The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-16
MACHINE GUNS ARE
 USED IN RUSSIA Workmen and Peasantry Shot Down on Riga's Streets ESTATES ARE DESTROYED The Budget for 1906 Is Being Cut In Order to Make Good Finan-
 cial Showing to the
 the Assembly.
ESTATES ARE DESTROYED

St. Petersburg December IA, Evening. via Eydtkuhnen, December 15-It seems to be beyond question that bloody colli- sions have occurred between troops and the united peasantry and workmen in the streets of Riga, during which machine guns were used. The situation in the country Is practically abandoned to the revolutionary bands owing to the con centration of the troops in the cities and towns. Against some of the estates where the landlords aided by a few faithful ad- herents are attempting to protect their property, the revolutionaries are conduct ing regular military operations. They re- duced the garrison of the estate of Baron von Loewis to submission after majori- ty of the defendants had been killed, and plundered and burned the buildings and carried off the baron. The survivors were made prisoners.
 Foreign Minister Lamsdorff at the first interview which he had with the Ameri- can ambassador, Mir Meyer, since the latter's return to St. Petersburg, while not optimistic, expressed the opinion that the political situation and outlook had considerably improved
 The law and order clements are now the principal hope of avertng the cata : clysm which the revolutionary parties are organizing.
 Upon the early convocation of the na- tional assembly, the pressure for which Is constantly increasing, 1t Is generally believed that Premier Witte will dispense with the services of Interior Minister Durnovo against whom all classes have arisen, and appoint M. Guchkoff, a prom inent member of the Moscow zemstvo, who is said to be ready to accept the office
 Talk of Ceremonies.
 People here continue to talk of the probable ceremonies attending the issu- ance of the constitution in December, and much is being made of the report that the golden state carriage used at momen- tous ceremonies will be sent to Tsraskoe- Selo. Investigation of the rumor. how ever seems to show that 1t Is baseless. the Emperor Is going to Moscow to proclaim the constitution in the Krem lin.
 The budget of 1906 is being cut hard. not only in order to try to make both ends meet but in order to make the best possible showing to the national assembly.
 Extravagance in all directions has been eliminated and projects for new railroad construction. and new public works of every description are omitted. The items increased are the salaries of the railroad and postal employees. The personnel of the army and navy and the naval pro- gramme are greatly reduced and an item of si9.000000 for new naval construction is struck out.
 The outbreak of the mutinous spirit in the Manchurian army is partly attributa- ble to the failure to pay and properly feed the troops. The latter problem Is especially difficult. owing to the impossi- bility of forwarding adequate provisions from Russia on account of the practical paralysis of the railroad to Siberia. com polling the purchase of supplies from China for which adequate funds are not available. The authorities have now hur- riedly forwarded $12000.0O0 to the army in Manchuria.
 Close to Boiling Point.
 The reports from the provinces indicate that the country generally remains close to the boiling point. The situation in the Caucasus Is again serious. The Tartars and Armenians are murdering each other as of yore At Elizabethpol especially. there has been savage exhibition of race hatred. At Kharoum an agent of the New York Life Insurance company, who fled, brings the story of the establishment of q republic there. He says the military forces have gone over to the revolution ists and that the latter have full pos aegsion of the city. The representa tive