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CONSTITUTION.
1<>9
chamber, when they shall either be adopted unamended, or rejected.
Other legislative bills can be decided in the same session in which they
are brought forward. With regard to changes in the ecclesiastical
law, the Synod has the right of veto. The legislative power of the
Riksdag embraces the following: Fundamental Law, Civil and Criminal
Law, Communal Law, Ecclesiastical Law, and the Criminal Law as
applied to the Army. In regard to the so-called »Administrative and
Economic Legislation» (see above), the Riksdag can only address its
desires to the King. The Government, however, as a rule, inform
themselves as to the opinion of the Riksdag on all important questions
of this nature, and it is also often the case that the King invites
the Riksdag to unite with him in legislating on them.
The power of the Riksdag is more comprehensive with regard to the
determination of the estimates. The main proposition emanates from
the Government, and the Riksdag does not, as a rule, vote »ordinary» (i. e.
annual) grants, unless the proposition comes from that quarter. The
budget estimates are considered in detail by the Riksdag, and a definite
sum is, as far as possible, voted for each item, and it must not be
exceeded. Only in the event of money having been saved, the Government
has the power, in certain cases, of using it for purposes of a kindred nature
within the compass of the department where such saving has been made.
In case the chambers have arrived at different conclusions respecting
a grant, a new vote is taken of both the chambers together. In other
cases, these have the power of veto over each other.
The Riksdag alone has the power of decision respecting the
negotiating of loans which is effectuated by a National Debt Board
(Riksgäldskontoret) chosen by the parliament — a custom dating from 1789.
Of old, the Riksdag guaranteed the solidity and conducted the
administration of the Bank of Sweden (Riksbanken); in conjunction, however,
with its prospective assumption of the sole right of issuing, notes, the
King obtained, in 1898, the right of appointing the chairman of the
administrators of the bank and of sharing in bank legislation. The
Riksdag determines the principles upon which the Demesnes of the Crown
shall be administered and also those of the Coinage; in both cases it
has obtained a prerogative formerly belonging to the Crown.
The control of the Riksdag over the disposition of public money
according to the Budget Estimates, is rendered effective by the right it
has enjoyed since 1809 to look through, in the persons of the Auditors it
appoints, the accounts of all public institutions. These Auditors now
meet annually, have access to all the accounts and institutions
belonging to the State, and are expected specially to examine whether the
resolutions of the Riksdag in regard to the disposition of public money
have been observed; these officials have, moreover, commenced to express
opinions with regard to the administration of the State in general and
to the advantageousness, or the reverse, of its modes of procedure, etc.
Sweden. 12
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