27
king may hold a cabinet council with one minister, and if the king
is sojourning outside Iceland, the prime minister as a rule lays the
measures before him there, also on behalf of the other ministers in
case they are not present. The minister who thus lays before the king
a measure signed by another minister, is responsible for its correct
interpretation to the king, but not for its contents, unless he has in-
curred that responsibility in some other way. Cabinet meetings are
presided over by the premier and shall be called, either at the request
of a minister, or when legislative proposals or important state affairs
have to be discussed. In virtue of their offices the ministers have seats
in Althingi and may at will take part in the parliamentary debates,
but they are not entitled to vote unless they are members of parlia-
ment. The ministers may either be impeached by Althingi in matters
relating to the discharge of their official duties, and such cases may
be brought before the High Court of the Realm, after a resolution to
that effect has been passed by the united Althingi (Plenum); or Al-
thingi may refuse to support the ministry or pass a vote of no-con-
fidence acainst them.
ALTHINGI
Althingi is composed of forty-two popularly elected members, thirty-
six of whom are elected by the constituencies for a period of four
years. There are in all twenty-seven electoral districts: one (Reykija-
vik) with four representatives, elected according to proportional re-
presentation; six districts with two representatives each, and twenty
districts with one member each, all elected directly by the electors.
Six members are chosen by the whole electorate (chosen at large) and
according to proportional representation for a period of eight years.
No substitute members are elected by the constituencies, but at the
election of the six members chosen as the representatives for the
whole country, an equal number of substiiutes is returned and in the
same manner as the representatives. If a member, chosen by the whole
electorate, resigns his seat, or if he is otherwise prevented from at-
tending a particular session, his substitute takes his place for the re-
mainder of the electoral period or during the rest of the session. But
in case a division loses its member, a by-election must immediately
take place. Dissolution of parliament does not affect the seats occupied
by those who are chosen by the whole electorate, but one-half of
them must resign every four years. All icelandic subjects, male and
female (and Danish subjects, cp. act of union), unless they have had
