eaceful and honorable Union
Treaty. This was the programme he proposed in the Storting when he
announced the termination of the negotiations, and he further developed
it when he resigned in March.

A policy on those lines would at least have been open and honest, and
even if the results had brought about the rupture of the Union, it would
not have roused strong ill-will; it would, in fact, have preserved the
possibility of establishing conditions of Co-operation on more
independent lines. Though Sweden which, in the eyes of all Europe, was
responsible for the Union, could never take the _initiative_ in the
matter of dissolving the Union, a Norwegian proposal in the terms
presented by Mr HAGERUP had certainly not been refused without further
consideration[50:1].

But it soon appeared that Mr HAGERUP'S programme was not likely to be
favourably received in Norway. Immediately after the announcement of the
termination of the negotiations, the Storthing had summoned a so called
Special Committee to examine the conditions of the Union. The members of
this Committee soon went against the majority of the government, and
therefore, when the State Secretaries MICHELSEN and SCHOeNING at the end
of February protested against Mr HAGERUP'S proceeding, in sending in his
resignation, a complete crisis within the Cabinet was reached.

The king had, meanwhile, immediately after the termination of the
negotiations, resigned the government to the Crown Prince in the capacity
of Regent. After the Crown Prince Regent had conferred with the leading
politicians in Christiania, he made known his personal opinion on the
matter in a document adressed to the President of the Special Committee
appointed by the Storthing[50:2] He earnestly expresses his conviction
that the strength and prosperity of the two Kingdoms lies in the
preservation of the Union. He emphatically declared that the Union was
not the chief object for the _dynasty_, but it ought to be so to _the two
peoples_ concerned. He expressed warnings against the dissolution of the
Union, and urged that fresh negotiations, on a broader basis, should be
entered into for the settlement of all matters concerning the Union.

The persuasive tone of this document could not fail to make an effect,
but the Norwegian press tried hard to explain away the contents by
informing the public of their wonderful discovery, that the document was
of no "Constitutional importance", and shrewdly trying to p