Diet of Finland 592507 224958711 2008-07-11T05:03:21Z Lightbot 7178666 Units/dates/other {{Refimprove|date=November 2007}} [[Image:Diet of Porvoo.jpg|thumb|300px|The [[Porvoo]] Diet is opened by [[Alexander I of Russia|Alexander I]]]] The '''Diet of Finland''' ([[Finnish language|Finnish]] ''Suomen maapäivät'', later ''valtiopäivät''; [[Swedish language|Swedish]] ''Finlands Lantdagar''), was the [[Diet (assembly)|legislative assembly]] of the [[Grand Duchy of Finland]] from 1809 to 1906 and the heir of the powers of the Swedish [[Riksdag of the Estates]]. == Åbo Lantdag == [[Image:Maapäivät muistokivi.jpg|thumb|right|150px|A memorial for the meeting of the states of Finland in Helsinki in 1616]] The first [[The States|States]] of Finland were held in [[Helsinki]] in 1616.<ref name = "aatos">[http://www.aatos.fi/Hki450v/valtaher.html Aatos].</ref> Other assemblies ''(Åbo [[landtag|lantdag]])'' where held in [[Turku]] for example in 1676. The assembly was called together by [[Axel Julius De la Gardie]]. The estate of peasants was chaired by [[Heikki Heikinpoika Vaanila]]. == The Porvoo Diet == {{main|Diet of Porvoo}} [[Image:Me Alexander I - Suuri Ruhtinas Suomen maasa.jpg|thumb|left|180px|The sovereign's pledge, printed in Finnish]] During the [[Finnish War]] between [[Sweden]] and [[Russia]], the four [[Estates of the realm|Estates]] of occupied [[Finland]] (''Nobility, Clergy, Burghers and Peasants'') were assembled at [[Porvoo]] ''(Borgå)'' by [[Tsar]] [[Alexander I of Russia|Alexander I]], the new [[Grand Duke of Finland]], between [[March 25]] and [[July 19]], [[1809]]. The central event at Porvoo was the [[Oath of office|sovereign pledge]] and the oaths of the Estates in [[Porvoo Cathedral]] on [[March 29]]. Each of the Estates swore their [[oath of allegiance|oaths of allegiance]], committing themselves to accepting the [[Emperor]] and [[Grand Duke]] of Finland as the true authority, and to keeping the [[constitution]] and the form of government unchanged. Alexander I subsequently promised to govern Finland in accordance with its laws. This was thought to essentially mean that the emperor confirmed the Swedish [[Instrument of Government (1772)|Instrument of Government]] from 1772 as the constitution of Finland, although it was also interpreted to mean respecting the existing codes and statutes. The diet had required that it would be convened again after the Finnish War, which separated Finland from Sweden, had been concluded. On [[September 17]] of the same year, the conflict was settled by the [[Treaty of Fredrikshamn]], but it would be another five decades until the Finnish Estates would be called again. == The Estates convene again == [[Image:Valtiopäivät 1863.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The opening of the Diet in 1863]] Not until June 1863, after the [[Crimean War]] had taken place, did [[Alexander II of Russia|Alexander II]] call the Estates again. On [[September 18]] the opening ceremony was held and the Emperor made his declaration where he promised to introduce changes to the constitution. The changes included making the diet a regularly convening body, a promise which was kept by the Emperor when the diet convened again in January 1867, where it established an act on the working order of the diet. The diet was to convene at least every fifth year but in practice it would come to convene every third year. The act on [[Freedom of the Press]] was seen to have been rejected by the diet in 1867, and as a consequence [[censorship]] was introduced. The diets of the 1860s created a working and regularly convening Finnish parliament, but it also spelled an end to further promised constitutional reforms. In the elections for the diet of 1872, members of the two [[Finland's language strife|language-based parties]], the [[Fennoman]]s and [[Svecoman]]s, gained more ground at the expense of the [[liberals]]. After the [[Church of the Savior on Blood|assassination]] of Alexander II the special position of Finland in the Russian empire was in danger. [[Alexander III of Russia|Alexander III]] announced that the Finnish [[Markka|monetary]], customs and [[Posti|postal]] systems were to be incorporated into their imperial counterparts. At the diet of 1882 the [[Governor-General of Finland|Governor-General]] gave the Emperors announcement that the diet would have the right to submit bills, but he would be the only one to initiate changes regarding the constitution and [[Military of the Grand Duchy of Finland|military]] issues. == The first period of oppression == {{main|Russification of Finland}} In 1899 Emperor [[Nicholas II of Russia|Nicholas II]] signed what was come to be known as the [[February Manifesto]]. The powers of the diet regarding Finland's internal affairs were weakened and transferred to the Russian ministers. The legal committee of the diet of 1899 adopted the opinion that the manifesto was not legally valid in Finland. == Reform == The unrest during the [[Russo-Japanese War]] resulted in a [[Finnish general strike of 1905|general strike in Finland]] in October 1905. The most immediate result was the Emperor's manifesto that cancelled all illegal regulations. A parliament based on universal and equal suffrage was also promised. An extraordinary session of the diet in December 1905 was called to implement the parliamentary reforms. The proposal was presented to the Emperor on [[15 March]] [[1906]] and after his approval it was submitted to the estates on [[9 May]]. The reforms came to force on [[1 October]] 1906. The diet was reformed from a legislative assembly of four Estates into a unicameral parliament of 200 members. At the same time [[universal suffrage]] was introduced, which gave all men and women, 24 years or older, the right to vote and stand for election. Acts on the right of parliament to monitor members of the government, on the [[Freedom of Speech]], [[Freedom of Assembly|Assembly]] and [[Freedom of Association|Association]], and [[Freedom of the Press]] were also introduced. These reforms established the hallmarks of today's [[Parliament of Finland]]. The first [[Finnish parliamentary election, 1907|election]] to the new parliament was arranged in 1907. == Composition in 1869–1906 == From 1869 to 1906 the Diet of Finland was composed as follows: * Nobility: 201 seats; the heads of noble families had the right to sit in person or name a family member as a representative. * Clergy: 40 seats; included priests, university personnel and other senior teachers who elected their representatives. * Burghers: 30–70 seats; these were the representatives of the people living in cities, only men with taxable wealth were eligible to vote. The number of seats rose when the population of the cities grew. * Peasants: 70 seats; elected through indirect election in which only peasants that owned their own land (4.5% of the rural population in early 1900s) could vote. All chambers debated separately and there were no joint sessions. Three chambers had to pass the bill before it could be approved by the [[Emperor of Russia|Emperor]]. == Sessions and meeting places of the Diet == [[Image:30112006527.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The House of the Estates in [[Johan Vilhelm Snellman|Snellmaninkatu]] in Helsinki was the meeting place of the [[Estates of the realm|lower estates]]]] List of sessions of the Finnish diet<ref name = "eduskunta">[http://www.eduskunta.fi/kirjasto/Arkisto/saatyvp.htm Eduskunta].</ref>. * 1809 (January to July); * 1863–1864 (September 1863 to April 1864); * 1867 (January to May); * 1872 (February to June); * 1877–1878; (January 1877 to January 1878); * 1882 (January to June); * 1885 (January to May); * 1888 (January to May); * 1891 (January to May); * 1894 (January to June); * 1897 (January to June); * 1899 (January to May); * 1900 (January to June); * 1904–1905 (December 1904 to April 1905); * 1906 (January to September); The Diet of Finland, and the four estates of which it was composed, met in a number of different locations during its existence. In the 1860s, all the estates met in the [[Finnish House of Nobility]]. Whilst the [[Finnish estate of nobility|Nobility of Finland]] continued to meet there until 1906, the three commoner estates later met in other locations, such as in 1888, when they met in the new building of the Ateneum Art Museum. From 1891 until the parliamentary reform of 1906 the three commoner estates of Clergy, Burghers and Peasants met in the newly-built House of the Estates (Finnish ''[[Säätytalo]]'', Swedish ''Ständerhuset''). However, the meeting rooms of the house were too small for the 200-member unicameral parliament. The house has since seen sporadic use by the state and regular use by scientific and scholarly organizations. ==References== <references /> == See also == * [[Finnish House of Nobility#Lantmarskalks|Lantmarskalks of the Finnish House of Nobility]] *[[Parliament of Finland]] *[[Senate of Finland]] *[[Governor-General of Finland]] * [[Finnish nobility]] * [[Finnish House of Nobility]] == External links == *[http://www.eduskunta.fi/fakta/historia/eng/index_1.htm History of the Finnish Parliament] - Official site *[http://sv.wikisource.org/wiki/Kejsarens_tal_vid_lantdagens_avslutande_den_19_juli_1809 Kejsarens tal vid lantdagens avslutande den 19 juli 1809] - in Swedish at Wikisource (Originally in [[French language|French]]) *[http://www.kerhokeskus.fi/easydata/customers/kerhokeskus/files/mentori/Taulukko.pdf Comparison between Diet of Finland and Parliament of Finland] (in [[Finnish language|Finnish]]) [[Category:Historical legislatures]] [[Category:Grand Duchy of Finland]] [[Category:History of Finland]] [[Category:Porvoo]] [[Category:Finnish War]] [[Category:Parliament of Finland]] [[fi:Porvoon maapäivät]]