whereby, beginning with
1908, the meeting time was changed to the first week-day after January
10. For sufficient reasons, an extraordinary session may be convoked
by the king at any time. The length of sessions is indeterminate,
except that an extraordinary session may be adjourned by the crown at
will, and no session, extraordinary or regular, may be prolonged
beyond two months without the king's consent. At its first regular
session following a general election the Storthing divides itself into
two chambers. A fourth of the membership is designated to constitute
the Lagthing, the remaining three-fourths comprise the Odelsthing; and
the division thus effected holds until the succeeding election. Each
chamber elects its own president, secretary, and other officers.
Sessions are public, and business may not be transacted unless at
least two-thirds of the members are present.

[Footnote 816: Arts. 59-64. Dodd, Modern
Constitutions, II., 134-135.]

*643. Powers and Procedure of the Storthing.*--The powers of the
Storthing, as enumerated in the constitution, include the enactment
and the repeal of laws; the levying of taxes, imposts, and duties; the
appropriating and the borrowing of money; the regulating of the
currency; the examining of treaties concluded with foreign powers; the
inspection of the records of the Council of State; the making of
provision for the auditing of the national accounts; and regulation of
the naturalization of foreigners.[817] All bills are required to be
presented first in the Odelsthing, by one of the members of the body,
or by the Government, through a councillor of state. Only in the event
that a measure passes the Odelsthing is it presented at all in the
Lagthing, for the sole function of the smaller chamber is to act as a
check upon the larger one. The Lagthing may either approve or reject a
bill which the Odelsthing submits, but may not amend it. A measure
rejected is returned, with reasons for the rejection. Three courses
are then open to the Odelsthing: to drop the measure, to submit it in
amended form, or to resubmit it unchanged. When a bill from the (p. 584)
Odelsthing has been twice presented to the Lagthing, and has been a
second time rejected, the two chambers are convened in joint session,
and in this consolidated body proposals are carried by a two-thirds
vote. All questions pertaining to the revision of the constitution are
required to