The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-03-04
Historic Document is Signed Alter a Dramatic Scene
 With His Ministers
WILLING ID SHED BLOOD
 FOR TIE EMPIRE HE LOVES
Action Is Great Disappointment to ths Liberals, Who Contend That Autocracy Should Not
 Give an Inch.

St. Petersburg March 3.-In the Alex ander palace at Tsarkoe-Selo surrounded by the ministers and a few members of the court, and with the Empress at his side, Emperor Nicholas this afternoon affixed his signature to a rescript con tainlng his majestys decree to give elected representatives of the people an opportunity to express their views n the preparation of the laws of the empire.
 This Is autocracys final response to the agitation in favor of participation by the people in the goovernment which has brought Russia in the last few months almost to the brink of revolution. Its import must not be misunderstood. Fol the present at least It involves no chang. in the regime of the autocracy and il means neither a constitution nor na- tional assembly. At the same time il recognizes the principle of the peoples right to be heard regarding laws under which they must live Whatever the re- suit may be, the document is sure to mark an epoch in Russian history as important if not more important than the signing of the emancipation mani festo, the twenty-fourth anniversary of which 1t was intended to signalze.
 Ended in Dramatic Scene.
 The signing of the document came al the end of dramatic scene the climax of which was an impassioned speech by Emperor Nicholas to his ministers, in which he declared that he soughl only the welfare of his subjects.
 T am wiling" the Emperor said. ''to shed my blood for the good of my peo. pie"
 From the lips of a high parsonage who was present when the rescript was sign ed, the Associated Press is able to give the following authoritative statements
 ''The action of the Emperor today Is not step toward. but the actual grant to the people of the means whereby their duly representatives can place before his majesty their views upon every import ant measure affecting them, and recom- mended by the council of the empire. Moreover, if you will read the rescript carefully, you will see that it contains a distinct promise of something more in the future. While the beginning will not involve the surrender of the principle of autocracy now, what 1t may evolve in the future only the future can deter mine We do not expect that it will meet the wishes of radicals and extremists of any class; nothing would satisfy them but the complete overthrow of the ex- isting regime. We do hope, however, that after mature Geliberation it will meet with the approval of moderate men who are sincere well-wishers of the country.
 Was Gre e7tlv msunderstood.
 "The Emperor ha been much malgn- ed and msundcrsi ood abroad. Nobody n oin fpG ba fri fa is nd sniff bo ha endured the last few months He has been reported as indifferent to the cond- ton of his people. Nothing could be fur ther from the truth. Not only the well fire of the people, but the greatness of Russia Is his sole care For him the two are indissoluably linked For this reason. he refuses to surrender the au- tocratie power in favor of a constitution al regime. Why? Because he is con- vinced, as he virtually says in so many words fin the rescript. that the people are not prepared for popular government
 'The heterogeneous elements of the pop- ulation-Poles, Films. Tartrs. Armenlans. Mongols and other reaces-are only held together by the autocracy, whose end would mean the fall of Russia as a great state. But the Emperor recognizes tho strength arrayed against tho bureaucracy, as manifested by the addresses and me- morials voted by all classes of society,
  peoples representatives can make known directly to him their views concerning every law which the council of the empire proposes.
 Read in Every Hamlet.
 "The manifesto and the rescript must be read together. To Americans the for mer doubtless will appear as a strange mediaeval document: but 1t must be re- membered that it is the Emperors word to his people in every condition of life, scattered from the White sea to the Black sea, and from the frontiers of Ger many to the Pacific. It will be read in every church. in every hamlet of the empire. It Is a personal appeal to the people to support the government in it's hour of trial, and should be read in that light.
 ''The rescript, on the other hand, is ad- dressed to the ministers of the interior Under the Russian law only nobles have the right to address memorials to his majesty in person. all other classes must communicate through the minister of the interior. The rescript. therefore, must be regarded as his majestys reply to the vast number of addresses adopted by the zemstvos. municipalities, educational. commercial and professional associations, and even communes."
 Will Work at Details.
 Proceeding, the parsonage above quoted who probably himself will be one of those entrusted with the elaboration of the re- form scheme, explained that the details all remained to be worked out; but in general way he revealed the important fact that 1t is not the present inten- tion of the government to have represen- tatives of the different classes. nobles. zemstvos merchants, indcstrials and peasants sit together to deliberate upon laws, but that the representatives of each class will be constituted into a permanent body, electable at stated periods The Jurisdiction of each will be limited to the expression of representatives upon par ticular legislation affecting such class. Moreover, the sittings of the different (continued on Eighth Paas.l