The Baptists in Sweden. By Mrs. M.F. Anderson ...

THE SWEDISH DIET. 49
in legislation seems almost hopeless. The concurrence of all the houses is necessary, and then the
king may veto the bill, as he did in 1851, when the
whole of the houses passed a bill giving to the
House of Bonders the right to elect their own secretary. At present, both president and secretary
are appointed by the king.
The nobleman above referred to said: "Many
of us are in favor of doing away with the whole
system of the four houses, and having a simple
parliament of two houses. It takes an age for
any liberal bill to get through. The parsons like
one thing and the bonders another; and the citizens and nobles are against them both, perhaps.
The conservatives with us are the peasants and the
clergy. These parsons lead the bonders by the
nose. "
This system has been a great hindrance in the
repeated efforts to secure religious liberty in Sweden. The operation of the unwieldy system may
be seen in the case of the Diet of 1856.
At that Diet King Oscar proposed the abrogation of the punishment of banishment for apostacy-that is, for leaving the State Church. He
also recommended the suppression of the conventicle acts, which prevent meetings for religious worship except under the direction of the Lutheran
clergy.
The suggestions of the king were referred to the
Law Committee, which reported to the four houses
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