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Doc. 181.] REVIEW OF NORDENCRANTZ’S BOOK, 517
of the new officials, who would have to be changed every second
or third year? What an amount of gifts and bribes would have
to be given and taken (during their time of office)
, in order that
they might secure a livelihood for future time ! 4. From this the full
absurdity of the proposal may be seen; yea it appears almost at
first sight from this consideration only, that it militates directly
against an institution which has been established in Sweden from
times immemorial, and which is likewise one of the pillars for
the preservation of our freedom , inasmuch as every one finds
himself secure in his office during his life-time, but insecure
under an arbitrary government, and still more so in case such
a proposal should be enacted.
II. That the legislative and judiciary or executive power should
not be united in one person ; that is, that no government official
should have a vote in the Diet, or be a member of a committee
of the Diet; by the judiciary or executive ( lagskipande) power
are understood government officials, and by the legislative
(lagstiftande) power the Houses of the Diet. The following
points must here be taken into consideration: 1. How would
our House of Nobles look, and how would it be composed,
if all civil officials of the government, high as well as low,
were separated from it ? Again, how would the House of
Burghers look, if all Burgomasters and Council-men were
taken out of it? 2. What would become of the private
committee and all the remaining committees , if there were
no men of office among them who possess the requisite know
ledge and experience of the matters discussed there ? 3. At
every Diet the practice is followed, and carefully preserved, of
not having any members of the government departments and
of the higher and lower courts of justice in the committees,
which are placed over them ? What more can be wanted ?
4. This proposal also militates directly against our form of
government, which decrees, that every noble family should have
a seat and vote in the House of Nobles, and that none be ex
cluded on account of his being an official of government; the very
maintenance and security of our government depends upon this.
These are the two chief proposals which run through the
book of Nordencrantz, the Councillor of Commerce, from begin
ning to end.
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