27 / 222
12
S overeign becam e then, w ith a few exceptions, th e
p ro p e rty o f the S tate.
T h e
R iysday
, or D iet o f
the K ingdom , is com posed o f two C h am b e rs, the
Landsthiny
,
or U pper H o u s e , h a lf the m em bers
o f w hich retire ev ery four y e a r s , an d th e
Folke
th iny
,
or L ow er H o u s e , w hich is triennial.
T h e
n um ber o f m em bers in the
Landsthiny
is 51,
and in the
Folkethiny
1 0 0 ; an d each m em ber
of b o th C ham bers receives 3 R bd. p e r diem , d u rin g
the sitting o f the D ie t, an d reason ab le trav elling
expenses.
E v ery h o u se -k ee p e r above 3 0 y ears o f
age h a s a vote in the election o f m em bers (the
only qualification required is th a t o f being 2 5
y ears o f age) for the
Folkethiny
:
and the sam e
suffrage chooses ele cto rs, (1 by 1 4 9 , and 1 by
every 100 a fte r, for each district), for electing
m em bers (whose qualification m ust be an an n u al
incom e o f 1 2 0 0 R b d ., or a n n u al paym ent o f 2 0 0
R bd. in ta x e s , and an age o f 4 0 years) for th e
Landsthiny
.
T h e elections are lim ited to one and
the sam e day th ro u g h o u t the kingdom . T h e re tu rn s
for the last election in M arch shew th a t out of 9 8
m em bers chosen for th e
Folkethiny
th ere w e re : 2
C o u nts; 7 P ro fe sso rs; 14 Civil Em p lo y es; 10
C lergym en; 5 School U sh ers; 2 O fficers; 3 T ra d e s
m en ; 2 E d ito rs ; 37 P e a s a n ts , or sm all landed
p ro p rieto rs ; 11 C ountry School T e a c h e rs; 4 U ni
versity G rad u ates, w ithou t occu pation ; 1 O perative.