41 1] FROM THE MIDDLE OF THE IQTH CENTURY II3 



declaration of the Storthing the Union is not dissolved," 

 and that " it can not be dissolved without the consent of the 

 King and Swedish Riksdag. . . ."''* The Riksdag's state- 

 ment is thus commented on by K. Nordlund: 



This does not mean that Sweden will refuse her consent; but it 

 does mean that Sweden can and will demand that her just claims 

 shall be fulfilled before the dissolution will obtain international 

 recognition. Sweden demands a real settlement with Norway. The 

 first condition for such a settlement is that Norway makes a formal 

 request to Sweden for the desired solution. If, however, this re- 

 quest shall be accepted as the uncontested expression of the will of 

 the Norwegian people, it must not be made until that people explic- 

 itly has made its will known either through new elections to the 

 Storthing or by means of a referendum. "^ 



A special committee was appointed by the Swedish Gov- 

 ernment to consider the question of dissolution. This Com- 

 mittee reported on July 25 that "Norway should present a 

 formal request after a new Storthing had been elected, and 

 after the Norwegian people through a plebiscite should 

 signify their desire for the dissolution of the Union. If 

 these conditions were complied with, negotiations might be 

 entered into for the arrangement of terms, on which the 

 final agreement might be based." The report was adopted 

 by the Swedish Riksdag." 



On August 13, the Norwegian people were given an op- 

 portunity to express by a plebiscite or referendum their 

 opinion on the question of separation as voted by the Storth- 

 ing on June 7. " The notice given was very brief, and many 

 sailors and fishermen could not reach home in so short a 

 time. But of the 435,576 voters in the Kingdom, 371.91 1, 

 or 85 per cent, were able to cast their ballots. Of these, 

 368,208 voted in favor of the dissolution of the union, and 

 184 against it. 3,519 ballots were discarded."" 



Gjerset's comment that " never has a nation expressed a 

 more unanimous opinion on a pubHc question," and that 

 " never has a people made a more determined etTort to be 



^* Eden, p. 23. 

 "Ibid 



"Gjcrset, pp. 581-582. 



" Ibid., p. 582; Annual Register for 1905, p. 3(36. 



