The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-12-28
WITTE;EN lslME LIGHT Old sMinister Brought Forward. UKASE HIS OWN VICTORY Extremists and Liberals Not
 Satisfied. Changes of Manifesto Bring Mirsky and Finance Minister to Positions
 of Prominence-Revolu
 Answer Anxiously Awaited.

St. Petersburg, Dec 27.--While Elm peror Nicholas's manifesto on Russian reforms coupled with the government note of warning on the same subject leaves no doubt that 1t Is the firm in- tention of the emperor to maintain un- impaired the autocratic principle which no observer here ever imagined he would relinquish, and not yield to the Zemstvoist demand for a national leg islature. the program of reforms out lined is broad one and If 1t had not been preceded by the agitation of the last few months would probably have been accepted with universal acclaim in Russia as extremely liberal.
 The raising of the peasants to an equality with other citizens of the em- pire is alone practically second. only second, to freeing of the serfs, but hardly less important are the guaran-
 tees which the manifesto directs to the incorporated in the laws for the pro-
 tection of the personal liberties of the people against the abuses of adminis- trative arbitrariness. The measures
 taken under the state of siege are no longer permittable except in cases of crime against the state.
 The increase In the independence and
 scope of the doumas and Zemstvos as
 we'll as the creation of smaller Zemst-
 vo units. the definite protection of the Jews. Armenians and other unorthodox
 sects and the revision of the press laws are all on the line of the Zemstvo demands.
 The extremists of course are not satisfied and many of the moderate
 liberals are disappointed. The govern
 ment note threatening drastic measures
 in the event of continuation of the vain agitation considered necessary in
 order to put a stop to the existing ferment is resented deeply by them and it is feared will infiame rather
 than allay the present agitation.
 Harsh measures, it Is understood will
 however be avoided and the govern
 ment expects that the solid nature Of the reforms offered will gradually draw 1 to It's support ali except the extreme | radicals. Fully as important as the govern ment's response to the Zemstvoists is the position in which M. Witte Is placed by confiding the reforms to the committee of ministers of which he Is president. The old finance minister
 becomes the man of the hour confirm ing the reports that he Is again in high
 imperial favor.
 Moreover this body. the duties of which heretofore have been purely per- functory are raised to the highest dig
 nity and institute for the first time
 species of ministerial responsibility
 which is apt to make the committee
 of ministers a real cabinet. In addition
 to the ministers six grand dukes are
 members of the committed. AS the inn nerial manifesto directs the committee to ascertain the best method' of car rvinr the reforms into effect, some pa- | pers, notably The Russ find In these words that the committee may call In | Zemstvo representatives
 The general opinion is that the man. l ifesto represents victory for Interior Minister Sviatopolk Mirsky and the l Conservative-Liberals over M. Pooied- l onosteff, Procurator of the General
 Holy Synod and the reactionaries ana practically places the strong combina- l tion of M. Witte and Sviatopolk-M
 sky behind the Governments program. The yagueness with which the reforms are outlined shows possibilities of ex- | pansion or limitation according to their | ideas prevailing.
 With A man of M. witte's domination l and force at the head of the committee | of ministers, the general belief Is that he will control in the end. Those al-
 lied with the Zemstvoists express the | intention or continuing the asi'alioii despite the Governments note of | warning. They believe that the dissim- ilarity of the two documents will enable them to continue the fight on the ground that the manifesto is in a con
 ciliatory spirit and represents the
 views of the Emperor, and the Gov
 ernment's note with its covert threat of repression Is the work of bureaucracy
 which their campaign is aimed at. The
 response of the people generally and of the extreme Liberals and Revolu- | tionaries to the Governments action
 is waited on with intense interest. No one imaginaes that any of these classes
 will be satisfied. but upon the course they have elected to pursue will depend
 the question of a possible crisis in the near future.