The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1888-12-26

slabeas corpus is known. There is very
little for the lawyers to do but bride the
police. dresser himself has the leputa
ton of being scrupulously honest man,
but dresser is not omn;scient, even if he
lis omuipotent, and his subordinates make
their own reports to him. He listens to
no,one else.
When Peter the Great was visiting En-
lgland he was shown over the city, and
among other places was taken to Lincoln 5
Field Inns or Courts. There he saw tie
big-wigs, and asked who they We're His
escort told him they were all lawyers
What! all these men lawyers" h ex-
claimed. How do they live, and why are
they tolerated? l have only one lawyer in
all my empire, and / think l shall hang
him when / get home.
There are courts in Russia for the
prosecution of civil and criminal causes
between citizens courts like those OF any
other country, only more corrupt, if the
reports one hears be true; bat crimes
against the crown are tried by military
commissions, Mt least they are supposed
TO be. But in almo>t all cases. except
those in which publicity is polite whom
1T is necessary to create n dramatic sensa-
ton, and awaken the indignation of the
loyal subjects, they are secret, attended
by no reporters and no lawyers, solely by
the police. When the police have II case
of conspiracy that is pc fectly clear, when
the evidence is indispuable, and the crime
is one that will awaken horror in the mind
of every reasonable citizen, the trials are
public, the forms are generally liberal and
tolerant, and the prisoners are allowed to
plead their causes by counsel or person
ally but most of the Investigations are in
the prison, and neither the evidence nor
the judgment Is known. There have
been but five public trials for many years,
including that of the Empefor's assassins
'and Vera Sassulic.
In 1856 there were 703,2 54 persons inn
.prisoned in Russia, according to the Off
.cial reports. OF these about nine-tenths
were incarcerated by order of the courts
One-tenth, or 10000 persons, were inn
prisoned by the police for causes known
only to themselves. On the lst of jan
uaty last there were 96,272 persons
known to be in prison. OF these at least
sone-seventh were political offenders,
wlo were held by order Of the TO
lice, without any other trial than secret
sex-parte investigation. 1t is estimated
shat 2 per cent. of the prisoners die before
they are tried and 3 per cent. are sent to
Siberia. The actual numbers, however,
are not known, for the transactions of the
police are not reported.
Here is an example OF what is called
-"the administrative system. Prof. Ivan
aDifyntin occupied the chair of iurispru-
.dence in the University of Kharkoff, and
was distinguished for his literary and sci
.entifc attainments. lie was also for many
years an associate of the late Katkoff in
the editorship of the Moscow Gazette. At
the same time no contributed to n monthly
review os liberal tendencies, called Rus
sian Thought. There appeared an article
'over his signature in that review, which
was considerably mole advanced in its
sentiments than the publications of the
country usually contain. and il attracted a
good deal az commen. an' sriiictsul