Arvid Posse
Encyclopedia
Count Arvid Rutger Fredriksson Posse (February 15, 1820-April 24, 1901) was the Prime Minister of Sweden
from 1880 to 1883.
Arvid Posse was born at Rosendal manor
in Malmöhus County
, as the son of Governor Count Fredrik Posse and Baroness Magdalena Charlotta Bennet. In 1835 he enrolled at Lund University
, receiving a law degree in 1840. The same year, he began as a trainee at the Court of Appeal of Skåne and Blekinge (Hovrätten över Skåne och Blekinge), during which time he worked both at district courts and at the Court of Appeal itself. Later, he was appointed Assistant District Judge (vice häradshövding) and in 1846 a clerk at the Court of Appeal, and in 1847 was made an Associate Justice at the Court. In 1849 Posse left public service and resettled at Charlottenlund Manor and devoted his time to agriculture, enterprise and local politics (being, e.g., 1865-68 the President of Malmöhus County Council
).
Posse began his political career as a member of the House of Nobility
at the Parliament
of 1856-58. He was then the Chairman of the Banking Committee (Bancoutskottet). In the Parliament of 1862-63 he chaired the Appropriations Committee (Bevillningsutskottet), where he was a strong proponent of the principles of free trade
, which he would remain throughout. During this Parliament, he seriously objected to proposed amendments to the Law on Local Self-Government concerning proposed restrictions on the vote shares of larger land-owners, fearing, among other things, that the amendments, if adopted, could undermine the proposed electoral reform. Posse himself, however, did not support the reform. On the contrary, he was one of the most ardent opponents of the reform and predicted at the Parliament of 1865-66, when he was Chairman of the Committee on Government Affairs (Statsutskottet), that the fatherland would meet with an unhappy future if the reform were carried through. Among other things, he feared the new electoral system would put too much power into the hands of the agrarian interests, who would soon forget "the many things that have to live both above and beside them". Notwithstanding this statement, at the first session of the Riksdag' s Lower House
in 1867, Posse became the self-appointed spokesman for the agrarian group, effectively making him House majority leader. From this group was formed the Lantmanna Party
, which, with Posse as leader, soon adopted an oppositional stance towards the Government. For a number of years Posse remained unquestionably the most prominent and powerful personality in Parliament, even if not the most charismatic.
During 1867-1881 Posse was a member of the Lower House
, representing the district of Herrestad och Ljunit Hundreds, outside Ystad
. In 1867-75 he was Chairman of the Committee on Government Affairs (at the Extra Parliament of 1871 he was the Vice Chairman of the Select Committee (Särskilda utskottet)). As Speaker 1876-1880 he was in charge of the business of the Lower House
. He entered government on April 19, 1880, being appointed Prime Minister, following the resignation of Baron Louis De Geer. Additionally Posse was Minister of Finance from December 7, 1880 to March 8, 1881.
As Prime Minister, Posse now had to solve the important issues that had been on the agenda since the reform of Parliament: the matters of the abolition of the allotment system
and the land taxes (grundskatter) as part of a re-organization of the military. The odds seemed to be in favor of success, since it was believed that he could count on support from old party friends and among the opponents of the preceding governments. Large committees were appointed to report on the issues. At the Parliament of 1883 the Posse Government tabled their proposals. They promised a step-by-step removal of the land taxes and the tenement and allotment duties, on condition that Parliament approve the Government's proposals to establish a defense force based partly on permanently drafted soldiers (enrolled voluntarily and paid by the state) and partly on conscription. However, the Upper House
's insistence on retaining the allotment system, and, perhaps more importantly, the Lantmanna Party's cutbacks, led to a series of dramas and a defeat for Posse, following which he resigned as Prime Minister on June 13, 1883. He was then appointed President of the Administrative Court of Appeal, which he remained until 1889.
As member of the First Chamber for South Kalmar County 1882-1890 Posse kept a low profile, but opposed the introduction of grain tariffs during the 1887 struggle between free traders and protectionists. He also expressed his sympathies for a moderate electoral reform. When speaking in Parliament, Posse expressed himself succinctly and clearly, often emphatically but always with calm and dignity. He was elected a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Agriculture and Forestry
(1879) and an honorary member of the Royal Physiographical Society in Lund (1878) and the Royal Naval Officers' Society (1880). He died April 24, 1901 in Stockholm
.
This article is translated from the equivalent Swedish-language Wikipedia article, which incorporates text from Nordisk familjebok
, published 1904-1926, now in the public domain
.
In 1912, his niece, Sigrid Lindström (née Posse) (1856 - 1946) survived the sinking of the RMS Titanic as a first class passenger.
Prime Minister of Sweden
The Prime Minister is the head of government in the Kingdom of Sweden. Before the creation of the office of a Prime Minister in 1876, Sweden did not have a head of government separate from its head of state, namely the King, in whom the executive authority was vested...
from 1880 to 1883.
Arvid Posse was born at Rosendal manor
Helsingborg Municipality
Helsingborg Municipality is a municipality in Skåne County in Sweden. Its seat is located in the city of Helsingborg, which is Sweden's eighth largest city...
in Malmöhus County
Malmöhus County
Malmöhus County was a county of Sweden until 1997 when it was merged with Kristianstad County to form Skåne County.It had been named after Malmöhus, the castle in Malmö, which also was where the Governor originally resided....
, as the son of Governor Count Fredrik Posse and Baroness Magdalena Charlotta Bennet. In 1835 he enrolled at Lund University
Lund University
Lund University , located in the city of Lund in the province of Scania, Sweden, is one of northern Europe's most prestigious universities and one of Scandinavia's largest institutions for education and research, frequently ranked among the world's top 100 universities...
, receiving a law degree in 1840. The same year, he began as a trainee at the Court of Appeal of Skåne and Blekinge (Hovrätten över Skåne och Blekinge), during which time he worked both at district courts and at the Court of Appeal itself. Later, he was appointed Assistant District Judge (vice häradshövding) and in 1846 a clerk at the Court of Appeal, and in 1847 was made an Associate Justice at the Court. In 1849 Posse left public service and resettled at Charlottenlund Manor and devoted his time to agriculture, enterprise and local politics (being, e.g., 1865-68 the President of Malmöhus County Council
Malmöhus County
Malmöhus County was a county of Sweden until 1997 when it was merged with Kristianstad County to form Skåne County.It had been named after Malmöhus, the castle in Malmö, which also was where the Governor originally resided....
).
Posse began his political career as a member of the House of Nobility
Swedish House of Knights
The Swedish House of Nobility maintains records and acts as an interest group on behalf of the Swedish nobility.-Name:The name means either the corporation of the Swedish nobility or the palace of the nobility....
at the Parliament
Riksdag of the Estates
The Riksdag of the Estates , was the name used for the Estates of the Swedish realm when they were assembled. Until its dissolution in 1866, the institution was the highest authority in Sweden next to the King...
of 1856-58. He was then the Chairman of the Banking Committee (Bancoutskottet). In the Parliament of 1862-63 he chaired the Appropriations Committee (Bevillningsutskottet), where he was a strong proponent of the principles of free trade
Free trade
Under a free trade policy, prices emerge from supply and demand, and are the sole determinant of resource allocation. 'Free' trade differs from other forms of trade policy where the allocation of goods and services among trading countries are determined by price strategies that may differ from...
, which he would remain throughout. During this Parliament, he seriously objected to proposed amendments to the Law on Local Self-Government concerning proposed restrictions on the vote shares of larger land-owners, fearing, among other things, that the amendments, if adopted, could undermine the proposed electoral reform. Posse himself, however, did not support the reform. On the contrary, he was one of the most ardent opponents of the reform and predicted at the Parliament of 1865-66, when he was Chairman of the Committee on Government Affairs (Statsutskottet), that the fatherland would meet with an unhappy future if the reform were carried through. Among other things, he feared the new electoral system would put too much power into the hands of the agrarian interests, who would soon forget "the many things that have to live both above and beside them". Notwithstanding this statement, at the first session of the Riksdag
Lower house
A lower house is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house.Despite its official position "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide the lower house has come to wield more power...
in 1867, Posse became the self-appointed spokesman for the agrarian group, effectively making him House majority leader. From this group was formed the Lantmanna Party
Lantmanna Party
Lantmanna Party was a political party in Sweden, essentially a fraction in the parliament which existed from 1867 to 1912 ....
, which, with Posse as leader, soon adopted an oppositional stance towards the Government. For a number of years Posse remained unquestionably the most prominent and powerful personality in Parliament, even if not the most charismatic.
During 1867-1881 Posse was a member of the Lower House
Lower house
A lower house is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house.Despite its official position "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide the lower house has come to wield more power...
, representing the district of Herrestad och Ljunit Hundreds, outside Ystad
Ystad
Ystad is a "locality", or town, and the seat of Ystad Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden, with 17,286 inhabitants .Settlement dates back to the 11th century and the town has become a busy ferryport, local administrative centre and tourist attraction...
. In 1867-75 he was Chairman of the Committee on Government Affairs (at the Extra Parliament of 1871 he was the Vice Chairman of the Select Committee (Särskilda utskottet)). As Speaker 1876-1880 he was in charge of the business of the Lower House
Lower house
A lower house is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house.Despite its official position "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide the lower house has come to wield more power...
. He entered government on April 19, 1880, being appointed Prime Minister, following the resignation of Baron Louis De Geer. Additionally Posse was Minister of Finance from December 7, 1880 to March 8, 1881.
As Prime Minister, Posse now had to solve the important issues that had been on the agenda since the reform of Parliament: the matters of the abolition of the allotment system
Swedish allotment system
The allotment system was a system used in Sweden for keeping a trained army at all times. This system came into use in around 1640, and was replaced in the early 1900s by the Swedish Armed Forces conscription system...
and the land taxes (grundskatter) as part of a re-organization of the military. The odds seemed to be in favor of success, since it was believed that he could count on support from old party friends and among the opponents of the preceding governments. Large committees were appointed to report on the issues. At the Parliament of 1883 the Posse Government tabled their proposals. They promised a step-by-step removal of the land taxes and the tenement and allotment duties, on condition that Parliament approve the Government's proposals to establish a defense force based partly on permanently drafted soldiers (enrolled voluntarily and paid by the state) and partly on conscription. However, the Upper House
Upper house
An upper house, often called a senate, is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the lower house; a legislature composed of only one house is described as unicameral.- Possible specific characteristics :...
's insistence on retaining the allotment system, and, perhaps more importantly, the Lantmanna Party's cutbacks, led to a series of dramas and a defeat for Posse, following which he resigned as Prime Minister on June 13, 1883. He was then appointed President of the Administrative Court of Appeal, which he remained until 1889.
As member of the First Chamber for South Kalmar County 1882-1890 Posse kept a low profile, but opposed the introduction of grain tariffs during the 1887 struggle between free traders and protectionists. He also expressed his sympathies for a moderate electoral reform. When speaking in Parliament, Posse expressed himself succinctly and clearly, often emphatically but always with calm and dignity. He was elected a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Agriculture and Forestry
Royal Swedish Academy of Agriculture and Forestry
The Royal Swedish Academy of Agriculture and Forestry , formerly the Royal Swedish Academy of Agriculture , founded in 1813 at the initiative of Crown Prince Charles, is one of the Royal Academies in Sweden...
(1879) and an honorary member of the Royal Physiographical Society in Lund (1878) and the Royal Naval Officers' Society (1880). He died April 24, 1901 in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
.
This article is translated from the equivalent Swedish-language Wikipedia article, which incorporates text from Nordisk familjebok
Nordisk familjebok
Nordisk familjebok is a Swedish encyclopedia, published between 1876 and 1957.- History :The first edition was published in 20 volumes between 1876 and 1899. The first edition is known as the "Iðunn edition" because of the picture of Iðunn on the cover...
, published 1904-1926, now in the public domain
Public domain
Works are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
.
In 1912, his niece, Sigrid Lindström (née Posse) (1856 - 1946) survived the sinking of the RMS Titanic as a first class passenger.