The principal trading towns are Christiania, Frede rickshald, Christiansand, Drontheim,* and Bergen ; but there are about 20 more, which may be counted as ma ritime stations, and which, more or less, partake in the foreign commerce. Of these towns Bergen has most connection with Holland ; Christiania with Great Bri tain; and Dronthcim with Ireland. The Dutch bring with them spices, drugs, garden•seeds, tobacco pipes, and paper; and take in return rape-seed, timber, char coal, tar, salt, ancl dried fish. The British bling coals and various manufactures; and take back dried fish and timber ; but in regard to both of these countrics the ba lance of trade is considered as in favour of Norway. In 1768, the foreign trade was stated as follows: In 1799 there were exported of wood 1169 cargoes, amounting in all to 86.574 lasts, of which more than one half were to England ; two thirds of the other half to Scotland and Ireland ; and the remainder chiefly to France, Holland, and the German ports. In the same year there were exported of fish 261 cargoes, amount ing in all to 8,958 lasts, of which the greater part were to Spain, the Mediterranean, Prance, and Ernbden.
The general exports of Norway are hides, iron, train oil, tallow, butter, dried and salt fish, timber and planks. horses, and horned cattle, silver, alum, Prussian blue, copper, and iron. l'he principal imports are wine, brandy, salt, grain, linen, hardware, and various luxu ries.
The Norwegian traders frequently sail to the Medi terranean with their own produce; procure freightage for Ilamburgh, flom which they proceed to the Baltic: and there load with corn for their own ports.
The population of Norway must always bear a small proportion to its geographical extent; but is capable of being increased ahove its present amount; and in con sequence of recent political and agricultural arrange ments, has begun tn make a very rapid progress. The most populous towns are Bergen, containing 18,000; Kongsherg 8000 ; Christiania 10,000 ; Drontheim 8840 ; Freclericksoald 4000 ; Christiansand 5000 ; Vosse Vang 4000 ; Evindvig 4000. The amount of the whole popu lation, according to a public enumeration in the begin ning of 1801, was 910,074. of which the cities cootain about one eighth part, and which gives the rate of 100 individuals to every square mile over thc whole king dom. In some places, particularly in Hedeinarken, there are above 1000 inhabitants to the geographical square mile, which may be considered as the maximum of population in the countty ; but over the southern provinces in general there are only 500 or 600 to the square mile ; and in the northern districts not more than 20 or 30 ; nay, in some places in higher latitudes, and even in the elevated region of Dovrcfieldt, not more than three. The annual proportion of births to the whnle po pulation is as 1 to 35 ; that of deaths as 1 to 49 ; and that of marriages as 1 to 130. Children are robust and healthy in Norway, and old age becomes exempt from the harder toils ; but the fatigues and dangers of the sea, the mines, and the fisheries, occasion the greatest mor tality among the youth and the middle aged. Out of 18,354 who died in the year 1799, there were 208 indi viduals between 90 and 100 yeais of age. The popula tion has made considerable progress since the beginning of the 19th century ; which has been ascribed to the in crease of marriages in consequence of the change in the military service, into which the peasants are now taken at an earlier age, so as to be discharged before having passed the prime of life, and in which they are allowed to marry when they please, without depending as for merly upon the permission of the office] and the priest.
The form of government is the same as in Demnark. There a re governors appointed over each of the four governments into which the kingdom is distributed, and sub-govcinors over the provinces, into which these go vernments are subdivided. No viceroy has been ap
pointed since the reign of Christian VI.; but the gover nor of Christiania is invested with the general superin tendance of the whole kingdom. The laws and admi nistration of justice are also similar to those of Den mai k, except a few alterations required by the diffeyent circumstances of the country. The judges in the.infe rior tribunals, assisted by a certain number of citizens or husbandmen, go from place to place in the country districts, and hold the assizes at different terms ; but they must hold them once a month in every bailiwick. Formerly there were provincial courts held three times a-year, to which appeals were made front the inferior tribunals, and from these provincial courts appeals %sere carried to the superior court of Christiania, !loin which, in certain cases, appeals were remitted to the supreme tribunal at Copenhagen. But since the year 1797, it is appointed that there shall be a superior court in each government, consisting of one judge and four assessors in the government of Christiania, but in the other three,of one judge and two assessors, and that the head governor shall preside in these courts, not as a judge, but for the maintenance of order and the support of their dignity. In many places the parties plead their own cause without the aid of advocates, and justice is administered through out the country with the greatest regard to personal li berty, as well as with much primitive simplicity of form. Feudal usurpations had never acquired so wide an in fluence in Norway as in most other European countries; and hence there are few privileged estates or individuals in the kingdom. The two earldoms of Laurvig and Jarlsberg enjoy the prerogatives of the courts of Den man:, and a small number of domains are exempted from taxes by old letters patent of the kings. The clergy, the schools, and several civil offices, have the use of certain lands, allotted by government for their support, and particularly the hospitals and religious in stitutions possess considerable districts with certain im munities. The greater parts of the lands in Norway are possessed by the peasantry, and are held by a sin gular tenure, which appears to have been originally de signed to encourage the husbandman, but which had begun, in some degree, to partake of the principles of feudal appropriation. These lands were bound by a species of entail to be transmitted frotn father to son, without any division ; but, since the year 1769, they may both be divided and sold, subject to a family-claim of re-purchase called Odelsgaard, or right or inheritance. This law entitles the proprietor of such freehold estates, or the nearest heir of the family, to redeem the proper ty, by paying the price at which it was sold, provided he announce his intention of doing so immediately after the sale, and come forward to make the purchase before the estate has been fifteen years out of his family, or ten years in the possession of the new proprietor. This custom, doubtless, tends to attach the peasantry to their native place, and to stimulate their improvement of pos sessions so carefully secured to the family. But, on thc other hand, it diminishes the value of an estate which has once been sold, and discourages all attempts to improve a possession rendered so precarious* There are other properties which neither enjoy any immunities, nor are liable to this right of inheritance, and these are chiefly in the hands of the labouring peasantry. Many lands also are let as farms, and the tenants are free from many bur dens which oppress the Danish farmers.