rway; thus when a Consul had compromised the United
Kingdoms, the Minister of Foreign affairs was to bring the matter before
the joint or the Ministerial Council, after which it was laid before the
King for decision at a State Council especially dealing with the affairs
of that State.

[Sidenote: _The Norwegian government's Ultimatum._]

What reply now does the Norwegian government give to these apparently
perfectly fair and moderate demands?[35:2]

It declares that it "stands to reason" that the Norwegian Consular Office
would not issue orders in conflict with those of the Minister for Foreign
affairs, and remarks that it is not very appropriate in a form of law, to
presuppose want of loyalty in a Public Office[35:3]. If the Swedish
proposals had been accepted, the Norwegian Consular service would have
been very largely placed under the control of the Foreign Minister, who
is constitutionally a Swedish Minister. It claims for other more
important points the unsuitability of a "hierarchal" relation between
Swedish and Norwegian officials, and several times cites the decisions of
the Consular Committee, the one-sided formal views of which the
Norwegian government itself had abandoned. But when the Norwegian
government intends offering other guarantees of cooperation between the
Minister for Foreign affairs and the Norwegian Consular Office, and that
the Consuls shall not exceed the limits of their duties, it has only to
refer to the loyalty of the Norwegian Consular Office, and its interest
in keeping Norway from being compromised abroad, guarantees, which, of
course, have their significance, when reliable, but manifestly are not of
the legislative binding nature intended by the Communique. Finally the
Norwegian government declares these and sundry other Swedish conditions
unacceptable, and adds, that "if they should be adhered to further
discussion the Swedish draft about would be useless"[36:1]. Really a
formal ultimatum!

[Sidenote: _The Swedish government's reply._]

Before the Swedish government replied to the Norwegian government's
Ultimatum, the critical attitude of the Consular negotiations became the
subject of debate in the Lower Chamber of the Swedish Diet, and from the
liberal party's side, a strong appeal was made to the government to try,
if possible, to avoid any interruption of the negotiations. The reply of
the Swedish Cabinet is dated Jan. 30th 1905[36:2]. Its tone is one af
decision tempered with