The Mercur miner. [volume] (Mercur, Utah) 1895-1913, 1905-11-01
BOWS TO WILL
OF THE PEOPLE
Car Nicholas SurrenGers ano
Count Witte Becomes Head
OF Russian Government
Autoeraey a Thing Of the Past and
People Are Granted Free Speech,
Free Press, Right Of Assem-
bly, and Habeas corpus-Im-
periaI Manifesto Issued.

ST. Petersburg. Monday october
90, 1905, will be a day to be ven
Grated for ages to come by all good
Russian citizens. as 1t was upon this
date that the autocracy of the Roman
offs and the old order of things ceased
TO exist in Russia Emperor Nicholas
has surrendered and Count Witte
comes into power as minister-presi'
dent, with an imperial mandate which
will enable him to convert the farcical
national assembly into o real legisla-
tive body, elected by greatly extended
suffrage, and to confer upon the peo-
pie fundamental civil liberties, includ'
ing free speech These welcome It'd
ings reached st. Petersburg shortly
before o'clock Monday evening
Count Witte had spent the day with
the emperor at Peterhof, going over
the final draft of the manifesto, to
which he insisted that certain minor
notifications be made and, before TAX
ing the train for st. Petersburg. he
telephoned to friend that the en-
peror had affixed his signature and
that the imperial mandate comprising
the conditions upon which he had
agreed to accept Office was in his peck
ct These include freedom of the
press, the right of assembly, and the
immunity of the person. including the
right of habeas corpus.
An imperial manifesto has been is
sued, appointing Count Witte prime
minister, with special authority to CO.
ordinate and unity the powers of the
different branches OF the army. Civic
liberties are granted to the Russian
people, and to the national assembly
is given legislative power. while the
suffrage is enlarged.
Count Witte insisted on cabinet
on the British model, with a selected
premier responsible to the imperial
douma, or parliament, while the en-
peror chung to the appointment or the
members of the cabinet on the Ameri-
can plan, by the emperor as chief OF
state.
Count Wltte, Russia's first premier.
has sent the following message TO the
American people.
81 am sure the American people,
who understand what freedom Is. and
the American press, which voices tho
wishes of the people, Will rejoice with
| the friendly Russian nation at this mo-
ment, when the Russian people have
received from his imperial majesty tbs
promises and the guarantees of free
dom, and will join in the hope that tho
Russian people will wisely aid in the
realization OF those liberties by Co
operating with the government for
their peaceful introduction. Only
thus will II be possible to secure tho
full benefits of the freedom conferred
upon the people"
The effect throughout Russia is ex'
pected to be instantaneous. While tho
revolutionists threaten an attempt to
keep up the present struggle. the best
opinion il that the backbone OF thG
strike is broken. but In the final analy
sis the effect will depend upon how far
Count Wltte will be able to execute
the heavy task which he has as
sumed.
Some persons high in the govern
ment believe Il will be necessary to
use ball cartridges to suppress the
present movement, but Count Witte
appears confident. He has become the
bridge whereby the people are to cross
to constitutionalism.
The count has already tentatively
selected the members of his cabinet.
He will himself hold no portfolio. All
the present ministers except those OF
war, navy and foreign affairs, will be
retired. Prince Obolensky, one of the
counts former assistants in the min
istry of finance. will become minister
of interior: NJ. Romanon, another
former assistant to the minister, will
| take the finance portfolio; NJ. Koni
at present a senator and Russias
ablest jurist, will be minister of jus
tice; NJ. Nrosoysky, president of the
ST. Petersburg municipal. council, will
take the ministry of education, and NJ
Zlegler Won Schaffhausen, chief of the
railroad department of the ministry OF
finance. will become minister OF wayi
and communications.