ght, according to Constitutional
law, to form his decision according to his own judgment. It was
furthermore the Prime Minister's undoubted duty to countersign his
decree, the Cabinet, by raising protestations, were released from
constitutional responsibility for the royal decree according to the rules
of the fundamental law. But the Cabinet maintained another interpretation
of the fundamental law, and sent in their resignations, which the King,
meanwhile, refused to grant as he could not _for the present_--"now"--
form a new Ministry.

This word 'now' in the King's refusal to the Cabinets appeal to resign,
undoubtedly implies a reminder of earlier similar situations in the
beginning of 1890, when the Ministry--on one or two occasions _Radical_
--had remained in office some time after they had tendered their appeals
to resign, as the King was unable to form a new ministry. It was also
without doubt the legislative duty of the Ministry to remain at their
post till the King released them. For, according to the general
constitutional and administrative ideas of justice, it is the King who
releases his Ministers; they have no legal right to retire of themselves.

It is not Norway's _King_ who has transgressed the law, in spite of all
the accusations to that effect from Norway's government[59:1]. _The law
was transgressed on June 6th by the Norwegian Cabinet, when they informed
the King that they resigned office_[59:2].

[Sidenote: _The Norwegian Revolution._]

Their chief reason for this proceeding they declared to be their
inability to be a party to the King's policy, which according to their
opinion, was not in accordance with the Norwegian Constitution, and
declared themselves to be 'free men' entitled to the right to resign
office[60:1]. King OSCAR immediately sent protestations against this
proceeding on the part of the Ministers, both to the Storthing and the
Premier[60:2]. But before these came to hand, the next act was played
out.

On the 7th June the Cabinet informed the Storthing of their
resignation[60:3]. The Storthing forgetful of the very important little
word _now_ categorically recorded the fact that the King had declared
himself incapable of forming a new government, and came to the conclusion
that the Constitutional Royal Power was "no longer effectual", on which
the late Ministers were admonished to take up the reins of government,
which, according to Constitutional law, was the King's prerogative al