The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-06-03
the dangerous expedient OF calling
national assembly.

! the dangerous expeulent OF Gaining
national assembly.
When the States-General convened
at Versailles more than century and
half had passed since France had wit
messed meeting OF the kind, and more
than two centuries have elapsed since
the last zenski sober was summoned.
In the composition Of the latter as OF
the former convention, there is much
that IL reassuring to the partizans OF
absolute government. 1t doubtless is
argued in Russia to-day, as it was in
France in 1880, that stream cannot
rise higher than its source, and
that an assembly made up Of dele
gates from provincial councils may be
trusted to share the preconceptions and
accept the limitations of the parent
bodies. The composition Of the new
zemski sober will be defined, Of course,
In the Cars decree, but we take for
granted that 1t will be modelled on that of
preceding assemblies of the same name,
which evidently were conceived in the
rulers interest. That is to say, the
national assembly may be divided at the
outset into three or more orders, which,
as was originally the case with the French
States General, will be expected to vote
separately.
If, however, the example of the zemst-
vos or provincial councils be followed,
the three orders, though representing
different classes Of the population, will
vote together, A zemstvo--the term
ia applicable alike to a provincial council
and to the council of district or smaller
administrative unit-consists of three
kinds of delegates First, landed pro-
prietors, all mobiles possessing more than
500 acres having a right to vote, while
delegates are sent by the remainder
along with delegates from the clergy in
their capacity of land owners; secondly,
representatives of the merchants, ar
tisans and urban population; lastly,
representatives Of the peasants, who
are indirectly chosen by the communal
authorities. As rule, precautions are
taken to assure the numerical inferiority
of the last named class Of delegates to
the aggregate Of the two other classes.
Until recently it has generally proved
practicable for the Minister of the In
terror to control these local assemblies
by applying the maxim, Divide and rule.
Moreover. theoretically the represent
tative of the central government is
clothed with the power to annul the de-
cisions of the zemstvos, a power often
exercised in practise. We can see then
how, assuming that zemski sober, like
its model the zemstvo. would be split
up by class interests and qualified to
render only advisory not final, decisions,
shortsighted champions of the autoc-
rucy might believe that they could
summon such national assembly with
IMMUNITY, and make Of it a catspaw.
Thus reasoned the councillors Of
Louis XVI. when, after much hesitation.
they resolved to call together the States
General We know what came of that
m omentous decision. To those familiar
with the history OF zemski sobors the
experiment which NICHOLAS III. is now
inclined to make seems even more por-
tentous. 1t was one Of those assemblies
that turned its back upon the Car
then reigning and bestowed the imperial
crown upon MICHAEL RoMANoFP, a
youth of sixteen, who had no title, except
his fathers virtues, to the throne. A
national convention recognized as pos
sessing the authority to found dynasty
might also, it would seem, depose one.