t endorsed in substance by
the other members of the Cabinet Council, it is recommended in all
humility:

that a copy of the present humble report made in Joint Cabinet
Council on April 5th this year, concerning new negotiations
affecting the Union may graciously be ordered to be delivered over
to the Swedish Iustice-Department.

16.

Record of Justice-Departement affair held at Stockholm Palace on Tuesday
the 25th of April, 1905 before His Royal Highness the Crown-Prince Regent
in Joint Swedish and Norwegian Cabinet Council.

[-- -- --]

Mr Berger, Cabinet Minister and Chief of the Swedish Justice-Department
gave, in all humility, a notice of the Norwegian Government's humble
report in consequence of the question raised in Joint Cabinet Council on
the 5th inst. vith regard to opening new negotiations concerning the
arrangement of the Union question; this report is appended to this
Protocol.

After the chief of Department had given an account of the contents of the
report, His Excellency Ramstedt, Prime Minister made the following
statement:

"What in the Norwegian Governments report has been said about the reason
why the latest negotiations, regarding the Union did not lead to any
result, does not, in my opinion, now require a reply, but in this
respect, I only refer to the Swedish Cabinet Council's declaration of
January 30, 1905, appended to the Protocol made in Joint Cabinet Council
on the 6th of February last.

In the declaration made by your Royal Highness on the 5th inst. and put
on record, the Swedish Cabinet Council expected to find a method of
settling the differences of opinion as to the Union affairs. Therefore
the Swedish Cabinet Council gave its support to your Royal Highness's
declaration.

The condition of the new negotiations, however, was, according to the
same declaration, that the negotiations should embrace all matters
affecting the Union and consequently also the Consular question.

Whereas now from the Norwegian side the thought of further negotiations
is rejected, ere a separate Norwegian Consular service has been
established and whereas besides, for eventual new negotiations, such a
condition is made from the Norwegian side as incompatible with the Union
and the Act of Union, it is obvious that negotiations on the basis
indicated by your Royal Highness cannot now be opened with any chance of
success".

This statement was endorsed by the other members of