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220
Order of proceeding in the
general diets.
HISTORY OF THE SWEDES. Instances of provincial
diets.
[leil-
certain benches thereto appointed, counts, free-
barons, nobles, and next these last the officers of
the army ;
to the left, next the councillors, the
bishops and clergy, then the burgesses, and lowest,
in the middle of the hall, the order of yeomen.
Only deputies might be present at the diets, except
the younger nobles, who stood at the door. After the
king, accompanied by the estates, shall have entered
the hall and saluted them, first every prince of the
royal family, himself or by deputy, then one of the
baronage (the land-marshal after the ordinance
for the house of barons was made) for the nobility
and army, and lastly, the archbishop for the un-
noble estates collectively, most humbly offer to the
king their congi’atulations. Thereupon the kmg
enumerates the points which the estates have to
consider, and with the same escort returns to his
chamber. Thereafter the estates come again into
their hall, whence each estate repaii’s to its cham-
ber, to consult upon the points and reduce to
writing its answer and opinion. This,
" if it can-
not be done in one day, may be done in two, three,
or more," during which the estates may also, if
they so wish, assemble for common deliberation.
For the preservation of secrecy, sworn clerks are
appointed to the yeomen, and for the same end no
one was permitted to take home the king’s propo-
sitions (the only subjects of deliberation), but the
estates were to peruse, consider, and advise upon
the same at the place appointed. When the answer
is prepared, the estates again assemble and occupy
their places. Then will the king’s majesty ag.iiu
come to them and hear their reply, which every
estate shall separately deliver in writing by its
deputies, explaining the same with reasons. Now
if his majesty be contented with the answer, well
and good. If there be any hesitation thereupon,
then his majesty rejoins either in writing or orally,
accoi’ding as the importance of the affair demands.
Where any difference is found between the re-
solutions of the estates, each estate may in presence
of the king’s majesty set forth and defend its
opinion, in order that, when the reasons are heard,
they may the better be able to uphold them against
one another, and to discern which has the best
grounds ;
so long as until a i-easonable understand-
ing is brought about, or " the king’s majesty selects
therefrom what is best *." This ordinance was re-
ceived by the estates as "
good, fit, and seemly."
Simple forms these, the first appointed for a
Swedish diet of estates ;
and yet in fact little
different from the oldest, in which the king spoke
to the land’s army, and acclamation decided the
3 Ordinance which shall be observed in assemblies of the
estates of the realm, and in the collection of votes at the
diets, made at Orebro, Jan. 24, 161 T. Stiernman,!. c. i. 706.
• At the diet of 16 11, on the accession of Gustavus Adol-
phus, the first writ of summons was changed in such sort,
that whereas only two clergymen (besides the bishop and
member of the chapter) were first called from each diocese,
it was now added, that from every hundred,
" as had for-
merly been usual," one clergyman should come. To the
same diet of 1611, as to that of 1617, two yeomen from every
hundred were summoned. On other occasions, (as in 1635,)
only "one discreet and prudent dannema i," or goodman,
was summoned from every hundred.
•’’
Resolution of the estates of Finland, in Helsingfors and
the government of Borfjo, July 30, IGll. Stiernman, 1. c.
i. 698. Compare Hallenberg.
" See the letter of the estates of Finland to the estates of
adojjtion of the statute. Nor was the plan of repre-
sentation by estates yet fully developed. This can
properly be said only of the first estate, which out-
weighed the rest. Much was yet indeterminate.
The presence of all the nobles (unless hindered by
years, sickness, or the public service) was, though
required by law, hardly possible. Of the clergy
were commonly summoned the bishop of every
diocese, with a member of the chapter, and a
minister from every hundred ; of the burgesses,
the burgomaster, and one of the council or the
commonalty in every town ;
of the yeomen, one or
two from every hundred*. Frequent and short
diets, bad roads, war, and other hindrances led to
the absence of many deputies, especially from re-
mote places. Thus no one from Finland attended
the diet of Orebro in 1614, which lasted somewhat
more than a month ;
wherefore at a congress iti
Borgo the king caused some of the estates of Fin-
land to confirm the resolutions of those of Sweden,
and obtained the subscriptions of the others iu
theu’ own districts ’’. In the year 1616, during the
Russian war, the king held with the estates of
Finland a separate diet of a week, at which was
granted a tallage of equal amount with that of 16i:{.
The Finns thereupon exhorted the Swedish estates
by a special letter, to be in like manner ready lor
the defence of their father-land, which they ex-
pected the rather as they had themselves suffered
most by the war. This admonition was first answered
by the estates of Smaland, who, assembled at Cul-
mar, thanked the Finns for their zeal, and promised
to pay the tax with the same readhiess, which the
king forthwith levied over the whole kingdom,
excusing himself on the ground, that the time
allowed of no other course ^.
We consequently here find provincial estates in
some sort making enactments for the whole king-
dom ;
and the examples referred to show us like-
wise how aids were granted while their amount
was left undetermined. The tax above-mentioned
was the so-called "
landtogsgard" or war-aid, for
the support of the army. At the diet of 1612, the
yeomanry engaged to assist his majesty with their
contributions lor this purpose,
"
according to their
ability and the matter ;" whereupon the king’s
commissioners were to negotiate with them further
in their various districts. This was usual with
taxes which were paid in produce ^. On the other
hand the notion began to prevail, that money-aids
must be granted and fixed at general diets *. Yet
Sweden, and that of the estates of Smaland to the Finns in
Widekindi, 1. c. 339. 341.
7 Final declaration of the commonalty respecting the aid
(hjelp) they have granted. Stockholm, Nov. 25, 1612. Stiern-
man, 1. c. i. 678. At the same time the yeomanry charged
themselves with a fixed benevolence of four dollars (2§ rix-
dollars, specie), for every crown and scot-farm, and two
substantial peasants of the nobility were to be reckoned for
one crown or scot-peasant.
" In the year 1614 the council of state could devise no
other means of carrying on the Russian war, than nego-
tiating for supplies with the yeomanry ; a money-aid it was
not in the power of these to give, nor could the king enjoin
such without a general diet, which again could not con-
veniently be held during his absence ; the yeomanry could
most easily be persuaded to a considerable war tax, and
for that reason the council of state had drawn up a project
for it. Puncta Senatus Consulli, in Widekindi, 240. The
tax was levied.
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