Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-08-25
EMPEROR OF MuscovITE NATION
ISSUES MANIFESTO LIRERAT.
ING POLITICAL PRISONERS.
MANY OTHER ADVANCES
Greatest Event In Russian History
Since the Emancipation of the serfs
by Alexander II in 1se1-HeIp for
FlnIand-Future czar Is chrlstened
Amid Much Ceremony Today.

Finland-Future czar Is christened
Amid Much Ceremony Today.
st. Petersburg, Aug. 24.-The czar
Today issued lengthy manifesto on
the occasion Of the christening of the
heir to the Russian throne. The man
ifesto, which marks the most import
ant event in Russia's domestic his
tory since the liberation of the serfs
by Alexander II in 1861, comprises the
following provisions:
Grants general amnesty in the
case of all political offenders ex-
cept those charged with murder.
Abolishes corporal punishment
among rural classes and for the
first offenses among the sea and
land forces.
RENTS arrears owing to the
state for the purchases of land
and other direct imposts.
Sets apart $1,5O0,000 from the
state funds for the purpose of
forming an inalienable fund for
the benefit of landless people of
Finland.
Grants amnesty to those Fin
landers who have emigrated with
out authorization.
RENTS the fines imposed upon
the rural and urban communes of
Finland which refused to submit to
military CONSUMPTION in 1902 and
1903.
RENTS the fines imposed upon
the Jewish comnunes in the cases
of Jews avoiding military service.
The manifesto further provides
for general reduction in SEN
tepces for roTpraon law offenses.
The Christening.
The christening of the heir to the
Russian throne took place this morn
ing at the church of Peterhof palace
with imposing ceremony A process
sion of gilded coaches accompanied the
infant prince from Alexandra villa to
the church. After the metropolitan of
st. Petersburg had administered the
sacrament to the heir the emperor in
vested the latter with the insignia of
the order of st. Andrew. Immediate
ly thereafter the ringing of the church
bells and the firing of a salute Of 101
guns announced the completion of the
ceremony
The Cars Manifesto.
Emperor Nicholas manifesto on the
birth of an heir to the throne grants
a general amnesty in the case of all
political offenders except those charg.
ed with murder.
This is the greatest act of mercy
since the serfs were emancipated by
the present czar's grandfather, and
the most sweeping act Of general par.
don exercised since the days Of an.
cient Rome.
Effect VIII Be Widespread.
It's general effect will be felt from
one end of the empire to the other,
for there is not district, or hardly
g commune, that is not represented
by an exile beyond the Ural noun
tains.
1t would be hard to estimate the
number of prisoners affected, but there
are thousands of them, most of whom
were sent away as matetr of public
policy from the Muscovite standpoint
and comparatively few of whom are
charged with homicide-perhaps not /
per cent The reason for this is that
the political homicide is usually pun
isned capitally, and rarely reaches ST.
IBERIA.
Charge Against Asitators.
The usual allegation against a polit.
ical agitator is that he is suspicious
person, or that he has conspired
against the government, or that he
has read and distributed seditious lit
srature
Many of the Siberian exiles who
have, according to their respective
grades. more or less freedom of ac-
tion, will elect to remain on the
farms which they have made fruitful.
but, on the other hand, thousands will
find their way back.
1t is not yet known whether provi.
sion for their repatriation at the ex-
pense of the state will be made
May Go to the War.
Many of the younger exlles are ex.
pected to join the army in the far
east If the war lasts. This expecta.
tion may accelerate the work of car.
rying out the imperial decree. 1t will
prove no small undertaking, and it
may be months before expatriates in
remote regions hear of their good for
tune
Similar Manifesto by Alexander H..
1t is recalled that in 1856 after the
Crimean war. the czar, Alexander II
issued similar manifesto but at that
time there were nothing like as many
political offenders undergoing punish
ment.
Although agitation for reforms in
Russia has been carried on for more
than 100 years it was not until thirty
five or forty years ago that the propa-
ganda became systematized Natural.
~ an impetus wa, given to the prose.