peasantry, chosen by themselves in their assemblies. Each deputy must be of one of these orders, profess the Protestant religion, and be 25 years of age. Each order deliberates and votes separately. The States assemble every five years, except in extraordinary cases. They have the right of legislation and taxation, and the superintendence of the finances; but the king has an unconditional veto. The Constitution of Norway combines the principles of monarchy and democracy. Nobility is abolished; and the legislative body or Diet, called the Storthing, consists of two houses. Gustavus IV., Adolphus, the deposed king, was born Nov. 1778, and on the death of his father Gustavus III., March 29, 1792, was proclaimed king of Sweden. He remained 4 years under the guardianship of his uncle, Charles, Duke of Sudermannland, then regent, and ascended the throne Nov. 1, 1796. In 1809, he was deposed for his violent conduct; his heirs also were excluded from the throne by an act of the Diet; and his uncle, the late regent, assumed the government, under the title of Charles XIII. On the 18th of August, 1810, king Charles proposed Marshal Bernadotte for his successor, who was elected, August 21, by the estates, on condition that he should embrace the Lutheran religion, which having done, he was, by an act of November 5, 1810, adopted by the king, assumed the name of Charles John, and took the oath as Crown Prince and heir to the throne. In 1818, on the death of Charles XIII., the Crown Prince succeeded to the throne, under the title of Charles XIV. CHARLES XIV., King of Sweden and Norway; b. at Pau, in France, Jan. 26, 1764; succeeded to the throne Feb. 5, 1818; m. Aug. 16, 1798, EUGENIE BERNARDHINE DE CLARY, b. Nov. 8, 1781 :- Issue: Joseph Francis OSCAR, Prince Royal, Viceroy of Norway; born Jul 4, 1799; m. June 19, 1823, to Princess Josephine of Leuchtenberg, b March 14, 1807: Issue: 1. Charles Louis Eugene, Duke of Scania; b. May 3, 1826. II. RUSSIA. The empire of Russia, which includes the most of the north of Europe and all the north of Asia, is the most extensive empire on the globe, and is more than twice as large as all Europe; but the principal part of it is very thinly inhabited. The Asiatic part is far the larger in extent; but the European part is far the more populous; though this is much less populous than the middle and south of Europe. The political importance of this empire, which is now one of the most powerful sovereignties of Europe, is of recent origin. The foundation of its greatness was laid by Peter the Great; and its dominions were subsequently very much extended during the reigns of Catharine II. and Alexander. Western Russia, Ancient Poland, 7 governm. and 1 province, 8,448,000 * Some geographers assign this division to Europe; others to Asia. The kingdom of Poland, which made an ineffectual struggle for independence in 1830 and 1831, was incorporated with Russia as an integral part of the empire by a ukase of the Emperor Nicholas in 1832. Catholics, 3,471,282: Protestants, 232,744: Jews, 384,263 GOVERNMENT. The government of Russia is an absolute hereditary monarchy; and in the succession to the throne, females are not excluded. The government is conducted by a Council of the Empire, the Ministry, and a Senate; but there is no representative body. The late Emperor Alexander gave the Senate the right of remonstrating against any ukase or edict contrary to law. It is a body partly deliberative and partly executive, and forms the highest judicial tribunal of the empire. It is divided into nine departments or sections, of which six, comprising 62 members, hold their sittings at St. Petersburg, and three sections, with 26 members, at Moscow. The ministers of the great departments are responsible to the Senate. The established religion is that of the Greek Church, but all others are tolerated. COUNCIL OF THE EMPIRE. 1. Legislation: - Mr. de Pachkoff, 2. Military Affairs :- Count Pierre de Tolstoy, -- 3. Civil and Ecclesiastical Affairs: Mr. Nicol de Mordwinoff, 4. Political Economy: - Count de Litta, Demetrius de Pachkoff Count de Tchernitchof, Prince Charles de Liven, Count Charles de Nesselrode, Duke Alexander de Wurtemberg, Prince Alexander Galitzin, Mr. Alexis de Khitrovo, President. do. do. do. Minister of the Imperial Court. Minister of Finance. Privy Coun., Minister of Justice Direc. Gen. of Canals, Bridges, &c. Director General of Posts. Controller of the Empire. Peter the Great, EMPERORS. Accession, 1696 Peter III. of Holstein, Access. 1762 Catherine I. do. 1725 Catherine II. 1727 Paul, 1730 Alexander, John, do. 1740 Nicholas, Elizabeth, do. 1762 EMPEROR AND IMPERIAL FAMILY. NICHOLAS, Emperor of all the Russias, and King of Poland: b. July 6, 1796; m. July 13, 1817, ALEXANDRA (formerly Charlotte), daughter of the King of Prussia, b. July 13, 1798; succeeded his brother Alexander, Dec. 1, 1825 (his elder brother Constantine, b. May 8, 1779, having renounced his right to the throne - died 1831):- - Issue : 1. ALEXANDER, Hereditary Prince; b. April 29, 1818. 2. Mary; b. August 18, 1819. 3. Olga; b. Sept. 11, 1822. 4. Alexandra; b. June 24, 1825. 5. Constantine; b. Sept. 21, 1827. 6. Nicholas; b. August 8, 1831. Princes of the Blood. Maria, Princess of Saxe-Weimar; b. Feb. 16, 1786 Anne, Princess of Orange; b. Jan. 18, 1795. Michael, Grand Duke; b. Feb. 9, 1798; m. Feb. 20, 1824, Paulina niece of the King of Wurtemberg, b. Jan. 9, 1807: - Issue; Maria (b. 1825), Elizabeth (b. 1826), Catherine (b. 1827), and Alexandra (b. 1831). III. DENMARK. Denmark is a small kingdom, composed of the peninsula of Jutland, the duchy of Sleswick, and several islands in the Baltic, the largest of which are Zealand and Funen: to this kingdom also belong the German duchies of Holstein and Lauenburg, the Faroe islands, and the large, dreary island of Iceland: it also possesses Greenland in North America, the islands of Santa Cruz, St. Thomas, and St. John's in the West Indies, Tranquebar and Serampore in Hindostan, and a settlement in Guinea, in Africa. Universities; Copenhagen, 580 students, in 1828; and Kiel, 311 students, in 1831:— 2 gymnasiums; - 2,007 Lancasterian schools, in 1827. KINGS, since 1700. Frederick IV. accession, 1699 | Christian VII. accession, 1766 KING AND ROYAL FAMILY. FREDERICK VI. King of Denmark, Duke of Pomerania; b. Jan. 28, 1768; declared co-regent with his Father, Christian VII., April 14, 1784, succeeded to the throne March 13, 1808; m. July 31, 1790, SOPHIA FREDERICA, niece of the Elector of Hesse-Cassel, b. Oct. 28, 1767; Issue : 1. Caroline, Princess Royal; b. Oct. 28, 1793; m. to Prince Frederick Ferdinand, Aug. 1, 1829. 2. Wilhelmina; b. Jan. 17, 1808; m. to Prince Frederick Charles Christian, Nov. 1, 1828. Sister of the King. Louisa Augusta, Princess Dowager of Holstein Sonderburg-Augustenburg; b. July 7, 1771. Cousins of the King. Christian Frederick, b. Sept. 18, 1786; proclaimed King of Norway, May 19, 1814, abdicated Aug. 15, 1814; m. (1.) Feb. 18, 1806, Charlotte Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin; (11.) m. May 22, 1815, Caroline Amelia, Princess of Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg; -issue of the first marriage 1. Frederick Charles Christian, b. Oct. 6, 1808; m. Nov. 1, 1828, Wilhelmina Maria, daughter of the King. |