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19 - History of Iceland by Knut Gjerset · History of Iceland

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Speaker 1: Chapter sixteen, Part two of History of Iceland by Canute
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Speaker 1: years said. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain.
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Speaker 1: On July fourth, eighteen fifty one, the Convention assembled at Reikievik,
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Speaker 1: and after a new delay caused by the failure of
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Speaker 1: the government to forward in time the drafts of the
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Speaker 1: measures to be considered, the law defining Iceland's relation to
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Speaker 1: Denmark was finally submitted. The Constitution of the Kingdom of
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Speaker 1: Denmark was attached as a supplement and was to be
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Speaker 1: accepted in Iceland without discussion. It was stated that since
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Speaker 1: the Congolov and the Act of seventeen o nine through
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Speaker 1: which it was promulgated in Denmark expressly stated that Iceland
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Speaker 1: was a part of the Danish Kingdom, this could no
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Speaker 1: longer be subject to discussion, and since the king granting
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Speaker 1: a constitution, had sanctioned a popular form of government within
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Speaker 1: the limits system is by the conquer love, only the
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Speaker 1: manner in which the various provisions should apply to Iceland
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Speaker 1: could be submitted for consideration. With regard to the Constitution itself,
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Speaker 1: the government admitted that many provisions in it could not
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Speaker 1: apply to Iceland, and that others could not be made
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Speaker 1: operative because of the natural conditions of the country. But
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Speaker 1: it was argued that it was not necessary to omit
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Speaker 1: these paragraphs, as it was evident that they could not
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Speaker 1: be enforced. The Constitution as applied to Iceland would have
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Speaker 1: to be given an interpretation based on good judgment. The
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Speaker 1: proposed law regarding Iceland's relation to the realm numbered sixty paragraphs,
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Speaker 1: of which the first ten contained the most essential provisions.
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Speaker 1: According to this measure, the Danish Constitution of June five,
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Speaker 1: eighteen forty nine should apply also to Iceland. In matters
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Speaker 1: affecting the whole realm. The King and the Rugsdag should
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Speaker 1: have complete authority even if Iceland was not represented in
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Speaker 1: the Assembly, but an opportunity would be given the Icelanders
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Speaker 1: to elect representatives to the Rigsdag according to the number
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Speaker 1: of their population. In all, exclusively the Icelandic affairs, the
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Speaker 1: King's law making functions should be exercised in conjunction with
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Speaker 1: the All Thing and not with the Rigsdag. Also in
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Speaker 1: these meadows, he should act through his ministers, who should
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Speaker 1: be responsible to the Rigsdag and not to the All Thing.
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Speaker 1: The revenues should be divided in such a manner that
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Speaker 1: all indirect taxes should go to the common treasury of
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Speaker 1: the realm, which should pay the government officials, the judges
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Speaker 1: of the Superior Court, the bishops, the teachers of the
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Speaker 1: higher institutions of learning, and the expenses connected with the
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Speaker 1: mail service between Denmark and Iceland. The direct taxes should
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Speaker 1: go to a local Icelandic treasury, which was to defray
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Speaker 1: the expenses of the all Thing and the local government.
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Speaker 1: As an alternative, it was suggested that instead of such
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Speaker 1: a division of the revenue, Iceland might contribute a fixed
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Speaker 1: sum to the general government, but it was feared that
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Speaker 1: it would prove difficult, if not impossible, to determine what
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Speaker 1: this sum should be. The King promised not to levy
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Speaker 1: new taxes or to increase the burdens on the Icelandic
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Speaker 1: treasury without the consent of the all Thing. So far
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Speaker 1: as possible, the consent of the all Things should also
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Speaker 1: be obtained to any change in the laws of Iceland
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Speaker 1: proposed in the Rugsdag, And finally he was proposed that
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Speaker 1: the Icelander should send six representatives to the Danish Whigsdag
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Speaker 1: to the upper and four to the lower branch. Provisions
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Speaker 1: regarding the election of members to the All Thing, and
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Speaker 1: the draft of a law governing trade and intercourse with
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Speaker 1: Iceland were also submitted as distinct measures proposed by the government.
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Speaker 1: In the consideration of the submitted proposals, a stern opposition
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Speaker 1: of the convention to the whole government plan and the
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Speaker 1: reasoning upon which it was paid soon manifest itself. The
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Speaker 1: claim that Iceland was a part of the Danish Kingdom
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Speaker 1: could never appeal with force to the minds of those
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Speaker 1: who possessed knowledge of Icelandic history, while the declaration that
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Speaker 1: the Danish Constitution, which had never been promulgated in Iceland,
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Speaker 1: should be the fundamental law of the land without the
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Speaker 1: sanction of the Convention assembled to consider it, was an
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Speaker 1: evident violation of the Royal Rescript of September twenty three,
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Speaker 1: eighteen forty eight, stating that no constitutional provisions touching Iceland
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Speaker 1: should be finally adopted until then Icelandic Assembly had been
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Speaker 1: given the opportunity to consider them. The union of Iceland
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Speaker 1: with Norway under a common king had been established by
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Speaker 1: mutual agreement, the Icelanders retaining as before their National Assembly
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Speaker 1: their laws and local administration. No change in this relation
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Speaker 1: was affected either by the union between Norway, Sweden and
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Speaker 1: Denmark established at Kalmar in thirteen ninety seven, or through
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Speaker 1: the proclamation of absolute hereditary kingship actioned at Copa Vogue
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Speaker 1: in sixteen sixty two. Since the Danish congolov Lex Regia
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Speaker 1: of sixteen sixty five was never promulgated in Iceland, even
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Speaker 1: that document could constitute no basis for the claim set
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Speaker 1: up by the Danish government. It is true that absolutism
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Speaker 1: was established in Iceland through any agreement at Kappa Vogue,
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Speaker 1: but the weakness of the position taken by the Danish
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Speaker 1: leaders and the Union controversy was their claim that they
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Speaker 1: by Iceland became a part of the Danish Kingdom, that
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Speaker 1: Icelandic nationality was submerged in that of Denmark. The Icelanders
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Speaker 1: claimed that nothing of this sort had happened. They had
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Speaker 1: done homage to the king as absolute monarch, as did
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Speaker 1: also the Danes and Norwegians, but this did not change
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Speaker 1: the relation existing between the two countries. The Icelanders continued
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Speaker 1: to be a distinct people, with their own national assembly,
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Speaker 1: their local institutions and system of jurisprudence. All laws had
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Speaker 1: to be religated by the All Thing before they could
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Speaker 1: take effect in Iceland, and although the All Thing was
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Speaker 1: finally dissolved in eighteen hundred, the Lands for Utter was
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Speaker 1: created in his place, and in eighteen forty three the
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Speaker 1: All Thing was re established as a recognition of a
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Speaker 1: separate Icelandic nationality. No better evidence could be desired that
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Speaker 1: Iceland was still a separate country with its fundamental right
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Speaker 1: of self determination than the Royal Rescript of Separatetember twenty three,
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Speaker 1: eighteen forty eight. The course now pursued by the government
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Speaker 1: could find no justification in an appeal to the historic past.
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Speaker 1: It could only be interpreted as an arbitrary reaction against
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Speaker 1: the liberal policy inaugurated in eighteen forty eight. The committee
6:43
Speaker 1: to which the proposed acts were submitted by the Convention
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Speaker 1: returned a minority and a majority report. The minority were
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Speaker 1: willing to accept the measures at least in principle, though
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Speaker 1: they could not sanction the method pur pursued by the
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Speaker 1: government in trying to establish the Danish Constitution in Iceland.
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Speaker 1: They would limit their opposition to a demand for amendments
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Speaker 1: to various subjectionable provisions. The majority of the committee would
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Speaker 1: not surrender the principle of Iceland's separate nationality and existence
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Speaker 1: as a political entity. They kild that the only basis
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Speaker 1: of union with Denmark was a common king, and that
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Speaker 1: Iceland should be mentioned in the king's title like other
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Speaker 1: parts of the monarchy. They would not accept the proposed
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Speaker 1: constitution as a whole, as this might lead to endless
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Speaker 1: confusion and serious dangers for the future. They proposed instead
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Speaker 1: that a separate constitution should be framed for Iceland, for
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Speaker 1: which they submitted a draft based as far as possible
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Speaker 1: on the Danish constitution. According to this proposal, Iceland guche
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Speaker 1: had remained united with Denmark under a common hereditary king,
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Speaker 1: a joint foreign department, same flag, currency, university and system
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Speaker 1: of weights and measures. Other common interests could be arranged
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Speaker 1: according to mutual agreement in purely Icelandic that all things
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Speaker 1: should take the place of the Danish Rigstog, the judicial
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Speaker 1: power should remain in the Icelandic courts of law, and
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Speaker 1: the administration of Icelandic affairs should be conducted as far
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Speaker 1: as possible in the country itself. Neither the minority nor
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Speaker 1: the majority would therefore accept the government plan as submitted
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Speaker 1: the Royal Commissioner, Count tramp Stimptum, author of Iceland, who
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Speaker 1: represented the government in the deliberations, had gained great popularity
8:29
Speaker 1: through his ability to use the Icelandic language, as well
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Speaker 1: as through the interest he had first shown in the
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Speaker 1: liberal movement. In eighteen fifty he had served as chairman
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Speaker 1: of the Central Committee appointed by the Patriotic meeting at
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Speaker 1: ding Beller, but when he discovered the changed attitude of
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Speaker 1: the government, he gradually withdrew from the movement. In March
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Speaker 1: eighteen fifty one, the committee announced that its chairman could
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Speaker 1: no longer preside at its meetings because of pressing official duties,
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Speaker 1: and that he had even forbidden the printing at Reikiavik
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Speaker 1: of the reports of the local Committee, so that the
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Speaker 1: periodical founded by the Central Committee had to be published
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Speaker 1: in Copenhagen. His hostility to the patriotic movement in Iceland
9:14
Speaker 1: had become so pronounced that in the summer of eighteen
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Speaker 1: fifty one he issued the already mentioned regulation forbidding an
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Speaker 1: all unlawful meetings in the Convention, where he served as
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Speaker 1: Royal Commissioner. He showed irritation and haughty ill will when
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Speaker 1: the government proposals encountered opposition. It was also thought that
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Speaker 1: it was in answer to his request that military forces
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Speaker 1: were sent to Iceland, together with secret instructions, that he
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Speaker 1: might use them according to his own discretion, a very
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Speaker 1: unusual measure in a country where military uniforms were never seen,
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Speaker 1: and where the people were so peaceful and loyal as
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Speaker 1: to dream of no resistance to government authorities. When it
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Speaker 1: became clear that the government proposals would not be accepted
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Speaker 1: as some the stepped down mouth grew angry propos those
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Speaker 1: of amendments or any real deliberations by which an understanding
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Speaker 1: up he arrived at he would not tolerate. On August eight,
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Speaker 1: it was announced that the Convention would meet the following
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Speaker 1: day at twelve o'clock, when the Royal Commissioner would bring
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Speaker 1: up a very important matter. At the stated hour, the
10:21
Speaker 1: delegates wherein their seats, and deep silence prevailed outside. The
10:26
Speaker 1: soldiers came marching with fixed bayonets and loaded cartridges, taking
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Speaker 1: their position near the convention hall. The silent anticipation was
10:34
Speaker 1: growing very tense when the Royal Commissioner stepped forward, attired
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Speaker 1: in official uniform. He drew a document from his pocket
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Speaker 1: and began to speak to the delegates in a sharp
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Speaker 1: and upbraiding tone, stating that they had wasted their time
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Speaker 1: and that the purpose of the convention had miscarried. The
10:51
Speaker 1: session could not be prolonged, and he declared the convention dissolved.
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Speaker 1: Joan Siger's, chairman of the Constitutional Committee, interrupted him by
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Speaker 1: asking if he would be allowed to explain the action
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Speaker 1: of the committee and the convention, but the Presiding Officer
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Speaker 1: of Royal Officer answered no. The Count continued saying, I
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Speaker 1: believe the delegates have heard that in the name of
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Speaker 1: the King, I've dissolved the convention. Jan Sigurdson responded, then,
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Speaker 1: I protest in the name of the King and the
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Speaker 1: people against this procedure, and reserve the right of the
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Speaker 1: Assembly to complain to the King of this unlawful act.
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Speaker 1: Whereupon the whole assembly rose, and crowding course, we all protest.
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Speaker 1: When the Count and the Presiding Officer had left the hall,
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Speaker 1: someone called out long lived King Frederick seven, a cry
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Speaker 1: which was repeated by all the delegates. This then Mather,
11:47
Speaker 1: in dismissing the convention, probably acted in harmony with the
11:51
Speaker 1: wishes of the government. It was evidently the plan to
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Speaker 1: secure the consent of the Convention to the government proposal
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Speaker 1: as quickly as possible, without deliberation and especially without counter
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Speaker 1: proposals on the part of the Assembly. The session had
12:06
Speaker 1: lasted only five weeks, and one week had passed before
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Speaker 1: the proposed acts had been submitted. The statement of the
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Speaker 1: count that the delegates had wasted their time could therefore
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Speaker 1: not be taken seriously if the Assembly, in considering so
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Speaker 1: important measures, should exercise any deliberative functions. After the dissolution
12:25
Speaker 1: of the Convention, thirty six of the delegates addressed a
12:29
Speaker 1: remonstrance to the King in which they defended the position
12:32
Speaker 1: of the Convention and protested against the procedure of the
12:36
Speaker 1: stiff tempter and the presence of troops to intimidate the delegates.
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Speaker 1: They asked that the management of Icelandic affairs be placed
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Speaker 1: in the hands of native Icelanders enjoying the confidence of
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Speaker 1: the people. That the functionary in Copenhagen who had to
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Speaker 1: deal with Icelandic affairs be given seat and voice in
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Speaker 1: the King's Cabinet, That a constitution for Iceland in harmony
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Speaker 1: with the outline submitted by the majority of the Constitutional
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Speaker 1: Committee and presented to a new constitutional convention chosen in
13:09
Speaker 1: the same manner as the one justice missed. This remonstrance
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Speaker 1: was brought to Denmark by Joan Sigurdson and John Goodmunsen.
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Speaker 1: An address was also directed to the Icelandic people defending
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Speaker 1: the action of the Convention. The people, on their side,
13:26
Speaker 1: showed their approval of the course pursued by the Convention
13:29
Speaker 1: in resolutions sent to individual delegates and by addressing a
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Speaker 1: petition to the King of similar contents as that sent
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Speaker 1: by the Constitutional Committee, bearing two thy two hundred signatures,
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Speaker 1: but these steps failed to elicit a favorable response from
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Speaker 1: the government. On May twelve, eighteen fifty two, the King
13:48
Speaker 1: issued a manifesto to the Icelandic people denying the petition
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Speaker 1: of the thirty six delegates. This document asserted that the
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Speaker 1: views advanced by the delegates and shared by the signers
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Speaker 1: of the petition were in conflict with the laws of
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Speaker 1: the realm and would lead to the ruin of Iceland
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Speaker 1: and the dissolution of the Danish monarchy. That under the
14:08
Speaker 1: existing confusion of ideas, it was not advisable to submit
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Speaker 1: a new constitution. The all things should continue its sessions
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Speaker 1: until the time arrived when the King should deem it
14:20
Speaker 1: advisable to make new regulations regarding Iceland's position in the realm.
14:25
Speaker 1: In accordance with this provision, elections of representatives to the
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Speaker 1: new all Things were ordered, but none of the officials
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Speaker 1: who had signed the petition of August tenth were to
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Speaker 1: be chosen. On January twenty eighth of the same year,
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Speaker 1: the King had issued a proclamation under pressure of the
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Speaker 1: Great Powers, announcing that Slushbig would not be incorporated in
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Speaker 1: the Danish Kingdom, that the duchies of Slushbig, Holstein and
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Speaker 1: Laurenburg should have their own local assemblies of estates, and
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Speaker 1: that a constitution would be granted for the whole realm.
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Speaker 1: But the clamation contained no mention of Iceland. Under these circumstances,
15:05
Speaker 1: a meeting which was convened at king Bella under the
15:08
Speaker 1: leadership of Sarah Hannis Stevenson, addressed the petition to the
15:12
Speaker 1: all Thing of eighteen fifty three. As soon as the
15:15
Speaker 1: all Thing assembled, it sought again to bring the constitutional
15:19
Speaker 1: question to his successful termination by directing a new petition
15:22
Speaker 1: to the King, reminding him of the promises given in
15:26
Speaker 1: the rescript of September twenty three, eighteen forty eight, and
15:29
Speaker 1: in the Proclamation of January twenty eighth, eighteen fifty two,
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Speaker 1: the petitioners prayed that, in presenting new proposals regarding Iceland's
15:38
Speaker 1: relation to the Realm, the King would grant the all
15:41
Speaker 1: Thing law making power in matters in which it already
15:44
Speaker 1: acted as an advisory body. That a local administrative government
15:49
Speaker 1: should be established at Reykivik, consisting of three officials who
15:52
Speaker 1: should have seats in the All Thing. That the number
15:56
Speaker 1: of judges and the jurisdiction of the Superior Court of
15:59
Speaker 1: Iceland should be increase, That Iceland might get a representation
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Speaker 1: according to its population in the new Assembly to be
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Speaker 1: established for the whole realm, and that an Icelandic Minister
16:10
Speaker 1: should be appointed. The petition was carefully and courteously worded
16:14
Speaker 1: and was approved by the Royal Commissioner Melstead, but the
16:17
Speaker 1: King again refused to grant the desired reforms in an
16:20
Speaker 1: address directed to the All Thing eighteen fifty five. The
16:24
Speaker 1: promise given in the Royal Rescript of September twenty three,
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Speaker 1: eighteen forty eight had already been fulfilled by the assembling
16:31
Speaker 1: of the Constitutional Convention of eighteen fifty one. It was stated,
16:35
Speaker 1: but the principal reason for denying the petition was represented
16:39
Speaker 1: to be that such changes in the Icelandic constitution could
16:43
Speaker 1: not be granted because of the burdens which would be
16:46
Speaker 1: placed on the Icelandic people, and that Iceland contributed nothing
16:51
Speaker 1: to the general treasury of the Realm. Shortly after the
16:54
Speaker 1: adjournment of the All Things, the Danish government published on
16:57
Speaker 1: October two, eighteen fifty five, Constitution for the Whole Realm,
17:02
Speaker 1: together with the law governing the election of members of
17:05
Speaker 1: the Riggs Broad the new assembly of eighty members which
17:09
Speaker 1: was to represent the whole Danish monarchy. Iceland was not
17:13
Speaker 1: mentioned either in the Constitution or in the election law.
17:17
Speaker 1: The members of the Riggs Read were to be chosen
17:20
Speaker 1: from Denmark, sleashbig Holstein and Laurenberg, but even in the
17:24
Speaker 1: division of the realmantry election districts, no mention was made
17:28
Speaker 1: of Iceland, which was to be considered a Danish province.
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Speaker 1: This view was clearly expressed in a work published by
17:36
Speaker 1: the Danish jurist J. E. Larsen October six, eighteen fifty five,
17:41
Speaker 1: entitled arm Islands hid till the Renda stats Religa Stilling,
17:47
Speaker 1: in which he attacks the position of the committee majority
17:51
Speaker 1: of eighteen fifty one, and attempts to prove that Iceland
17:54
Speaker 1: is an integral part of the Danish Kingdom. In reply,
17:57
Speaker 1: John Sigurdson wrote a work Islands and Stunts Stilling, in
18:03
Speaker 1: which he refutes with great clearness laws since whole reasoning
18:07
Speaker 1: and the premises on which it is based. But in
18:11
Speaker 1: spite of Cigosen's convincing arguments, the policy of the government
18:14
Speaker 1: with regard to Iceland remained unchanged. The Danish Rigsdag enacted
18:19
Speaker 1: regulations regarding Icelandic trade and debated the Icelandic budget without
18:24
Speaker 1: hearing the opinion of the all thing. Some measures were
18:27
Speaker 1: nevertheless passed which affected favorably the situation in Iceland. One
18:32
Speaker 1: cause which young Sigurdson had earnestly sought to promote was
18:36
Speaker 1: the improvement of Icelandic commercial intercourse, which was still under
18:40
Speaker 1: such restrictions that only citizens of the realm could engage
18:43
Speaker 1: in trade with Iceland. In his writings, he urged the
18:47
Speaker 1: necessity of making Icelandic trade free to all nations, of
18:51
Speaker 1: view which had first met with determined opposition in Denmark.
18:55
Speaker 1: Petitions were sent to the government from many parts of
18:58
Speaker 1: Iceland trading for the removed of restrictions on Icelandic trade.
19:02
Speaker 1: In answer to this growing demand, a law was finally
19:05
Speaker 1: passed April fifteen, eighteen fifty four, making Icelandic trade free
19:10
Speaker 1: to all nations, thus removing an economic yoke under which
19:13
Speaker 1: the people had suffered for centuries. Freedom of the press
19:17
Speaker 1: for Iceland was also established by a law of May nine,
19:20
Speaker 1: eighteen fifty five, after it had been introduced in Denmark
19:24
Speaker 1: in January eighteen fifty one, and in answer to a
19:27
Speaker 1: petition from the All Thing. A more liberal election law
19:31
Speaker 1: was published January sixth, eighteen fifty seven. In response to
19:35
Speaker 1: an all Thing petition, the King also granted in eighteen
19:38
Speaker 1: fifty nine that both the Danish and Icelandic texts of
19:41
Speaker 1: all laws for Iceland should be signed by the King.
19:44
Speaker 1: This was a matter of importance, as the people would
19:47
Speaker 1: have officially signed laws in their own language, instead of
19:50
Speaker 1: being subject to loose interpretations of laws written in a
19:54
Speaker 1: foreign tongue. The ownership of all recks thrown ashore, right
20:00
Speaker 1: of which the Icelanders had been deprived by a Royal
20:03
Speaker 1: ordinance of fifteen ninety five, was also restored to them.
20:08
Speaker 1: The reference to Iceland's economic condition and failure to share
20:12
Speaker 1: in the general burdens of the realm contained in the
20:14
Speaker 1: King's Address to the All Things eighteen fifty five raised
20:17
Speaker 1: new issues which further complicated the controversy which had developed
20:21
Speaker 1: between Denmark and Iceland. It became evident that in order
20:25
Speaker 1: to solve the constitutional conflict, it was necessary to make
20:29
Speaker 1: clear the financial relation between the two countries. What Iceland
20:33
Speaker 1: had paid or ought to pay to the General treasury
20:36
Speaker 1: could only be determined by careful analysis of Danish administration
20:40
Speaker 1: of Icelandic affairs. After eighteen twenty five, repeated complaints had
20:45
Speaker 1: been made by the government that there was a constant
20:48
Speaker 1: deficit in the Icelandic treasury, that the island was unable
20:52
Speaker 1: to pay its own expenses and had to receive aid
20:55
Speaker 1: from Denmark. But a little inquiry into the true status
20:59
Speaker 1: of affairs revealed that large SEMs derived from various Icelandic
21:03
Speaker 1: sources had been appropriated by Denmark without returns, depriving Iceland
21:08
Speaker 1: not only of her just belongings, but of resources of revenue.
21:12
Speaker 1: A fair adjustment of accounts would make Denmark the debtor
21:17
Speaker 1: and not the creditor on the financial balance sheet. Before
21:21
Speaker 1: the Reformation, Iceland had been self supporting. The expenses connected
21:25
Speaker 1: with maintaining her church establishment were paid from incomes derived
21:30
Speaker 1: from church lands and the revenues of the monasteries. For
21:33
Speaker 1: the current expenses of the all Thing and the local administration,
21:37
Speaker 1: adequate provision had also been made. After the Reformation, the
21:41
Speaker 1: King became the head of the church as well as
21:43
Speaker 1: of the state, and the government assumed the management of
21:47
Speaker 1: the church administration. The King issued several res groups stating
21:51
Speaker 1: that the incomes from the church estates should be used
21:54
Speaker 1: for the establishing and maintaining of schools. He expressly stated
21:58
Speaker 1: that the church lands belonged to the people of Iceland.
22:01
Speaker 1: The same attitude was taken also with regard to the revenues,
22:05
Speaker 1: funds and valuables of the cathedral, churches and monasteries. Whenever
22:09
Speaker 1: these passed under government supervision, a formal receipt was issued
22:14
Speaker 1: for them. Unfortunately, the incomes from the church lands were
22:17
Speaker 1: not devoted to the support of the Icelandic schools, as
22:20
Speaker 1: at first suggested, but were swept into the royal treasury.
22:24
Speaker 1: In sixteen seventy four, the King ordered Henrik Bijoka, Governor
22:28
Speaker 1: of Iceland, to sell the lands belonging to the Icelandic monasteries.
22:33
Speaker 1: This order was carried out and lands were sold for
22:36
Speaker 1: the amount of twenty four thy one hundred and sixty
22:39
Speaker 1: two rigs dollars. Other tracts belonging to the various monasteries
22:43
Speaker 1: were sold from time to time until eighteen sixty six.
22:47
Speaker 1: In a similar way, the valuables which at once belonged
22:50
Speaker 1: to the Catholic churches of Iceland as well as the
22:53
Speaker 1: church lands, were sold and the proceeds turned into the
22:56
Speaker 1: general treasury. When the Scalhold bishops seat was moved to Reykievic,
23:02
Speaker 1: the King issued of rescript April twenty nine, seventeen eighty five,
23:06
Speaker 1: ordering the church lands of the diocese to be sold
23:09
Speaker 1: for the benefit of the Royal treasury, with the proviso
23:12
Speaker 1: that the government should pay the bishop's salary and maintain
23:15
Speaker 1: the Latin School. By Royal Rescript of October two, eighteen
23:19
Speaker 1: oh one, the bishopric and Latin School of Holo were
23:23
Speaker 1: consolidated with the bishopricing Latin School of Reykievic, and the
23:27
Speaker 1: church lands of the old bishopric was sold in order
23:30
Speaker 1: to give better financial support to the new school and bishopric.
23:34
Speaker 1: The sale brought the amount of one hundred and twenty
23:36
Speaker 1: three thousand, one hundred and ninety nine rigs dollar, but
23:39
Speaker 1: this sum was not credited to Iceland on the budget.
23:43
Speaker 1: Cash funds of various kinds were also seized to these
23:46
Speaker 1: sums must further be added the greater share of the
23:50
Speaker 1: relief fund collected for the famine stricken people of Iceland
23:54
Speaker 1: in seventeen eighty four to seventeen eighty five, not every
23:57
Speaker 1: one fourth of which have been used for the relief
23:59
Speaker 1: of the self. The rest remained in the general treasury
24:03
Speaker 1: or was used for purposes of no interest to Iceland.
24:06
Speaker 1: The benefit derived by Danish citizens from the monopolized Icelandic
24:11
Speaker 1: trade and the economic losses suffered by the Icelanders due
24:14
Speaker 1: to that monopoly would also have to be considered. Even
24:19
Speaker 1: the direct proceeds from appropriated funds and sale of Icelanding
24:23
Speaker 1: property formed a capital which, according to the lowest possible estimates,
24:28
Speaker 1: amount the hundit and fifty thousand rigs dollar. Iceland's resources
24:33
Speaker 1: had thus remained in the hands of Denmark for centuries.
24:37
Speaker 1: The income derived from them was entered into the budget
24:40
Speaker 1: as Danish, not as Icelandic revenues, and as the officials
24:43
Speaker 1: connected with the church and civil administration drew their pay
24:47
Speaker 1: from the general treasury, it would naturally appear that Iceland
24:50
Speaker 1: did not pay her share in the expenses of the realm.
24:53
Speaker 1: What part of those expenses could be justly regarded as
24:57
Speaker 1: Iceland's share of the public burdens would also need to
25:00
Speaker 1: be determined, and would naturally have to be computed to
25:03
Speaker 1: some extent on the basis of the services rendered the
25:07
Speaker 1: country by the Danish government. These had often been very small,
25:10
Speaker 1: being usually limited to the sending of a governor and
25:14
Speaker 1: a few higher officials to Iceland. No defense had been
25:17
Speaker 1: provided against attacks of pirates and freebooters. The Icelandic coasts
25:21
Speaker 1: were unguarded, the people unarmed, and defenses without military protection
25:26
Speaker 1: of any sort. In time of war, Denmark had been
25:29
Speaker 1: unable to give Iceland any assistance, leaving the country to
25:33
Speaker 1: the mercy of the enemy. Economically, the Icelanders had derived
25:37
Speaker 1: even less benefit from Danish rule, as their trade had
25:40
Speaker 1: remained in the hands of the merchant companies, who made
25:43
Speaker 1: it impossible to foster home industries or develop Icelandic resources.
25:49
Speaker 1: It would therefore seem that Iceland's share of the public
25:52
Speaker 1: burdens would be limited to the expenses connected with maintaining
25:55
Speaker 1: her schools, her civil administration, and church establishment, burdens which
26:00
Speaker 1: the people were willing enough to care if the government
26:03
Speaker 1: would establish a legislative assembly and local administration and give
26:08
Speaker 1: them control of their own affairs. Political liberty was thus
26:12
Speaker 1: found to be so closely connected with economic independence that
26:15
Speaker 1: the Icelanders raised the demand for restitution of the funds
26:19
Speaker 1: and resources appropriated by Denmark, separation of finances and the
26:24
Speaker 1: organization of an independent Icelandic budget. In eighteen sixty one,
26:29
Speaker 1: a joint committee consisting of three Danes and two Icelanders
26:33
Speaker 1: was appointed to devise a plan for settling the financial question.
26:37
Speaker 1: Three different reports were submitted by this committee. Jan Sigurdson,
26:41
Speaker 1: who had first started the inquiry into the financial relations
26:45
Speaker 1: of the two countries and in articles published in Ny Belascrit,
26:50
Speaker 1: had thoroughly discussed the question, was a member and submitted
26:53
Speaker 1: a report of his own. He held that Iceland should
26:56
Speaker 1: receive yearly the sum of one hundred and nineteen thousand
27:00
Speaker 1: and twenty four rigs dollar in lieu of interest due
27:04
Speaker 1: on Icelandic funds in the general treasury, and that the
27:07
Speaker 1: Icelanders should pay proportionately their share of the Royal patternages
27:13
Speaker 1: of the expenses connected with the administration of the Joint
27:16
Speaker 1: Affairs of the Realm. Two other members, the Icelander add
27:20
Speaker 1: Gear Stevenson and the Dane May Your Sure Being, proposed
27:25
Speaker 1: a yearly payment to Iceland of twenty nine thousand, five
27:29
Speaker 1: hundred wigs dollar and later an additional twelve thousand, five
27:32
Speaker 1: hundred riggs dollar for a period of ten years, after
27:35
Speaker 1: which time the payments should be reduced five hundred rigs
27:38
Speaker 1: dollar a year. A third report by the two Danes,
27:42
Speaker 1: Berring and newts Shorn, proposed the payment of twelve thousand
27:47
Speaker 1: riggs dollar a year, and in addition yearly payments of
27:50
Speaker 1: thirty thousand briggs dollar for a period of six years,
27:52
Speaker 1: after which time these payments should be reduced two thousand
27:55
Speaker 1: briggs dollars a year. All members of the committee agreed
27:59
Speaker 1: that the of the Iceland finances from those of Denmark
28:03
Speaker 1: would be very desirable, but that this matter could be
28:06
Speaker 1: settled only in conjunction with the constitutional question. The all
28:11
Speaker 1: thing again petitioned the King that as soon as possible
28:14
Speaker 1: he would order new election of representatives to a convention
28:18
Speaker 1: to this petition, the King answered in an address to
28:21
Speaker 1: the All Thing June eighth, eighteen sixty three, that the
28:24
Speaker 1: question regarding an Icelandic constitution was so closely connected with
28:28
Speaker 1: the question regarding the finances of the country that the
28:31
Speaker 1: former could not be settled except in conjunction with the latter.
28:35
Speaker 1: He stated that a committee had been appointed in eighteen
28:38
Speaker 1: sixty one and had closed its labours in eighteen sixty two,
28:41
Speaker 1: that the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Finance
28:44
Speaker 1: would now deliberate regarding the financial question. Neither the question
28:49
Speaker 1: of the constitution nor that of finances was submitted to
28:52
Speaker 1: the all Thing of eighteen sixty three. The attempt of
28:56
Speaker 1: the government to unite the Duchies of Celsphig Holstein more
29:00
Speaker 1: firmly with the rest of the Danish monarchy by granting
29:03
Speaker 1: her constitution for the whole realm met with strong opposition
29:06
Speaker 1: from the European powers. So strong was their pressure brought
29:10
Speaker 1: to bear on Denmark in favor of the German population
29:13
Speaker 1: of the Duchies that on November sixth, eighteen fifty eighth,
29:16
Speaker 1: the government annulled the constitution so far as it applied
29:20
Speaker 1: to Holstein. And Laurenberg. The leaders who desired a strongly
29:24
Speaker 1: consolidated monarchy now planned to unite Schlusburg with Denmark, with
29:29
Speaker 1: the Eider River as the southern border of the realm.
29:33
Speaker 1: This program proved equally unwelcome to the powers, especially to
29:36
Speaker 1: the German states, but the government would make no further concessions.
29:40
Speaker 1: On September twenty eighth, eighteen sixty three, a joint constitution
29:44
Speaker 1: for Denmark and Schleshpig was submitted to the risks Rod.
29:49
Speaker 1: The Assembly proved it, but before it could be signed,
29:52
Speaker 1: King Frederic the seventh died and was succeeded by Christian
29:56
Speaker 1: ninth November fifteen, eighteen sixty four. Russia and Russia had
30:01
Speaker 1: protested against the new constitution, but the king signed it
30:05
Speaker 1: under pressure of a strong public sentiment in his kingdom.
30:09
Speaker 1: As a result, the United Armies of Prussia and Austria
30:12
Speaker 1: entered the Duchies. In the war which followed eighteen sixty four,
30:16
Speaker 1: Denmark was defeated and had to see Schleswig, Holstein and
30:20
Speaker 1: Laurenberg about to fist of the area and population of
30:23
Speaker 1: the realm. Thus spanished. Suddenly, the hope of the Danish
30:27
Speaker 1: leaders of a strong centralized monarchy. The problem now confronting
30:31
Speaker 1: them was to save their country from utter collapse. With
30:35
Speaker 1: this in view, the settlement of their constitutional question had
30:39
Speaker 1: to be undertaken on the basis of the change condition
30:42
Speaker 1: in the realm. The all Thing had repeatedly sent petitions
30:45
Speaker 1: to the King and Government in an effort to bring
30:48
Speaker 1: about a solution of the constitutional controversy, but these were
30:52
Speaker 1: always denied. The reasons assigned were either that no general
30:57
Speaker 1: settlement of the relation between the various parts of the
31:00
Speaker 1: realm had yet been effected, or that the constitutional question
31:04
Speaker 1: could not be solved so long as the financial problems
31:07
Speaker 1: still remained unsettled, as in the answers returned in eighteen
31:11
Speaker 1: sixty one in eighteen sixty three, but the change in
31:15
Speaker 1: national affairs after eighteen sixty four made the government more
31:18
Speaker 1: willing to listen to the supplications of the Icelanders. In
31:22
Speaker 1: eighteen sixty five, the King submitted to the all Thing
31:25
Speaker 1: a law proposing a settlement of the financial question, the
31:29
Speaker 1: promise being given that as soon as this matter was arranged,
31:33
Speaker 1: the question of a constitution would be considered. According to
31:37
Speaker 1: this proposal, Iceland was to receive forty two thousand riggs
31:41
Speaker 1: dollars a year for twelve years. After that time, the
31:44
Speaker 1: Danish riggsdog should fix the amount to be paid. This
31:48
Speaker 1: proposal was rejected and the all Thing demanded that a
31:51
Speaker 1: constitutional convention should be assembled to frame a constitution for
31:56
Speaker 1: Iceland containing provisions for the settlement of the financial question.
32:02
Speaker 1: On July twenty eight, eighteen sixty six, a revived Danish constitution,
32:08
Speaker 1: prepared by a committee of the riigs Rod under the
32:11
Speaker 1: direction of the Ministry, was signed by the King. Iceland
32:14
Speaker 1: was not mentioned. Her relation to Denmark remained as undefined.
32:17
Speaker 1: As before, no consutational convention was called in Iceland as requested,
32:23
Speaker 1: but through the efforts of Hilmar Vinson stip Dan Meth
32:28
Speaker 1: of Iceland, a grandson of Bishop Hannus Vinson, the question
32:33
Speaker 1: of a constitution for Iceland was nevertheless brought a step
32:37
Speaker 1: near its solution. In eighteen sixty seven, the government submitted
32:41
Speaker 1: to the all Thing a draft of a constitution proposing
32:45
Speaker 1: that Iceland should have its own legislative assembly and the
32:48
Speaker 1: management of its local administration. The supervision of Icelandic affairs
32:53
Speaker 1: should be placed in the hands of one of the
32:55
Speaker 1: ministers of the King's Cabinet. The All Things should meet
32:59
Speaker 1: once every three year years. It should consist of one
33:01
Speaker 1: chamber and should have the same number of representatives as before.
33:06
Speaker 1: In framing laws regarding the common affairs of the realm,
33:09
Speaker 1: Iceland should have no voice. Such laws should only be
33:13
Speaker 1: published to become effective. The proposal as a whole was
33:16
Speaker 1: favorably received, but amendments to various provisions were submitted, according
33:21
Speaker 1: to which the All Thing should meet once every two years,
33:24
Speaker 1: the bicameral system should be established, and the number of
33:27
Speaker 1: representatives increased. Regarding the position of Iceland in the realm,
33:33
Speaker 1: the All Thing held that instead of making Iceland a
33:35
Speaker 1: part of the Kingdom of Denmark, as proposed in the
33:38
Speaker 1: submitted draft, it should be a part of the Danish
33:41
Speaker 1: monarchy with individual rights as a distinct part of the realm.
33:46
Speaker 1: The question as to what amount Iceland should contribute to
33:49
Speaker 1: the general budget should not be decided by the King
33:52
Speaker 1: alone as proposed in the government draft, but by the
33:55
Speaker 1: King in conjunction with the All Thing. And finally, it
33:59
Speaker 1: was demanded that the officials in charge of administrative affairs
34:03
Speaker 1: in Iceland should be made responsible to the All Thing
34:07
Speaker 1: regarding the financial settlement The government proposed to pay Iceland
34:11
Speaker 1: a yearly sum a thirty seven thousand, five hundred wigs
34:15
Speaker 1: dollar and twelve thousand, five hundred for a period of
34:17
Speaker 1: twelve years, the latter some to be diminished by a
34:20
Speaker 1: five hundred Briggs dollar a year. The Old Thing, on
34:23
Speaker 1: the other hand, asked a yearly sum of sixty thousand
34:26
Speaker 1: rigs dollar. It is evident that the Old Thing, in
34:29
Speaker 1: suggesting the amendments, sought to be as moderate as possible,
34:33
Speaker 1: and it was hoped that they would be accepted by
34:35
Speaker 1: the government. The difference between the proposals regarding the financial
34:40
Speaker 1: settlement was so small that in eighteen sixty eight emotion
34:43
Speaker 1: was introduced in the Danish Riggsdog to grant Iceland a
34:47
Speaker 1: permanent yearly sum a fifty thousand Briggs dollar and a
34:51
Speaker 1: ten thousand dollar annuity for a period of years. If
34:56
Speaker 1: negotiations have been continued in a conciliatory spirit, a final
35:00
Speaker 1: agreement could probably have been reached. But some of the
35:03
Speaker 1: Danish leaders had not yet learned that a union founded
35:06
Speaker 1: a mutual goodwill is stronger and more enduring than an
35:10
Speaker 1: artificial compact of constitutional provisions based on distrust and injured
35:15
Speaker 1: national sentiment. The bill proposing a settlement of the Icelandic
35:19
Speaker 1: financial question did not pass. Or Lehmann, a FII patriotic
35:24
Speaker 1: Danish leader more noted for his eloquence than for discretion
35:28
Speaker 1: and for political sagacity, said in discussing the measure that
35:33
Speaker 1: it had perhaps never happened before that one had to
35:35
Speaker 1: beg and beseech a people, yes, even promise them money,
35:39
Speaker 1: in order to move them to accept their liberty, and
35:42
Speaker 1: the drilla landed. A leading Danish paper stated that the
35:46
Speaker 1: honor of adding the picture of a codfish to the
35:49
Speaker 1: Danish coat of arms and to maintain the union with
35:52
Speaker 1: an old Norwegian colony was dearly paid for. The attitude
35:57
Speaker 1: of the Danish leaders toward Iceland was still that of
36:00
Speaker 1: dictation from above, a hostile opposition to its national aspirations.
36:06
Speaker 1: After the opening of the All Things Session in eighteen
36:08
Speaker 1: sixty nine, the Government Commissioner disputed the right of the
36:12
Speaker 1: three members to do their seats in the Assembly, one
36:15
Speaker 1: of these being Jan Sigurdson, who had constantly been re
36:19
Speaker 1: elected from the same district and who had repeatedly served
36:22
Speaker 1: as President of the All Thing. With the exception of
36:25
Speaker 1: one member who did not vote. The representatives unanimously resolved
36:30
Speaker 1: to seat the three members, and Yon Sigurdson was again
36:33
Speaker 1: elected President of the Assembly. The Danish Brigsdag continued to
36:37
Speaker 1: discuss Icelandic affairs and to propose plans for establishing the
36:41
Speaker 1: relation between the two countries without consulting the Icelanders. In
36:46
Speaker 1: eighteen sixty nine, alt naw defining the relation of Iceland
36:50
Speaker 1: to the realm was submitted to the All Things Together
36:53
Speaker 1: with the Constitution outlining the administration of Icelandic local affairs,
36:58
Speaker 1: but both proposals rejected as wholly unacceptable. A bill was
37:03
Speaker 1: then passed by the Danish Riggsdog January eighteen seventy one
37:07
Speaker 1: defining Iceland's relation to the realm. He declared that Iceland
37:12
Speaker 1: was an in alien mole part of the Danish Kingdom,
37:16
Speaker 1: but that it should have its own government in purely
37:19
Speaker 1: domestic affairs. The Royal Treasury should grant Iceland an annuity
37:24
Speaker 1: of thirty thousand riggs dollar and an additional twenty thousand
37:28
Speaker 1: Briggs dollar for ten years, the latter sum to decrease
37:31
Speaker 1: by one thousand riggs dollars yearly until it ceased to
37:34
Speaker 1: be paid. The Danish Oster, it should be the highest
37:40
Speaker 1: judicial tribunal, but in other respects the domestic suits should
37:45
Speaker 1: be separated from those of Denmark. As this law was
37:48
Speaker 1: to become effective April one, eighteen seventy one, it was
37:52
Speaker 1: evident that it could not be submitted to the All
37:54
Speaker 1: Thing that the question was to be settled without reference
37:57
Speaker 1: to the wish of the Icelanders, which would violate even
38:02
Speaker 1: the constitutional right of that Assembly to act as an
38:05
Speaker 1: advisory body. When the All Thing that in eighteen seventy
38:09
Speaker 1: one it received notice of the passage of this law,
38:12
Speaker 1: and the draft of a constitution was also submitted. The
38:15
Speaker 1: committee appointed to consider these measures return to reports. The
38:20
Speaker 1: majority held that the law of eighteen seventy one did
38:22
Speaker 1: not concern the Icelanders as it was only a Danish proclamation.
38:28
Speaker 1: The constitutional draft was also found to be unsatisfactory, especially
38:32
Speaker 1: the features that the Icelandic Minister should reside in Copenhagen
38:36
Speaker 1: and that the highest official in Iceland should be responsible
38:39
Speaker 1: to him and not to the All Thing. Some amendments
38:42
Speaker 1: were therefore proposed, the most important being the highest executive
38:46
Speaker 1: officials should reside in Iceland and should be responsible to
38:49
Speaker 1: the All Things. The minority agreed with the majority on
38:53
Speaker 1: most points, and as they hoped to bring about a
38:55
Speaker 1: settlement of the constitutional controversy, they maintained an attitude of
39:00
Speaker 1: compromise and reconciliation. They would not refuse to accept the
39:04
Speaker 1: law of eighteen seventy one and would be satisfied with
39:07
Speaker 1: a minister residing in Copenhagen. The majority report was adopted
39:11
Speaker 1: by the All Thing, but the minority report was also submitted.
39:16
Speaker 1: The government would not accept the proposals of the All
39:19
Speaker 1: Thing and decided to let the matter rest for a while.
39:22
Speaker 1: The arbitrary spirit in which the Danish authorities continued to
39:25
Speaker 1: deal with Icelandic affairs could only increase the bitterness of
39:29
Speaker 1: the struggle and strengthen the Icelandic opposition. Ordinances were passed
39:33
Speaker 1: without paying any attention to the All Thing. Judges of
39:36
Speaker 1: the Icelandic Superior Court were appointed without consulting the Icelanders.
39:41
Speaker 1: In eighteen seventy two, a new office, that of Lands
39:44
Speaker 1: of Inga or Governor of Iceland, was created without consulting
39:50
Speaker 1: the All Thing or the wishes of the people. Acts
39:53
Speaker 1: of this kind showed that the old bureaucratic despotism, though
39:56
Speaker 1: moved by good intention, and draped in new constitutional forms
40:00
Speaker 1: not yet been regenerated by a truly democratic spirit. Before
40:04
Speaker 1: a real settlement of the controversy could be effected, the
40:07
Speaker 1: old Eurocacy would have to learn to bow to the
40:10
Speaker 1: will of the people and do homage to the spirit
40:13
Speaker 1: of a new age. The growing discontent in Ice unbound
40:17
Speaker 1: expression in numerous petitions addressed to the King upholding the
40:20
Speaker 1: all Thing and denouncing the Law of eighteen seventy one.
40:23
Speaker 1: Numerous local meetings were also convened to discuss the pending
40:27
Speaker 1: questions and to express the demand for an autonomous local government.
40:31
Speaker 1: A society of Friends of the people was organized to
40:34
Speaker 1: defend the country's rights and to further its interests with
40:37
Speaker 1: all available means. The press of the country was divided
40:40
Speaker 1: into two camps. The two oldest and most widely read papers,
40:44
Speaker 1: the yor f and the n Anfari, as well as
40:50
Speaker 1: the knee Bella scrit founded by Yan Sigursen and the
40:54
Speaker 1: gngu Luth edited by the poet Jan Ullufsen, champion the
41:00
Speaker 1: cause without compromise, while the paper Timmin, founded in eighteen
41:04
Speaker 1: seventy one, was more neutral, and the vic ver G
41:08
Speaker 1: founded in eighteen seventy three was a government organ edited
41:11
Speaker 1: by Paul Milsted counselor in the Superior Court and Jan
41:16
Speaker 1: Jansen's secretary of the Land show INGI. The government threatened
41:21
Speaker 1: the editor of the the or for John governmentsen councilor
41:26
Speaker 1: in the Superior Court that his lawyer's permit would be revoked.
41:30
Speaker 1: Jan Olifsen, editor of the Balder and later of the
41:33
Speaker 1: gungu Ulo, was repeatedly prosecuted and fined, but the fines
41:38
Speaker 1: were always paid by his patriot friends, until finally he
41:41
Speaker 1: was forced to leave Iceland to avoid new prosecutions, and
41:44
Speaker 1: his papers ceased to appear. The North Thunbury advocated that
41:49
Speaker 1: the Icelanders should try to enlist the sympathy of other
41:52
Speaker 1: nations or seek union with some other country. If they
41:55
Speaker 1: failed in this attempt, they should emigrate to America to
41:58
Speaker 1: escape the oppression of the overlordship. Brazil and North America
42:02
Speaker 1: were praised as lands of freedom, and a movement of
42:05
Speaker 1: emigration was set on foot, which soon carried thousands of
42:08
Speaker 1: Icelanders to the United States and Canada after eighteen seventy
42:12
Speaker 1: This emigration continued to grow from year to year, but
42:15
Speaker 1: it must be ascribed to economic rather than to political conditions,
42:19
Speaker 1: as most of the emigrants were poor people from impoverished
42:22
Speaker 1: districts where suffering was general. In eighteen seventy four, a
42:26
Speaker 1: millennial festival was to be celebrated in Iceland and commemoration
42:30
Speaker 1: of the colonization of the country. A farmer suggested that
42:34
Speaker 1: this festival should be made an occasion of national mourning
42:37
Speaker 1: and farewell of emigrating people. A provost in the Church
42:41
Speaker 1: of Iceland wrote begging the people to wait one more
42:44
Speaker 1: year to see if the king would grant the long
42:46
Speaker 1: expected constitution for this great event, and to leave the
42:49
Speaker 1: country only if this last hope was disappointed. Societies were founded,
42:53
Speaker 1: the members of which pledged themselves not to taste distill
42:57
Speaker 1: liquors in order that the government might not derive any
43:00
Speaker 1: revenue from these. On New Year's Night, the students of
43:04
Speaker 1: Reikievic marched through the streets singing the icelanding Brogger, a
43:09
Speaker 1: bitter political poem, because it's author of the poet, Jan Olufsen,
43:13
Speaker 1: had been prosecuted. Demonstrations were also made in front of
43:17
Speaker 1: the home of the stip ten Mathler Hillman Benson. On
43:21
Speaker 1: April one, eighteen seventy three, the day on which he
43:24
Speaker 1: was to assume the new office of land sho Finghi,
43:28
Speaker 1: a black flag was found fastened to the flag pole
43:31
Speaker 1: in front of his house, bearing the inscription down with
43:34
Speaker 1: the lands Ingy, so that it was the popular feeling
43:39
Speaker 1: that no one ventured to show him any public attention.
43:43
Speaker 1: On June twenty sixth, eighteen seventy three, a public assembly
43:46
Speaker 1: was convenient Thingbler, consisting of thirty five representatives from the
43:50
Speaker 1: various districts of Iceland, members of the all Thing and
43:53
Speaker 1: many people from all Iceland came to attend this meeting,
43:56
Speaker 1: among others. Also Yan Sigurtsen, who arrived from Copenhagen. Jan
44:01
Speaker 1: Goodmansen was elected chairman of the meeting, and only the
44:04
Speaker 1: chosen representatives could have the right to vote. Nineteen petitions
44:09
Speaker 1: from various districts regarding the constitutional question were submitted. The
44:14
Speaker 1: committee appointed to consider these drafted a complete outline of
44:17
Speaker 1: a constitution, declaring, among other things, that Iceland was a
44:21
Speaker 1: free and independent country united with Denmark under a common king,
44:25
Speaker 1: and that a bill should become a law when it
44:28
Speaker 1: had been passed three times by the all Thing unaltered,
44:31
Speaker 1: even if the king did not sign it. Jan Sigretson
44:35
Speaker 1: and Jan Goodminson opposed these declarations strongly. They argued that
44:40
Speaker 1: such a plan could not be carried out, that Iceland
44:42
Speaker 1: could be a free country, even if it had some
44:44
Speaker 1: things in common with Denmark. To those who understood affairs
44:48
Speaker 1: of government, has seemed dangerous to break completely with Denmark.
44:51
Speaker 1: Danish merchants have indeed depressed the Icelanders, said the speakers.
44:56
Speaker 1: But if we had established close relations with other nations,
45:00
Speaker 1: the situation would probably not have been different. The first
45:04
Speaker 1: draft of a petition to be submitted to the King
45:06
Speaker 1: expressed strongly the excited feelings of the people, but the
45:10
Speaker 1: arguments of Sigurdson and Goodminson made such impression that a
45:13
Speaker 1: new draft was prepared in a more modified tone. Even
45:17
Speaker 1: this was so radical that Yon Sigurdson refused to present
45:20
Speaker 1: it in Yon Goodminson agreed to do so only if
45:23
Speaker 1: it received the sanction of the All Thing. It was
45:26
Speaker 1: feared that the strong party feeling which had developed during
45:29
Speaker 1: this period of excitement would bring about violent clashes within
45:33
Speaker 1: the All Thing when it again assembled, But instead the
45:36
Speaker 1: men representing different views sought to become reconciled, and an
45:40
Speaker 1: unexpected unanimity prevailed in the Assembly. It was agreed to
45:44
Speaker 1: ask the King to grant the country a constitution which
45:47
Speaker 1: would give the All Thing full legislative power and control
45:51
Speaker 1: of Icelandic finances. In answer to this petition, the King
45:55
Speaker 1: issued a Constitution Dune five, eighteen seventy four, granting legislative
45:59
Speaker 1: power to the All Thing and establishing self government for
46:02
Speaker 1: Iceland in domestic affairs. The manner in which this constitution
46:07
Speaker 1: and the Law of eighteen seventy one were issued did
46:09
Speaker 1: not please the Icelanders, as they were not allowed to
46:12
Speaker 1: participate in the framing of the new fundamental laws, except
46:16
Speaker 1: in so far as they had expressed their wishes and
46:18
Speaker 1: petitions to the King. On many points, the measures did
46:22
Speaker 1: not grant what the people desired, but the most important
46:25
Speaker 1: demands had nevertheless been realized. The Icelanders were given control
46:29
Speaker 1: of their own finances. The number of representatives and the
46:32
Speaker 1: All Thing was increased, and the bicameral system was established.
46:37
Speaker 1: The All Thing was to consist of thirty six members,
46:40
Speaker 1: six appointed by the King and thirty elected by the people.
46:43
Speaker 1: The Upper House e fy D should have twelve members,
46:48
Speaker 1: six appointed by the King and six chosen by the
46:50
Speaker 1: elected members from their own number. The remaining twenty four
46:53
Speaker 1: representatives constituted the Lower House or neft three deal. The
46:59
Speaker 1: Assembly was to meet on the first workday in July
47:02
Speaker 1: in Reikievic every other year for six weeks. Special sessions
47:06
Speaker 1: could be called at the King's pleasure. The King could
47:09
Speaker 1: also dissolve the All Thing and order new elections. Nobil
47:13
Speaker 1: could become a law without his signature. Bills might be
47:16
Speaker 1: introduced in either branch of the Assembly, and the parliamentary
47:19
Speaker 1: procedure was to be the same as in other modern
47:23
Speaker 1: legislative bodies. The executive power in domestic who was not
47:27
Speaker 1: made responsible to the All Thing but to the Minister
47:29
Speaker 1: for Icelandic affairs in Copenhagen. Iceland was not represented in
47:34
Speaker 1: the rigsdog, had no voice in the general affairs of
47:36
Speaker 1: the realm, and paid no part of the national expenditures.
47:40
Speaker 1: The Lutheran Church was recognized as the state Church. The
47:43
Speaker 1: liberty of conscience was granted to all inhabitants. Titles and
47:47
Speaker 1: privileges of nobility were abolished, sanctity of the home, security
47:51
Speaker 1: of private property, freedom from forced labor, freedom of the press,
47:54
Speaker 1: of association, assembly and rights of municipal government were guaranteed.
48:00
Speaker 1: The Icelandic government was thus very limited in power. The
48:03
Speaker 1: King's absolute veto in legislation and the responsibility of the
48:07
Speaker 1: governor to a minister residing in Copenhagen were especially objectionable features.
48:13
Speaker 1: Much would depend on the goodwill of the lands showing
48:17
Speaker 1: Dinga and the minister, and the extent to which they
48:20
Speaker 1: would respect the decisions of the all thing. The new
48:24
Speaker 1: election law, passed September fourteen, eighteen seventy seven, divided the
48:30
Speaker 1: country into nineteen election districts, of which eight elected one
48:34
Speaker 1: representative beat the others too. Suffrage was granted to all
48:38
Speaker 1: male citizens not servants twenty five years of age who
48:41
Speaker 1: had lived one year in the election district and were
48:43
Speaker 1: paying a tax of eight kroner a year, as farmers
48:47
Speaker 1: or citizens of towns or as peasants were paying a
48:50
Speaker 1: yearly tax of twelve kroner. Further, also to all graduates
48:54
Speaker 1: of the University of Copenhagen and of the Theological Seminary
48:57
Speaker 1: and medical school of Raikievic to office for all voters
49:01
Speaker 1: thirty years of age who had resided in the European
49:04
Speaker 1: part of the Danish realm for a period of five years.
49:08
Speaker 1: The Millennial Festival could now be celebrated as an event
49:12
Speaker 1: of rejoicing over the new era of autonomy and national
49:15
Speaker 1: progress to which the Icelanders could look hopefully forward. As
49:19
Speaker 1: the Constitution should become effected August one, eighteen seventy four,
49:23
Speaker 1: the celebration arranged for this occasion would have the double
49:27
Speaker 1: purpose of commemorating the thousandth anniversary of the settlement of
49:31
Speaker 1: the country and of inaugurating the new national government. This
49:35
Speaker 1: great event was made memorable also by the visit of
49:38
Speaker 1: the King of Denmark, Christian the Ninth, who sailed to
49:40
Speaker 1: Iceland to take part in the festivities and bring the
49:43
Speaker 1: people his personal greetings. Delegation from many foreign lands from Sweden, Norway, France,
49:49
Speaker 1: Germany and the United States and England also arrived in Reikievik.
49:53
Speaker 1: On August two. Commemorative services were held in the cathedral,
49:57
Speaker 1: where Bishop Peterson preached the American poet Bayard Taylor, who
50:02
Speaker 1: was present on this occasion. Rights lights were burning in
50:05
Speaker 1: the chandeliers, on the altar and between the pillars. Wreaths
50:09
Speaker 1: of heather decorated the walls, schires and galleries, and there
50:13
Speaker 1: was a glow of flowers around Baldson's baptismal font. The
50:18
Speaker 1: dull red of the walls and dark panels of the
50:20
Speaker 1: wooden ceiling harmonized well with these simple adornments. The building
50:25
Speaker 1: wore an aspect of cheerful solemnity, becoming the occasion. The
50:30
Speaker 1: seats filled rapidly during the chant, men and women sitting
50:34
Speaker 1: together as they could find places. Then the service commenced
50:37
Speaker 1: after the ancient Lutheran fashion. In fact, it was nearly
50:41
Speaker 1: an exact repetition of that which we have seen in Shaven,
50:45
Speaker 1: except that the Icelandic language was used. The hymns were
50:49
Speaker 1: simply and grandly sung, and the Psalm of Praise, written
50:52
Speaker 1: by Matthias Yulkinsen and composed by Spine Bjornsen, the first
50:59
Speaker 1: musical by a native Icelander, anto produced a powerful effect.
51:04
Speaker 1: In whichever direction I looked, I saw eyes filled with tears.
51:08
Speaker 1: The repetition of their frame islands Pace under Islands thousand
51:13
Speaker 1: years running through the cathedral tones, which were solemn rather
51:16
Speaker 1: than proud, and gave expression to the earnest religious spirit
51:19
Speaker 1: in which the people had come together. The services were
51:24
Speaker 1: followed by a banquet in the hall of the college,
51:26
Speaker 1: where the King spoke, expressing the hope that the people
51:29
Speaker 1: would be satisfied with the constitution he had granted them.
51:32
Speaker 1: Enclosing with the toast long lived Old Iceland, the band
51:36
Speaker 1: struck in with the cheers that followed, and the ships
51:39
Speaker 1: thundered their salute from the harbor. In the evening, a
51:42
Speaker 1: popular festival was celebrated on the hill of Ask you
51:46
Speaker 1: lived near the city. A rostrom for speaking had been
51:49
Speaker 1: erected attempt for the king and two thousand people were assembled.
51:53
Speaker 1: An elaborate program was carried out with singing and speaking.
51:56
Speaker 1: Admiral lager Krantz spoke for Sweden, the author Nora Dahl
52:01
Speaker 1: Rothson for Norway, and Bayyard Taylor for the United States.
52:06
Speaker 1: The former part of the program was followed by popular
52:09
Speaker 1: marrymaking consisting of dancing and fireworks. The King and his
52:12
Speaker 1: party and the foreign representatives also visited the guysers of
52:16
Speaker 1: Iceland and took part in a public festival at Dean Beller,
52:20
Speaker 1: where greetings were read from the universities of Copenhagen, Uppsella
52:24
Speaker 1: Lund and Christiania, from students societies in Denmark and Norway,
52:29
Speaker 1: from Norwegian patriotic societies and from the Academy of Fine
52:33
Speaker 1: Arts in Copenhagen, which acknowledged the great sculptor for vaults
52:38
Speaker 1: and to be an Icelander, Bayard Taylor, brought the greetings
52:41
Speaker 1: of America in a poem written for the occasion. At
52:44
Speaker 1: the door of the pavilion, a chorus sang a song
52:47
Speaker 1: Many Korns of Thing vella written by Matthias Jakinsen. A
52:52
Speaker 1: banquet was then served and the King and his Smarti
52:55
Speaker 1: returned to Reikiavik. Better days had at last on or Iceland. Politically,
53:01
Speaker 1: the people had won recognition of their rights as a
53:03
Speaker 1: distinct nation. A new spirit of enterprise and national self
53:07
Speaker 1: consciousness had been awakened. Economic conditions were improving, and export
53:12
Speaker 1: and import trade had increased after the commercial monopoly was abolished.
53:17
Speaker 1: This shows that the export of important commodities like fish,
53:21
Speaker 1: train oil, meat, skins, feathers, and eider down had increased extensively.
53:26
Speaker 1: The decrease in the export of tallow was due to
53:29
Speaker 1: the fact that people now sold it to the fishermen
53:32
Speaker 1: instead of bringing it to the merchants. In spite of
53:35
Speaker 1: the decrease in the sale of some commodities of less importance,
53:39
Speaker 1: the total volume of the export trade was growing. Of
53:42
Speaker 1: still greater benefit to Iceland was the change effected in
53:45
Speaker 1: the relation of prices between imported and exported goods. In
53:49
Speaker 1: eighteen forty nine, a barrel of rye flour cost eighty
53:52
Speaker 1: nine point six kilograms, of dried codfish in eighteen seventy
53:56
Speaker 1: two cost only forty fourth kilograms. In eighteen forty nine,
54:00
Speaker 1: a barrel of rye flower was in exchange for thirty
54:03
Speaker 1: nine point five pounds of wool, in eighteen seventy two
54:06
Speaker 1: for fifteen point two pounds. Because of this favorable change
54:10
Speaker 1: in prices, importation increased in value much faster than exportation,
54:15
Speaker 1: and the people were better able than hitherto to procure
54:18
Speaker 1: the staple commodities. The increase in number of ships arriving
54:22
Speaker 1: in Icelandic harbors also shows a considerable growth in trade
54:26
Speaker 1: and intercourse. During the period of eighteen fifty sixty five
54:31
Speaker 1: to eighteen seventy two, the trade with Denmark was decreasing,
54:34
Speaker 1: while the traffic with other countries was constantly growing. In
54:38
Speaker 1: eighteen seventy two, many ships from England and Scotland also
54:41
Speaker 1: began to arrive in Iceland to purchase forces an article
54:45
Speaker 1: of export, which from this time forth became of increasing importance.
54:50
Speaker 1: Reikievik had now become the chief trading center in Iceland,
54:54
Speaker 1: with ice of fuel as second in rank. Another evidence
54:59
Speaker 1: of the general progress was the steady growth of population.
55:03
Speaker 1: In eighteen seventy, Iceland had seventy thousand, thirty one inhabitants,
55:07
Speaker 1: an increase of three thousand and forty three since eighteen sixty.
55:14
Speaker 1: End of Chapter sixteen, Part two,