Lögberg - 24.08.1950, Blaðsíða 3

LÖGBERG, FIMTUDAGINN, 24. ÁGÚST, 1950
3
courts heard cases from the dis-
trict assemblies or case#coming
up for the first time. A quorum
was six and verdicts had to be
unanimous. The prosecution of
every kind was personal, oral,
and based on evidence adduced
by witnesses, verifiers, and
panels (kviðir). All evidence
was given under oath and there
was here, as elsewhere, the
strictest adherence to procedure.
Under some circumstances, men
in their oath, declared their
citizenship forfeit, if their
evidence proved false.
X.
The Fifth Court entailed the
appointment of twelve addtional
chieftains, who were to name a
dozen men to the three dozens
named by the full-fledged,
thirty-nine chieftains, to form
the panel. As never more than
three dozens were to give a
verdict, the group judging, was
reduced to that number, by an
ordinance that the prosecutor
and the defendant must each
challenge six jurors. This was a
regular appeal court and a
majority vote in it sufficed to
settle an issue. If a tie resulted/
in reference to a divided decision
from a lower court, the matter
was dealt with by the casting of
the lot; in other cases of fines,
a tie-vote was taken as a con-
firmation of the penalty.
XI.
The only executive officer of
Alþing, was the speaker-at-law
(lögsögumaður). He was elected
for a term of three years and
was eligible for re-election with-
out limit. His main function was
to recite the laws of the land
from the Rock of Laws
(Lögberg), finishing his recital
in his three years. He declared
at each session the proper legal
procedure, and announced pub-
licly all legal modifications as
they were made by the legisla*
tive body (lögrélia) in which he
sat. He could at any time inform
questioners at the sessions of
Alþing or at other times about
the law but he could settle no
cases. He could, with the tacit
consent of the legislative body,
abrogate laws by omitting them
from his recital three years in
succession. He could consult per-
sons wise in the law without
fee. He himself received as a
stipend two large hundred (i.e.
240) ells of Icelandic cloth
(vaðmál) and half of such
penalties as were imposed at
Alþing.
XII.
The legislative body was in a
sense sovereign; before it had
to come all special pleas and
petitions, e.g. for acquittal from
^ legal judgment involving out-
lawry, for change of venue of
district meetings in a þing, or
personal requests. All such re-
quests had to receive the unan-
imous consent of the body and
°f all persons present. A single
dissenting voice from any quart-
er sufficed for a veto. The legis-
lative body could be called upon
to give a verdict on stated cases
but the consequence of the ver-
dict rendered was not enforce-
able at law. This was apparently
a survivial from the Norwegian
assemblies in which the legis-
lative and judicial functions
were not differentiated.
In composition and in func-
úoning it was a peculiar combin-
ation of aristocratic and demo-
JOHN J. ARKLIE
Optometrist and Optician
(Eyes Examined)
Phone 95 650
mitchell copp ltd.
PORTAGE AT HARGRAVE
Minnist
BCTEL
' erfðaskrám yðar
cratic elements. The seating
arrangement of the legislature
was in three circles; in the
middle one sat the thirty-nine
full-fledged chieftains and nine
others selected from the East,
South and West Quarters. These
alone could make proposals and
vote on them. Each of these
forty-eight legislators had two
advisers sitting in front and be-
hind him, with whom each
chieftain discussed the matter
in hand before voting upon it.
The speaker-at-law sat with the
legislators, and later also, the
two bishops of Skálholt and
Hólar.
The body met in three regular
sessions during Alþing. But
extra sessions were called at the
summons of the speaker-at-law
at the wish of the majority of
the legislators and even at the
request of men present at
Alþing, who were not members
of the legislative group. Voting
on the part of members was
compulsory; a failure to comply
with this might entail a money-
fine of three marks, forfeiture
of chieftaincy, or even a more
severe penalty. In the legsisla-
tive group a majority decided
the issue; in cases of a tie, the
speaker-at-law cast a vote.
The law-code of the ancient
commonwealth was, after deep
consideration by men versed in
the laws, committed to writing
in the winter of 1117—1118
(Hafliðaskrá). Several copies
were made. In case of disputes
about variant readings, those
lodged at Skálholt and Hólar
were to have precedence; if
these varied, the one at the older
see, Skálholt, was to prevail.
XIII.
Aspects of Iceland’s early
commonwealth, have engaged
my attention, but assuredly the
tale of the country’s golden age
cannot be too often told. In its
soil, are deeply imbedded the
the tenacious roots of Iceland’s
national tree of culture and in-
telligence, and the second re-
public of Iceland that has
essentially sprung up from
those roots, promises to be a
kind of novel Ash tree of Woden
(Yggdrasils askur). At all events
Iceland, in the spirit of the
Vikings of old, is entering into
the efforts of the United Nations
to win peace for the world. And
like the Sibyl aforetime, Iceland
visions, after the wreck and
ruin of the old world, the advent
of a new and better one:
A hall she sees stand,
Than the sun fairer,
With gold covered,
On Gimli;
There shall duteous
Hosts inhabit,
And through life’s days
Enjoy delights.
Then too will come to pass
another prophecy of the Sibyl
to which Stephan G. Stephans-
son alluded in the verse cited at
the outset:
Then will anew,
Golden tablets
Wonderful,
Be found in the grass,
Which in early days
They had possessed.
But not perhaps in the way in
which the poet envisaged it.
When Stephan G. Stephansson
was writing his poem almost
half a century ago, he did not
forsee that in this year, the 75th
Anniversary of the Icelandic
settlement, less than a quarter
of a century after his death, he
would be receiving recognition,
regional and national, for the
golden tablets of his poetry. Nor
could he surmise that then too,
a dream, long-cherished, would
be approaching realization: the
establishment of a Department
of Icelandic Language and Lit-
erature at the University of
Manitoba, to preserve indefinite-
ly for our fellow Canadians and
ourselves, his and all the other
golden tablets of our Icelandic
heritage.
JOHN A. JOHNSON
„Gröfin skilur okkur að,
eina stund, á láði.—“
SVO KVAÐ Bólu-Hjálmar í
saknaðarljóðum eftir konu
sína. Stefið kemur altaf í huga
minn, þegar ég minnist á merk-
ishjónin John A. og Björgu
Johnson í Minneota, sem bæði
gengu til hinstu hvíldar á síðasta
misiri.
Björg dó í vetur föstudaginn
10. febrúar. Hennar var getið í
Lögbergi nokkru síðar. Maður
Bjargar, Jón Arngrímsson— eða
John A. Johnson, eins og hann
nefndist að hérlendum sið- lifði
konu sína lítið eitt yfir fjóra
mánuði; var þó við góða heilsu,
að því er virtist, þegar hún lézt.
Jón Arngrímsson er talinn
fyrsti maður af íslenzku foreldri
fæddur í Minnestoa ríki. For-
eldrar hans voru frambúahjónin
Arngrímur Jónsson, frá Tóka-
stöðum í Eiðaþinghá, og Jó-
hanna Jónsdóttir, frá Snjóholti í
sömu sveit, föðursystir Jóns
Skálds Rúnólfssonar.
Arngrímur og Jóhanna fluttu
frá Wisconsin vestur til íslenzku
bygðarinnar í Lyon County í
Minnesota, vorið 1876. Bygðin
var þá mjög fámenn og enn ekki
ársgömul. Þar fæddist Jón um
haustið, 23. nóvember. Næsta ár
nam Arngrímur land í Lincoln
County. Hann var fyrsti land-
neminn í Vesturbygð nýlend-
unnar íslenzku í Minnesota.
Jón ólzt upp hjá foreldrum
sínum í Vesturbygð; naut þar
alþýðuskólamenntunar, sem í
þeim bygðum var fremur slitrótt
og endaslepp, framan af árum.
Kristindómsfræðslu fékk hann
aðallega í heimahúsum, því að
prestþjónusta var lítil í bygðun-
um, alt þangað til séra Stein-
grímur Thorlaksson settist þar
að, árið 1887. Mun hann hafa
fermt Jón nálægt árinu 1890.
Haustið 1902 staðfesti Jón ráð
sitt og gekk að eiga Björgu
Stefánsdóttir, prests að Desja-
mýri. Hefi ég skýrt nokkuð frá
ætt hennar í Lögbergi áður.
Settust þau að á bújörð, sem Jón
hafði keypt í Vesturbygð, og
bjuggu þar í 16 ár.
Vorið 1918 fluttu þau frá Vest-
urbygð og settust að á landi rétt
fyrir norðan bæinn Minneota.
Eftir 25 ára dvöl á þeirri bújörð
Business and Professional Cards
John A. Johnson
komu þau sér upp fögru heimili
í Minneotabæ og höfðu þar
heimili það sem eftir var æfinn-
ar.
Jón andaðist 19. júní síðastlið-
inn í Swedish Hospital í Minne-
ypolis, eftir 6 vikna legu. Inn-
vortis krabbamein varð honum
að bana. Útförin fór fram í
kirkju og grafreit St. Páls safn-
aðar, og var afar fjölmenn.
Jón var maður vinsæll og vel
metinn. Skólamentun hans var
af skornum skamti, en það sem
hann lærði, lærði hann vel og
notaði ágætlega.
Hann var mikið riðin við fé-
lagsmál; safnaðarfulltrúi, fyrst í
Lincoln söfnuði og síðan í St.
Pálssöfnuði; forseti hins síðar-
nefnda safnaðar í allmörg ár.
Hann var í skólanefnd árum
saman bæði í Vesturbygð og í
Minneota. Var og kosin í starfs-
nefndir ýmiskonar félaga. Þótti
jafnan þýður í samvinnu og ráð-
hollur. Börn þeirra hjóna, sjö
talsins, öll mentuð vel, eru
þessi:
María, sem nú á heima í Min-
enota; Joan, Mrs. K. C. Hoeg-
lund, í Chicago; Willard, í
Helena, Montana; Ragnhild,
Mrs. Mathew Roberts, í Boston,
Mass; Thordís, í Washington,
D.C.; Doris, Mrs. Chester Gilpin,
í Anaheim, California; Elaine,
Mrs. William House, í Chesham,
New Hampshire.
Bjargar og Jóns mun lengi
minst með hlýleik og söknuði,
bæði í Minneota, og víðar um
bygðir fólks vors í þessu landi.
—G.G.
TVÍMINNI
('jlutt 17. júní í Blaine, 1950)
Vér íslendingar viljum allir vera,
Þó verstöð skilji brimót höf —
Og föðurlandsins blysin með þeim bera
Að brautryðjandans gröf.
Þó ættstofn vor sér eigi minni rætur.
En önnur tré í heimi Guðs og manns;
Hann þroskast best við bjartar vorsins nætur
Og bœtilyf úr riki gróandans.
Norrœnt svipmót sást á þeim er fóru
í sigling fjœrri ættar-strönd —
Þó líði aldir sig í ætt þeir sóru
Við sœgarpinn, er fyrstur nam hér lönd.
Og þó er ekkert gleymt hjá þeim né grafið •
Sem gildi hafði á móðurjörð.
Það minnir alt á ísland hér við hafið,
Hin öldnu fjöll við Skerjafjörð.
Umrót hugans enginn maður skynjar
í œfiferli landnemans.
Það verða oftast athafnir og minjar
Sem opna skýrast sögu hans.
Hann valdi reyndar öllu sem hann unni
Islenzk hefðar nöfn;
Og höfuðbólin standa sterkum grunni:
Stafholt Grund og Höfn.
í leit að frelsi fólkið kringum safnast
Foringjann, hinn göfga mann.
í andlátinu allar sakir jafnast,
En orðstýr lifir þess er gat sér hann.
Og frelsishetju okkar ungu þjóðar
Er ár hvert minnst í þakkargjörð.
Er júnísól við fegurð landsins Ijóðar
Og Ijóma slœr á Arnarfjörð
GUNNBJÖRN STEFÁNSSON
SELKIRK METAL PRODUCTS LTD.
Reykháfar, öruggasta eldsvörn,
og ávalt hreinir. Hitaeiningar-
rör, ný uppfynding. Sparar eldi-
viö, heldur hita frá aö rjúka út
með reyknum — Skrifið símið til
KELLY SVEINSSON
187 Sutherland Ave., Winnipea
Sími 54 358
S. O. BJERRING
Canadian Stamp Co.
RUBBER & METAL STAMPS
NOTARY & CORFORATE SEALS
CELLULOID BUTTONS
324 Smiih Si. Winnipeg
Phone 924 624
Offlce Ph, 925 668
Res, 4C4 319
N0RMAN S. BERGMAN, B.A., LL.B.
Barrister, Solicitor, etc.
WINNIPEG
411 Childs Bldg,
CANADA
iíídsteD
IEWELLEPS
447 Portage Ave,
Also
J23
TENTH ST.
BRANDON
Ph, 926 886
Phone 21101
ESTIMATES
FREE
i. M. INGIMUNDSON
Asphalt Rnofs and Insulated
Siding — Repairs
Country Orders Attended To
632 Simcoe St. Winnlpeg, Man.
DR. A. V. JOHNSON
Dentlst
606 SOMERSET BUILDINQ
Telephone 97 932
Home Telephone 202 398
Talslmi 925 826 Heimilis 404 630
DR. K. J. AUSTMANN
SérfrœOingur ( augna, eyrna, nef
og kverka sjúkdómum.
209 Medical Arts Bldg.
Stofutími: 2.00 til 6.00 e. h.
DR. ROBERT BLACK
SérfrœOinour ( augna, eyrna,
nef oo hdlssjúkdómum.
401 MEDICAL ARTS BLDG
Graham and Kennedy St.
Skrifstofuslmi 923 851
Heimaslml 403 794

HAGBORG FUEL
PHOMC 21351
w\
GUNDRY PYMORE
Limited
British Quality Fish Nettino
68 VICTORIA ST„ WINNIPEG
Phone 92 8211
Itanager T. R. THORVALDBON
STour patronage will be appreciated
G. P. Jonasson, Pres. & Man. Dlr.
Keystone Fisheries
Limited
404 SCOTT BLK, Slmi 9J6 627
Wholesale Distributors of
PRESH AND FROZEN FISH
Dr. P. H. T. Thorlakson
WINNIPEG CLIN1C
St. Mary’s and Vaughan, Wpg.
Phone 926 441
Phone 927 03S
H. J. H. Palmason, C.A.
H. i. PALMASON & CO.
Chartered AccountanU
605 ConfederaUon Llfe Bldg.
Wlnnlpeg Manltoba
PARKER, PARKER
& KRISTJANSSON
Barrisiers - Solicilors
Ben C. Parker, K.C.
B. Stuart Parker, A. F. Krlstjansson
500 Canadian Bank of Commerce
Chambers
Winnipeg, Man. Phone 923 561
JOHN A. HILLSMAN.
M.D.. Ch. M.
332 Medieal Arts. Bldg.
Ok FICE 929 349 Home 403 288
Phone 724 944
Dr. S. J. Jóhannesson
8UITE 6 — 652 HOME ST,
Viðtalstlmi 3—6 eftlr hádegi
DR. E. JOHNSON
804 EVELINBi STREET
Selkirk. Man.
Offlce hra. 2.30—8 p.m
Phonee: Offtce 26 — Rei. 230
Offlce Phone Res Phone
924 762 726 116
Dr. L. A. Sigurdson
628 MEDICAL ARTS BLDQ.
Office Hours: 4 p.m.—6 p.m.
and by appointment
DR. H. W. TWEED
Tannlæknir
508 TORONTO GEN. TRUSTS
BUILDING
Cor. Portage Ave. og Smlth 8t.
Phone 926 952 WINNIPBQ
Office 933 587 Res. 444 389
S. A. THORARINSON
BARRISTER and SOLICITOR
4th Floor — Crown Trust Bldg.
364 Main Street
WINNIPEG CANADA
SARGENT TAXI
Phone 722 401
FOR QUICK RELIABLE
SERVICE
J. J. SWANSON & CO.
LIMITED
808 AVENUE BLDG WPG.
Fastelgnasalar. Lelgja hús. Ot-
vega peningalán og eldsábyrgð.
bifreiðaábyrgð, o. •. frv.
Phone 927 618
Andrews, Andrews,
Thorvaldson and
Eggertson
LögfrœOinoar
2093ANK OF NOVA SCOTIA BG.
Portage og Garry St.
Phone 928 291
CANADIAN FISH
PRODUCERS, LTD.
J. H. PAOE, Manayino Director
Wholesale Distributors of Frash
and Frozen Fish.
311 CHAMBERS STREET
Office Ph. 26 328 Res. Ph. 73 917
A. S. B A R D A L
848 SHERBROOK STREET
Selur llkklstur og annast um ftt-
farlr. Allur útbúnaður sá bezU.
Ennfremur selur hann allskonar
minnisvarða og legstelna.
Skrifstofu talsfml 27 324
Heimllis talslmi 26 444
Phone 23 996 761 Notre Dame Ave.
Just West of New Matemlty Hoepltal
Nell's Flower Shop
Wedding Bouquets, Cut Flowers
Funeral Designs. Corsages
Bedding Plants
Nell Johnson Ruth Rowland
27 482 88 790