gement that interminable practical difficulties would be the
results of acceding to the Norwegian proposition. Neither is there a
single proposal, which, from a Norwegian point of view, would be
acceptable, to make decisions that might in any possible degree remedy
the deficiences. On the contrary, Mr HAGERUP mentions that such decisions
would be calculated to stamp Norway as a dependency, according to
international and common law principles, and declared that from a
national point of view, it indicates a very great retrogression on the
present arrangement of the Consular Service[34:1]. In this, he forgets
that Mr BOSTROeM'S conditions refer to exceptional decisions and do not
touch the Norwegian Consul's normal position as being a Norwegian civil
Official, and he omits to observe that the interference of the Diplomatic
Officials with Consular affairs, as proposed by Mr BOSTROeM, would very
seldom occur.

[Sidenote: _The Swedish Government's proposal._]

It is, meanwhile, easy to understand that Mr BOSTROeM'S demand, that the
King, on the Swedish Minister's representations, should be empowered to
dismiss a Norwegian civil official, would deeply injure the Norwegian
susceptibilities, and that it was therefore quite possible to be blind to
the fact that the Swedish Minister was also responsible for Norway's
Foreign politics. When therefore His Excellency Mr HAGERUP went to
Stockholm for further discussions, all the rest of the Swedish Ministers,
as will be seen, were ready to present a Swedish proposal[34:2] for
identical laws modified especially to meet the sensitive point.

The demand that the Consular Office should not issue orders in conflict
with those given by the Minister of Foreign affairs, remained, but it
naturally did not necessarily imply a formal subordination, as the
Minister could not give orders directly to the Consular Office. Further,
the decision remained, that the Ambassadors could, on especial occasions,
suspend the Consuls from their office, but this decision need not
necessarily offend the Norwegian susceptibility, as the Ambassadors,
though more directly under the influence of the Minister for Foreign
affairs, are nevertheless, according to the Norwegian legal point of
view, not only Swedish Officials, but Officials of the Union[35:1]. On
the other hand, the form for the interference of the Minister for Foreign
affairs with the Consuls was modified in a way which showed great
consideration for No