Show iceland first of world parliaments iceland in june 1030 celebrated two great events the one hundred nineteenth birthday of jon sigurds son its george washington who wrung home rule from denmark in 1874 the thousandth anniversary of the oldest parliament in the world A century before the battle of ings years before our own gov eminent ft as founded the tree landowners of ireland were living under a constitution the aton of eldot and a regularly consal lawmaking boby the met in midsummer and was the occa slon for great feasts and merry ing as well as numerous bruises lac erat lons and concussions what political life and law were like la the old days is recorded in iceland arila at sagas and law codes the did not function perfectly nor did the judicial system which was set up the real governing being done by the varl ous chieftains nevertheless the al thing forms a magnificent tradition it looks down from its hoary eminence alth paternal solicitude for such youthful bodies as the house of commons and the united states congress |