportional system of election were less favourably received.

A fortnight later the Radical member, M. Branting, supported by some sympathisers, introduced another Suffrage Bill, according to which every Swedish man, having completed his twenty-first year, and not having committed any action incurring punishment or received poor relief, should have suffrage. He also introduced a proposal to the effect that the Government should be asked to lay before the House a Bill doing away with the differences between the towns and the country, and at the same time introducing the absolute majority principle. On March 18 the United Liberals introduced their suffrage proposal, which differed from the Government measure, more especially by doing away with the proportional system and by only insisting upon the elector being a taxpayer to the State. The larger towns were to constitute independent divisions, with altogether forty-two representatives, whereas the smaller towns. and the country should have an aggregate number of 188 members. The completed twenty-fifth year had been maintained and the reception of poor relief was a disqualification for the suffrage.

A week previously M. Lithander had introduced a proposal in the Upper House recommending the House to accept the Government measure, with the proviso that the electoral period was extended to five years, that the number of members in the

Second Chamber was reduced to 200, and that a joint vote of both Chambers was necessary in regard to the disposal of State revenue from direct taxation.

The report of the Constitutional Committee, to which the Suffrage Bill had been referred, was not laid before the House until May 11, only a few days prior to the prorogation of the Riksdag. The committee recommended, on the whole, the adoption of the Government measure, although a somewhat important alteration had been introduced as regarded the electoral divisions, in favour of agrarian interests. According to the proposal of the committee twenty-six members of the Second Chamber's 230 members should be elected by Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö, the three largest towns in Sweden, and thirty-four by the other towns in the country, divided amongst only eleven electoral districts-a somewhat peculiar framing to which many members of the committee had taken exception. The matter came before the Chambers on May 17, and the proceedings were marked by a dignified quiet, there being no repetition either in the House or, still less, outside of the excitement of 1902.

In the end the Government proposal, at the suggestion of Bishop Billing, and subject to some modification regarding municipal taxation, was carried by 93 votes against 50.

In the Lower House the debate came to an end at midnight on May 18 when a number of votes were gone through. The committee's proposal was rejected against a minority of 50, and in the final vote Baron Barnekow's proposal, which was similar to Bishop Billing's in the First Chamber, was lost by 116 votes against 108. So as to have a positive vote recorded for the guidance of the Government the Second Chamber accepted by 116 votes against 109 a proposal by M. Nils Olsson which embodied that of the United Liberals, only the clause relating to municipal taxation being modified. The result of the voting of the Second Chamber was to defer the fate of the Suffrage Bill for another year.

The Riksdag had met, as usual, in the middle of January, and on the 18th the Budget was introduced in the Second Chamber. The revenue amounted to rather more than 178,000,000 kr., of which the Customs accounted for 53,500,000 kr., the corn-brandy tax 25,700,000 kr., the postal department 16,245,000 kr., the beet-sugar tax 12,000,000 kr., income tax and State railways, each 11,000,000 kr., etc. The expenditure was calculated at the same figure as the revenue, in addition to which it was proposed to cover some 10,000,000 kr. railway expenditure by loan. The Army vote figured at 57,636,000 kr., or 1,500,000 kr. more than the previous year, and the Navy vote at 21,524,000 kr., or 250,000 kr. more than the previous year. One of the more important items on the former Budget was 1,937,000 kr. for the Boden (North Sweden) fortifications. For new material in warships a vote of 6,262,000 kr. was asked for. The surplus

for the year 1903 was put at 5,000,000 kr., allowing for a deficit of 1,500,000 kr. for the year 1902.

The Riksdag, be it said, voted the bulk of the military and naval votes asked for by the Government. At the same time some minor reductions insisted on were intended to show that the Legislature was desirous of seeing a wise economy adopted. A joint voting of the two Chambers on April 30 sanctioned by 186 against 178 a naval grant of 6,062,000 kr., the sum passed by the Second Chamber, whereas the First Chamber had voted 200,000 kr. more. During the naval debate M. Hedin severely criticised several circumstances connected with the Navy, and more especially relating to the discipline and the training of the cadets. If what was stated was true, Sweden could not be said to have any fleet. The Naval Minister, in his answer, protested against the correctness of the charges, which were much exaggerated. A commission had, however, been appointed to inquire as to the disciplinary conditions. On May 11 the Riksdag, at a joint voting of the two Chambers, passed a grant of 6,650,000 kr. for new buildings for the Army, a minority only voting 5,303,000 kr. The same day a joint vote passed a grant of some 4,000,000 kr. for a new railway in Lapland, and the Swedish State is altogether bestowing much attention upon extending the country's railways. On May 16 a further joint vote passed another military grant, by 186 votes to 177, of 6,800,000 kr.

What may be considered as the foremost legislative result of the 1904 Riksdag was the School Reform Law, passed in the beginning of May. Its purpose is to somewhat popularise what are generally known as the Latin schools, by reducing the quantity of Latin required and generally adapting this class of school, as is supposed, as a means of preparation for practical life rather than for learned professions. The schools will be divided into a younger school, in which the education extends over six yearly classes and a gymnasium, which represents the finishing school, and to which the pupils can be transferred from the fifth class of the school, or they can go into the sixth class and bring their education to a close with the end of the sixth class. The school can, in some instances, be arranged as a joint school for boys and girls. The pay of the masters has at the same time been improved, and the clerical influence in the management of the schools is somewhat reduced through the appointment of a Board, intended to assist the church minister.

Another important law, passed like the former within a week or two of the prorogation, was the one providing a sum of 10,000,000 kr. for the period 1905-9, for the formation of own homes" in the country, the grant to be applied as State loans to agricultural or other societies for the above purpose. The limit for each loan was, through a compromise between the two Chambers, put at 5,000 kr. The law is intended to