OBITUARY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2059, 10 December 1907, Page 4

OBITUARY.

death of a monarch. ICING OSCAR OF SWEDEN. United Press Association —Cop/right STOCKHOLM, Dee: 8. Obituary: King Oscar. living ol Sweden, ot tlu> Goths, and tlfo Vandals. Oscar 11. was <8 years or age. He was married on June li, 18b/. to .Sophia, daughter of the late Duke William or Aussan. the issue being four sons, lie succeeded to the throne on feeptombei IS 1872. The kingdoms of Sweden and Norway were united under one sovereign from 181-1 until the dissolution of the union in 1905. lhe lieir-apparent is Oscar Gustaf Adolr, Duke of AVannland, Crown Prince, aged 49, who married Victoria, daughter of the -Grand Duke of Baden. ° Tho late King’s contributions to the Military History of Sweden (1859-65) woro remarkable as .anticipating in some respects Ca-ptam -Malian’s teaching on the value ot sea power. His “Carl XII.” was one -1 the best apologies of that heroic monarch, and a serious contribution to history. He also indulged in poetry, and “Ur Svenska Flotans Minnen (185 S) is full of patriotic flavor, and lias a refreshing smack of 'the .sea. He also 'translated Herders Old, and Goethe’s “Tasso.” He ascende-d tho throne on the death of his brother Charles XV. The history of Sweden and Norway resolves itself into a constant endeavor on Hie part of tho smaller State to obtain absolute independence, oven at the risk of breaking up the union, but the relations were fairly harmonious under the masterful Charles XIV. (wlio promptly suppressed anti-union tendencies), and also under the complaisant Oscar 1., who conceded tho Norwegians a national flag and a national coat of arms, but Charles XV. at. once had trouble; the Norwegian Storthing provoked a contest by an Act. abolishing the prerogative of the King to appoint a viceroy for Norway. The King refused to sanction the Act; negotiations tor a revision of the Act of Union proved resultless at that time. Oscar 11. began liis reign by abolishing tho vice-royalty. The Storthing having in March, 1880, amended a fundamental statute on its own initiative, granting unqualified access to the Storthing of the members of the Council of the State, tlie King promptly vetoed it and dismissed the Storthing with a grave note of warning. Nevertheless the Radicals, under Sverdrup, were again returned by a majority of more than two to one, and their first act was to impeach" the Selmor Ministry, which had applied the Royal veto, and Selmer himself, was dismissed from the Counoil of State, and heavily fined. At first the King refused to recognise their jurisdiction, but when it became clear that the people of Norway were determined, oven- at tho risk of civil war, to save the union, the King gave way. The trouble again occurred later on, and exirenv ts openly invited the interven.i of Russia “against our only enemy”. (Sweden). Active preparations were made by both Norway and Sweden, and civil war again seemed inevitable, but the King once more saved the situation by granting a separate* trade flag to Norway, and making minor concessions. The crisis reached a climax in 1905, -and after a plebiscite, the union between tho two countries-was peacefully dissolved b.v a joint commission of the two Parliaments. Prince Charles of Denmark was elected King of Norway under the title of Haakon VII. The Queen of Norway is the third daughter of King Edward V,11.]