The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1905-04-15
REFORM OF RUSSIA
opvFcr OF The CONVENTION OF
LAWYERS.
propose to for" a N'''o"'' pro-
,ssslonaI League to Unite the
,,,ivtties of Lawyers, Doctors,
1sachers, engineers and Others
:, ooDosjtion to AutOCraCy.

c, Petersburg, April 13.-The form
If a national professional reform
s'io- To mite the activities of law
isas doctors, teachers, engineers and
!' 'to, professional classes of Russia to
@n .c about the characterization of the
o, .rs1nment and the institution of a
s',ssentative parliament and re-
N'nsible ministry is the ambitious
.,sct set on foot by the national con-
r .ss. of lawyers, which finished its
'rork here last night.
The plan proposed is the formation
. national associations Of the various
U,ofessional classes, each of which
sball elect delegates to central bu-
'Dan which is to direct and co-ordi-
nota the efforts of the "intellectuals"
IN the direction of reforms.
other classes which have openly
Manifested liberal tendencies on many
OCCASIONS, notably the doctors at their
rsceut congress in Moscow, are likely
n accept the invitation, and unless in
tsrfered with powerful reform force
j. likely to spring into being soon.
The deliberations of the lawyers,
which we're carried to conclusion in
direct disregard of police orders. and
which were participated in by 17S del
epates, representing every judicial dis
trict in Russia, except Siberia, result
ed in the organization of the National
Legal Association and the election of
central bureau Of thirteen, which is
empowered to select legal representa-
tives for a proposed central committee
to draft preliminary plans for the
organization of that body.
Repudiate DisI0yaIty.
The leaders of the movement de-
clare that their plans do not contem-
plate any assault on the monarc hical
form of government or disloyalty to the
emperor, but the elimination of abso-
lutism and the esta blishment of partic-
lpation by the governed in the direc-
ton of affairs, and especially in GER
tain matters, as the budget and taxa
ton; and the point of the rejection,
though by small majority, of reso-
luton committing the assembly to
extra legal measures tc show hatred
of the existing order and bring about
democratic and legal mode of govern
ment in Russia bears out this declar-
alton
A feature If the meeting was a spe-
cial honor shown the Polish delegates
at the first session, when the entire as
semblage rose and remained standing
facing the section occupied by the
Poles, while speaker pronounced q
panegyric on them. The Poles, how
ever, did not participate in the follow
ing sessions, which were held in def
ance Of the police, merely sending
their visiting cards each day.
The delegates met in accordance
with secret arrangements, at different
private houses, milling before the
arrival Of the police and disregarding
orders to cease their sessions. At yes
terdsys session, however, the police
promptly placed Gordon around the
mouse IN which the delegates were to
meet and prevented all but fifteen
nom entering, and sent word to those
tna' all delegates not residents of St.
l5e'efs'urg must leave the city imme-
uiateiy AS the congress had finished
us program, adjournment sine die was
pronounced, the lawyers as a final
'nfust drafting a statement to the
onlel OF police that his general order
~ uelegates en- bloc to leave the city
was Illegal, and that they would recog-
nize the withdrawal of permission to
GUAM IN the city only if it were de-
A'efea to each delegate personally.
IA another zemstvo congress has been
satieo to meet in Moscow on May 8, in
"nich representatives of the nobility
wa, sta also participate. It is reported
.uat an endeavor will be made to align
.uo moderates with the nobility in IA
Wv OF reforms without going to the
aeusIh OF the constitutionalism of West
srn Europe.