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CONSTITUTION.
195
Gustavus IV Adolphus (1792—1809) proved incapable of taking advantage of
the vast power placed by law in his hands, and, having brought the country
almost to the verge of ruin, he was dethroned (13 March, 1809). The Estates
of the Realm assembled, and had again to undertake a task like that presented
to their predecessors on the death of Charles XII — namely, to set up a new
form of government for the Kingdom: for that it must be altered all were agreed.
The Riksdag’s Resolutions of 1809 inaugurated the Swedish polity that
is still in force. In framing its provisions, advantage could he taken of
the very great experience drawn from the varying constitutional
experiments during the foregoing centuries; and the legislators showed that they
were fully able to cope with the task set before them. They were
careful to strike a moderate middle course between the excesses of democracy
and of autocracy, and laid a firm constitutional basis in the truest sense
of that expression. Moreover, with the exception of the regulations
regarding the composition of the Riksdag, no sweeping changes have since
been made in the constitutional fabric then bestowed upon Sweden.
In accordance with ancient practice the regulations were drawn up in
three divisions — the three fundamental laws: the Constitution Act
(Regeringsformen), of 6 June 1809, now the oldest of the written fundamental
laws in force in Europe; the Organic Law for the Riksdag
(Riksdagsordningen), 1810; and the Act of Settlement (Successionsordningen), 1809: of
these, the first-named is express^ stated to be the principal one. A fourth
fundamental law was adopted in 1810: the Law on the Liberty of
the Press (Tryckfrihetsförordningen). A new Act of Settlement had to
be adopted on 26 September 1810; the Press Laiv was replaced by a
new one on 16 July 1812; and the Organic Law for the Riksdag of 1810
was rendered null by the new one of 22 June 1866, which in 1909
underwent radical changes in the matter of franchise etc. The Constitution
Act still retains its old date, though it has undergone numerous
modifi-fications in matters of detail.
The Constitution was altered in certain details through the Union with Norway
(1814—1905). The actual union regulations were to have been included in the
Act of Union (1815); but this was incomplete and in course of time gave rise
to disputes which ultimately brought about the dissolution of the union.
The Act of Settlement of 1810 regulates the succession to the Swedish
Crown within the family of Prince Johan Baptist Julius of Ponte Corvo.
The hereditary principle is established in the male line. The King, who
comes of age at 18 (as also do now the heir-apparent and his eldest son),
shall be an adherent of "the pure evangelical faith" (the Lutheran
Confession). The right of succession is forfeited, for instance, if a prince
marries without the King’s consent, or if he weds the daughter of a
private man. The King can only carry on the government while he remains
in Sweden. If he goes abroad, there is a regency (a prince or the Cabinet).
If the King takes the field or goes to the more remote parts of the country
a regency with limited powers is set up in the capital.
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