the Swedish Cabinet
Council.

The Norwegian part of the Cabinet Council stated:

"The section of the Cabinet Council refers to the report of the Norwegian
Government from which it appears that on the Norwegian side there is
willingness to bring about negotiations between the countries on the
conditions put forward in the report. It is also obvious from the report
that from the Norwegian side the intention is not to try to dissolve the
present Union. On the other hand, one finds it necessary to demand that
such a dissolution should be within the bounds of possibility and that
negotiations presupposing this eventuality with the consent of the
Constitution authorities of both countries, should be compatible with the
Act of Union.

Under these circumstances, however, the section of the Cabinet Council
that negotiations concerning the Union affairs cannot, agree for the
present, opened with any chance of success."

His Royal Highness the Crown-Prince Regent was hereupon pleased he to
declare:

"Whereas the Norwegian Government has unfortunately been unwilling to
accept my proposition of new negotiations concerning all the affairs
affecting the Union, I must, while sincerely regretting it, let the
matter abide by the declarations made by the Cabinet Councils."

17.

The Riksdags address to the King on the Union question, on May 15, 1905.

TO HIS MAJESTY THE KING.

In both Chambers of the Riksdag resolutions have been submitted with the
object of expressing, in an address, to your Majesty the Riksdag's
support of the declaration published in the "Post-och Inrikes Tidningar"
and made by the Crown-Prince Regent in Joint Swedish and Norwegian
Cabinet Council on the 5th of April last.

This declaration is to the following effect:

[-- -- --]

The Riksdag realizes to the full the importance of this declaration of
the Crown-Prince Regent, as involving a possibility of bringing about a
new satisfactory arrangement of the Union affairs.

It is therefore with an expression of regret that the Riksdag has learned
from the publishment of the Protocol drawn up in Joint Swedish and
Norwegian Cabinet Council on the 25th of April last, that negotiations
founded on the basis indicated in the above-mentioned declaration of the
Crown-Prince Regent cannot now be opened with any chance of success.

Although thus the question of such negotiations seems to have been
dropped for the present, the Riksdag, however, consider