concerned, or which according to the regulations in force 1888 must be performed at their expense without such request March 27 (see the Instructions page 132). The Consul was therefore not considered entitled to charge for furnishing a copy of a maine declaration regarding the loss of a ship, which he had considered it proper to send in to the Department, or for certifying vouchers relating to disbursements.

Circular from the Home Department to the Consuls.

Between the United Kingdoms on the one part, and Germany, Italy, Great Britain and Denmark on the other part, treaties have been concluded, on the 31st of May 1881, 12th of June, 1881, 12th of July 1881, and 10th of August 1883, containing special provisions with regard to the relief to be granted to those seamen belonging to the respective countries who have served under the flag of the other country. The attention of the Department has been called to the fact that Norwegian seamen who after being dismissed from ships belonging to the said countries are in a necessitous condition, often omit to avail themselves of the right conceded to them by the said treaties of obtaining relief from the authorities of the Foreign Countries concerned, in consequence of which it has been necessary to assist them at the expense of the Norwegian State.

In order to prevent this attention is called to the following:

A Norwegian seaman having served on board a German, Italian, British or Danish ship, and who after the termination of his service has been left in a distressed condition at a place beyond the seas, on account of shipwreck, or from other reasons, will on application to the German, Italian, British or Danish Consul, or other Authorities concerned, be entitled to relief from the Foreign State to which the vessel belongs, until he finds other employment, or arrives in Norway.

But such relief will only be afforded on the invariable condition, that the seaman avails himself of the first opportunity that offers in case of his discharge, conse

1888

April 9

1888 tid en ufravigelig Betingelse, at Sømanden benytter den. 9 April første Leilighed, som tilbyder sig altsaa strax ved Af

mønstringen, hvis saadan har fundet Sted til for vedkommende fremmede Konsul eller Myndighed at godtgjøre sin trængende Forfatning og Aarsagerne dertil, hvorhos han maa godtgjøre, at hans Hjelpeløshed er den direkte Følge af, at hans Tjeneste paa Skibet er ophørt. Derhos bortfalder Retten til Understøttelse, naar Sømanden er rømt eller afskediget fra Skibet for en strafbar Handling eller er efterladt paa Grund af Tjenesteudygtighed, forvoldt ved selvforskyldt Sygdom eller Beskadigelse. For tyske og britiske Fartøiers Vedkommende ydes heller ingen Understøttelse henholdsvis i Tyskland og Storbritannien (men vel i disse Landes Kolonier). Da det for at erholde den omhandlede Understøttelse er nødvendigt for Sømanden at godtgjøre, at han er norsk, skal man i Forbindelse hermed gjøre opmærksom paa Vigtigheden af, at en Sømand altid er i Besiddelse af Døbeattest samt at han ikke under Tjeneste paa fremmede Skibe antager et urigtigt Navn.

1888 Lov om norsk Statsborgerret m. m.1)

21 April

§ 1. Norsk Statsborgerret erhverves ved Fødselen af ægte Barn, hvis dets Fader eller Moder da har norsk Statsborgerret, af uægte Barn, hvis dette er Tilfældet med Moderen. Barn, som hittes her i Riget, uden at dets Forældre opdages eller deres statsborgerlige Stilling bringes paa det Rene, inden Barnet fylder sit attende Aar, ansees som født af norsk Statsborger.

§ 2. Gjennem egen Handling erhverves norsk Statsborgerret:

a) ved Ægteskab, nemlig af fremmed Kvinde, som gifter sig med norsk Statsborger;

1) I Cirkulære af 15de September 1888 har Indredepartementet, ved at oversende Loven med Oversættelse, anmodet Konsulerne om at henlede de i Distriktet boende Normænds Opmærksomhed paa Bestemmelserne i Lovens § 6.

quently, immediately after the same has taken place to 1888 prove his necessitous condition and the causes thereof to 9 April the Foreign Consul or other Officials concerned, and that the destitution is shown to be the natural consequence of the termination of his service onboard the ship. The seaman's right to relief is also excluded if he has deserted or has been discharged from the ship for any criminal act, or has left it on account of disability for service in consequence of illness or injury resulting from his own fault. In the case of seamen having served onboard German and British ships no relief will be granted in the country to which the vessel belongs, the Colonies of such countries excepted. In applying for relief it should also be remembered that the seaman must prove his Norwegian nationality, and he ought therefore to be provided with a Certificate of birth, and not to serve on board a foreign ship under an assumed name.

Law relating to Norwegian State-citizenship etc. etc.

§ 1. At birth every person born in wedlock') shall 1888 be entitled to the rights of a Norwegian state-citizen if 21 April the father or mother are Norwegian state-citizens, and, in the case of illegitimate children, if the mother be possessed of such rights. Foundlings discovered in this country, are considered as born of Norwegian state-citizens, provided, before the completion of the eighteenth year of their age, their parents have not been traced, nor their nationality proved.

§ 2. The rights of a Norwegian state-citizen are acquired by the following voluntary acts:

a) by marriage, viz, of an alien woman with a Norwegian state-citizen;

According to the Law of Norway, children born out of wedlock, are legitimized as soon as the parents legally enter into matrimony.

ved at tage fast Bolig i Norge, nemlig saafremt den Indflyttede efter Grundlovens § 92, a, b eller d har norsk Indfødsret; dette gjælder dog ikke om indfødt Nordmand, som tager fast Bolig her i Landet paa Grund af Ansættelse i fremmed Stats Tjeneste, ei heller om Kvinde, der vel har norsk Indfødsret, men er gift med fremmed Stats Borger;

c) ved at modtage Bestalling som Embedsmand eller fast Ansættelse af Kongen eller et Regjeringsdeparte ment som Bestillingsmand i den norske Stats Tjeneste; forsaavidt angaar Embeder eller Bestillinger i den for Norge og Sverige fælles offentlige Tjeneste, gjælder denne Bestemmelse kun om den, der har norsk Indfødsret og siger sig løs fra det undersaatlige Forhold, hvori han maatte staa til fremmed Stat.

§ 3. (Kfr. Lov af 27 Juli 1896). Norsk Statsborgerret kan ogsaa tilstaaes andre Indvaanere af Landet ved Bevilgning af Kongen eller den, han dertil bemyndiger). Saadan Bevilgning maa dog i Almindelighed kun meddeles den, der

a) har havt fast Bolig her i Landet i tre paa hinanden følgende Aar;

b) stiller Sikkerhed for, at han og hans Familie ikke vil tiltrænge offentlig Fattigunderstøttelse, inden Hjemstavnsret er erhvervet i noget norsk Fattigvæsensdistrikt, forsaavidt saadan Hjemstavnsret ikke allerede tilkommer ham paa den Tid, da nærværende Lov træder i Kraft;

d) ikke befinder sig i noget af de Tilfælde, som efter Grundlovens §§ 52 a og 53 a medfører Stemmerets Suspension eller Fortabelse.

Den, som attraar i Henhold til disse Bestemmelser at blive norsk Statsborger, har at indgive Andragende 1) Ved Kronprinds-Regentens Resolution af 11 Juni 188 er saadan Bemyndigelse meddelt Justitsdepartementet.

b)

c)

when a person who, according to article 92, a, b, or 1888
d, of the Constitution, having acquired the rights of a April 21
Norwegian-born state-citizen, takes up a fixed domi-
cile in Norway. This rule however shall not apply
to Norwegian-born state-citizens, who assume a fixed
domicile in Norway by virtue of an appointment in
the service of a Foreign State, or to women having
the rights of Norwegian-born state-citizen but married.
to the subject of a Foreign State;

e) by accepting an appointment as a Norwegian Official
(Embedsmand), or a permanent appointment from the
King or any Department of the Government, as a
functionary in the service of the Norwegian State.
In the case of officials or functionairies appointed to
the joint public service of Sweden and Norway, this
rule shall only apply to persons having the rights
of Norwegian-born state-citizens, and who renounce
their allegiance to any Foreign State.

3. The rights of a Norwegian state-citizen may also be conferred on other inhabitants of the country by permission of the King, or of the Authority authorized by Him to grant such permission 1). As a rule such license shall only be granted to those, who

a) have had a fixed domicile in this country during three consecutive years,

b)

d)

give security that they and their families will not
become chargeable to the Poor Law District before
having, by domicile acquired the right to become
chargeable to the Parish in any district in this coun-
try, provided such rights do not already belong to
them at the time when this law shall come into force,
are of age, and

are not temporaryly, or for ever, disqualified from the
right of suffrage according to §§ 52, a and 53, a, of
the Constitution.

In order to obtain the rights of a Norwegian statecitizen in virtue of these rules, an application should be

1

By Decree of the Crown Prince Regent dated June 11th, 1888, such authority has been granted to the Department of Justice.