Los Angeles herald., 1905-06-07
TREPOFF FORMS
LEADING TOPIC
RUSSIAN PRESS DAZED AT THE
OUTLOOK
BREADS REPRESSION POLICY
II Is Believed, However, the Car Will
Issue Manifest Creating Legis-
lative Assembly Composed
of Two Houses
BY Associated Press.

BY Associated Press.
ST. PETERSBURG, June 6.-The de-
tails of the epoch-making battle of the
Sea of Japan which are drifting in
through the foreign press. and even the
question of peace or war are almost
ignored in contemplation of the more
absorbing internal situation created by
the sudden elevation of Governor Cen
eral Trepoff to the office of assistant
minister of the interior, making him
virtually dictator with the dark vision
ahead of a policy of reaction and re-
preston. Yet the Associated Press was
informed on high authority today that
Trepoff's appointment only tells half
the story and that there is a brighter
side to the picture.
AS intimated in these dispatches last
night 1t will come in the shape of an
imperial manifesto, which will possibly
be issued tomorrow, the empress birth
day, or on Thursday, the Festival of the
Ascension, and will Immediately realize
the popular demand for parlamen-
tary regime by creating a legislative
Assembly COnSlSllllR VI lNO llOlStSs lAt
lower house has been called the gosu-
darstvennaia douma Imperial douma)
and the upper house gosudarstvennaia
SOVIET or the present council of the en-
pire. While the upper house will enjoy
the preponderance and power, the lower
house will also have legislative func-
tions and the right to interpellate min
listers, the plan also involving the re-
sponsibility of ministers.
Delays in the elaboration of the ma
chinery of election will be obviated by
the employment of the law of 1864,
under which land owners and property
owners in the cities and villages, in
cluding peasants, elect representatives
to the zemstvos, which in effect places
representation on a property basis. The
emperor retains complete contrl of the
legislative assembly, with the right of
veto and power to dissolve assemblies
and order new elections.
The assembly will be presided over by
a member of the emperor's choosing.
Members of the assembly will be elect
ed for three years. Ministers and chiefs
of bureaus will be members eX-officio
of the legislative assembly. Should the
above information prove accurate, as
there is every reason to believe it is,
the prediction of the liberals at the
opening of the war that the emperor
of Japan would give a constitution to
Russia appears about to be realized.
But if the iron hand of Trepoff is to
be gloved in velvet, it is extremely un-
fortunate that the Russian emperor did
not couple Trepoff's appointment with
the issuing of the manifesto, as its an
nouncement, unaccompanied by any
palliative, has created something like
public CONSERVATION.
The press seems dazed. Most of the
papers are una BILE to understand fully
what it means, and refrain altogether
from comment. but those who speak
do so in a strain of the gloOmiest fore
bodngs, seeing in the appointment
the bowling down once more of the
Russian people under the calling yoke
of the police. The Slovo asks: rs it
possible that the convocation Of a pop
ular assembly will be delayed and that
a new and heavier police will be
used to stihe the peoples protest? For
the government to attempt to rule
through the police alone win spell ruin
and its inevitable consequences will be
popular revolt bloody strife and civil
war. Possibly this is only a nightmare,
q horrid dream, but if so the govern
ment must forthwith dispel the doubts
regarding its intentions concerning the
convocation of a national assembly"
Emperor Nicholas, according TO re-
port, has returned the resignation of
Interior Minister Bouligan, having de-
cined TO accept it. M. Bouligan tells
his friends that. with the power con-
ferred on General Trepoff as assistant
minister of the interior, his position is
absolutely untenable.