n n n
B°°K tiaeir votes were o f greater confequence than they are under
■ VU' , the prefent form of government, they ufually -amounted to
500 or 600 ; and on a remarkable occafion, when Adolphus
Frederick intimated a defign of abdicating-the throne, above
1000 took their feats. In the late diet o f 1778 only 300
made their appearance i f
II. The fecond houfe is that o f the Clergy t.
The reprefentatives o f this order confift o f the fourteen
biihops, and a certain number o f ecclefiafticks chofen in the
following manner. The king’s writ being iffued to the con-
fiftory, or ecclefiaftical court o f each diocefe, the latter dif-
patch a circular letter to the archdeacon of a diftridt having
the right of election; and he communicates the fummons to
the clergymen o f his feveral pariihes. Every perfon pof-
l’effing a benefice, and every upper and under mailer o f the
royal fchools, is an eledtor, and may be a candidate to repre-
fent that diftridl The eledtors meet at fome place towards
* T h e governors o f the provinces and
-the colonels o f ea ch regiment , a tten d the
fittin g s o f th e d iet, in o rde r to deliver in
th e ir reports ; bu t. th e y ha ve no vote, e x ce
p tin g when th e y ta k e th e ir feats, as i s .
u fu a lly th e ca fe , as reprefenta tives in th eir
own r ig h t , o r by th e trans fer o f the heads
o f noble familie s . T h e fe circumftances have
ind uced fome authors errotfeoufiy to alfert
th a t th e go ve rn o rs and colonels ’are, f rom -
th eir offices, entitled to feats and votes in
th e houfe o f nobles.
f T h e Lu th eran is the eftabliihed religion
o f Sweden. T h e members are biihops, dom-
projis o r deans, projis o r archde acon s, pajiors
o r rectors, and comminijlcrs o r perp etu al cu r
a te s . T h e r e arc fourteen diocefes ; the
a rch b iih o p r ick o f U p fa la , and th e bifliop-
r ick s o f E in d k iop in g , S k a ra , Strsengnoes,
Woefteros, W e x io , A b o , L u n d , Bo rgo ,
G o th e b o r g , C a lm a r , C a r lila d t , He rmofand,
an d W iib y o r G o th lan d , T h e revenues o f
U p fa la and Wcefteros amount to about
.£1000. per annum ; and thofe o f the loweft
b iihopricks to ^ 30 0 . T h e biihops are bound
to refidehce, ex cep tin g at th e meeting of
th e d ie t. T h e chapters e»f U p fa la , Lund,
and A b o , w h ich are un iv erfitie s , are com-
pofed o f the biihops, deans, who are always
pr im a r ii profejjores o f divinity, and the
oth e r profeflbrs in the fe v e r a l'branches .of
lite ra tu re ; in thofe diocefes in which there
a re gymnajia, th e y coniiit o f " th e biihop,
dean, and the leftores gymnajii, o r profeifors.
In th e diocefe o f W iib y o r G oth lan d , the
ch ap te r is formed b y the biihop and the
n eigh b ourin g re&ors.— T h e r e are alfo three
fuperintendents, w h o rank . as biihops, but
do not f it in the houfe : th e firft chaplain to
th e k in g ; the re& o r o f S t. N ich ola s at Stockholm
; and th e firit ch aplain o f the navy.
$ T h e commini/iers, o r perpetual curates,
chufe alfo one reprefenta tive from the com-
miniilers o f ea ch diocefe.
the
the center o f the archdeaconry; aiid the perfon who has the c h a p .
greateft number o f votes is chofen reprefentative. The >—v—■
biihops are obliged to defray their own expences at the fittings
o f the diet, though they ufually receive, in the larger
diocefes, 1 5s. per day; and in the fmaller 1 o r .: but the others
muil be paid by their conilituents about 5s. or 6s. per day.
The number of' the reprefentatives is uncertain, becaufe
each archdeaconry has the privilege o f fending one member,
or of joining with another in the choice o f one : they have
beenfeldom lefs than 50, and have never exceeded 80.
III. The third houie is that o f the Citizens.
Sweden contains 1 0 4 towns which enjoy the privilege of
fending members to the diet. Every citizen o f thefe towns
engaged in trade and .commerce, being a freeman, and
paying taxes to the town, is at the age of 1 1 an eledtor * ;
and every citizen, even the loweft menial tradefman, -
who has been a freeman during feven years, or an alderman
during three, and who has attained the age o f 24,.
is qualified to be a reprefentative. Summons from the
crown being blued by the governors o f the-provinees, the •
latter tranfmit them to the mayor and aldermen o f each
town having, the right of appointing members. The mavor^
aiTembles the eledlors in the town-hall, and their choice is
determined by the majority : none but freemen are permittee^
to be prefent. Each reprefentative receives from their con --
ftitution a. fmall contr ib utionw h ich , in the larger towns,.
T h e r ig h t o f v o tin g depends, in . difi- di'tionat number o f voice s'•proportiona te -to •
ferent places, bn different qua lifica tion s, the mu ltiples w h ich th e y .pay. iu jx p o fin g ,.,
In fome places it is derived from a ce r ta in ' fo r inftance, an annual rate o f is . bd. quali-
aueiTment u p on -cap ita ls employed in trade ;, fies. for a vo te , an y pe.rfon pa yin g cr. ■ has •
in others from a ta x upon land w ith ou t th e two ;, io a . fou r v o t e s a n d .lb o n . In >
boundaries o f th e town, &c.. In all cafe s, . G o th eb o rg there are abou t io o o electors,
perfons who in this man ner con tr ib u te and fome. rich merchants .poflel's feveral .
largely to the p u b lick impoits, enjoy an. adr hundred ’vG.tes,-
4 am o u n t s.s