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III. CONSTITUTION AND ADMINISTRATION.
(1915—1917) consisted of 86 Moderates, 57 Liberals and 87 Social Democrats.
The First Chamber is composed in 1915 of 89 Moderates, 47 Liberals, and
14 Social Democrats.
Procedure of the Riksdag. The regular session of the Riksdag
(lagtima riksdag) begins every year on 15 January in Stockholm,
and has a right to continue for four months, unless the Government
dissolves one or both of the Chambers and orders new elections. The four
months, however, have proved to be more and more insufficient; and
since 1900 the Riksdag has not been able to finish its business until
after 15 May—several times not until well on in June. The Riksdag
may be convened for an extraordinary (urtima) session by Government
during the vacations; but in that case the Riksdag may only treat the
subjects for which it was convened.
The Speakers and the Deputy-Speakers (talman) in both Chambers are appointed
by the King (Government). The right of introducing bills falls to the
Government — whose bills are called "propositions", and enjoy certain rights of preference
in formal treatment — to every private member of the Riksdag, and, in certain
cases, also to Committees of the Riksdag.
For the preparation of business every regular Riksdag has to appoint six
Committees, namely, Constitution, Budget, Tax, Bank, Law, and Agriculture
Committees. Of these, the Constitution Committee has to examine the minutes of
the Cabinet and treat or initiate proposals concerning alterations of the fundamental
law and of laws regulating to the local government. The Budget Committee, which
treats the majority of financial questions, has through this function become the most
important and most influential of the Committees. The Tax Committee occupies
itself with questions concerning certain taxes called "supplies" (bevillningar)1, of
which the most important is the Customs supplies (protective and revenue
customs-dues). The Bank Committee has now not only (as before) to examine
the management of the Riksbank and to deal with questions of bank legislation,
but also to examine the management of the National Debt Board and to deal
with all questions of pensions and public assistance. The Law Committee deals
with all penal and military legislation and also with all civil questions save
those that concern legislation about Agriculture and Forests. These last matters
fall to the Agriculture Committee, which also deals with all questions touching
the landed estates of the Crown. — The number of members in the ordinary
committees is in every case half from each Chamber.
For the treatment of questions which properly come under the purview of
an ordinary committee, the Riksdag may also appoint one or more Special
Committees, which often takes place with regard to subjects requiring a somewhat
exhaustive examination. For the treatment of matters not belonging to the ordinary
committees, each Chamber appoints for itself one or more Select Committees,
as needed. Only if the proposals of these committees lead to a positive result
in the Chamber does the question proceed to the other house.
The Committees play an important part in the Swedish Riksdag, owing among
other things to the fact that the members of both Chambers work together side
by side — a peculiarity of the Swedish parliament.
The discussion of any question is, as far is possible, simultaneous in both
Chambers, for which purpose the schedule of work is, in its main points, drawn
up by the so-called Chairman-conference, which consists of the Speaker and
1 Sec note on bevillningar in the chapter on State Finances (p. 237).
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