Norwegian Life | Page 7

1814, and
agreed to govern under and subject to its provisions. At the same time
the Supreme Court of Norway was established in Christiania. The Bank
of Norway was established at Thronedjem in 1816. At the death of
Charles XIII, in 1818, Charles John ascended the throne of both
countries as Charles XIV John.
On several occasions there was friction between the king and the
Norwegian Storthing. At the treaty of Kiel the king had promised that
Norway would assume a part of the Norwegian-Danish public debt; but
as the Norwegians had never acknowledged this treaty, they held that it
was not their duty to pay any part of the debt, and declared besides that
Norway was not able to do so. But as the powers had agreed to help
Denmark to enforce her claims, a compromise was effected in 1821, by
which the Storthing agreed to pay three million dollars, the king

relinquishing his civil list for a certain number of years. The same
Storthing adopted the law abolishing the nobility in Norway. This step
also was strongly opposed by Charles John, but as it had been adopted
by three successive Storthings, the act under the constitution became a
law in spite of any veto.
For a number of years there existed a want of confidence between the
king and the Norwegian people. The king did not like the democratic
spirit of the Norwegians, and the reactionary tendencies of his
European allies had quite an influence upon his actions. In 1821 he
proposed ten amendments to the constitution, looking to an increase of
the royal power, among which was one giving the king an absolute
instead of a suspensive veto; another giving him the right to appoint the
presidents of the Storthing, and a third authorizing him to dissolve the
Storthing at any time. But these amendments met the most ardent
opposition in the Storthing, and were unanimously rejected.
When the Norwegians commenced to celebrate the anniversary of the
adoption of the constitution (May 17), the king thought he saw in this a
sign of a disloyal spirit, because they did not rather celebrate the day of
their union with Sweden, and he forbade the public celebration of the
day. The result of this was that "Independence Day" was celebrated
with so much greater eagerness. The students at the university
especially took an active part under the leadership of that champion of
liberty, the poet Henrik Wergeland, who died in 1845. The unwise
prohibition was the cause of the "market-place battle" in Christiania,
May 17, 1829, when the troops were called out, and General Wedel
dispersed the crowds that had assembled in the market-place. There
was also dissatisfaction in Norway because a Swedish viceroy
(Statholder) was placed at the head of the government, and because
their ships had to sail under the Swedish flag.
The French July Revolution of 1830, which started the liberal
movement throughout Europe, also had its influence in Norway.
Liberal newspapers were established at the capital, and the democratic
character of the Storthing became more pronounced, especially after
1833, when the farmers commenced to take an active part in the

elections. Prominent among them was Ole Gabriel Ueland. The king
was so displeased with the majority in the Storthing of 1836 that he
suddenly dissolved it; but the Storthing answered this action by
impeaching the Minister of State, Lövenskiold, for not having
dissuaded the king from taking such a step. Lövenskiold was sentenced
to pay a fine; the king then yielded and reconvened the Storthing. He
also took a step toward conciliating the Norwegians by appointing their
countryman, Count Wedel-Jarlsberg, as viceroy. This action was much
appreciated in Norway. During the last years of this reign there existed
the best of understanding between the king and the people. Charles
John's great benevolence tended to increase the affection of the people,
and he was sincerely mourned at his death, March 8, 1844, at the age of
eighty years.
Charles John was succeeded by his son, Oscar I, who very soon won
the love of the Norwegians. One of his first acts was to give Norway
her own commercial flag and other outward signs of her equality with
Sweden. His father had always signed himself "King of Sweden and
Norway"; but King Oscar adopted the rule to sign all documents
pertaining to the government of Norway as "King of Norway and
Sweden." During the war between Germany and Denmark, King Oscar
gathered a Swedish-Norwegian army in Scania, and succeeded in
arranging the armstice of Malmoe in 1848. The war broke out anew,
however, the following year, and he then occupied northern Schleswig
with Norwegian and Swedish troops, pending the negotiations for
peace between Germany and Denmark. During the Crimean War, King
Oscar made a treaty with England and France