The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-08-08
ASSEMBLY OF
 CARS FOLK Coming National Gathering
 and Its Aims. THE BOULIGAN PROJECT Details of Famous Plan to Be
 Fol wed. Russian Statesman, Familiar with the status of Political Affairs, Says
 Liberality Will Be
THE BOULIGAN PROJECT

St. Petersburg. Aug. 7-The previous impression that the discussion of the project for a national assembly is be- ing conducted in a spirit of liberality and broad-mindedness at the sessions at Peterhof was confirmed today in an interview with a Russian statesman who is taking part In the deliberations and who is familiar with the evolution of the assembly idea since the issuance of the imperial rescript March 3.
 Asked If it were true that the pro- ject was undergoing wide changes In the present conference, he replied that the popular impression as to the extent of the alterations made both by the Council of Ministers and the present commission was exaggerated. The main lines of the Bouligan report re- mained unbroken because they con- formed to the conditions laid down In the manifesto of March B.
 '"The first line on which the new project rests" said the official, reply ing to a question as to the lines along which the purposes of the project were developed. lis a legacy for history. National representation in Russia Is nothing new. for the emperors in times past often summoned persons familiar with local conditions to discuss na- tional affairs. It is the imperial will that this condition should be given per manency and established in the form of the Council, composed of two ele- ments-the first of men in the service of the state, appointed by the govern : ment, namely, the present council Of the empire: and the second of worthy local representatives. selected by the people. Both clements Atre intended to be on an equal footing.
 "rhe second base Is the consultative k. oF he nof ftCfna finr nf rem resentatives of the people in the soiv- ing of national problems. the Emper- or's wish being to provide a deliber- ative and not a legislative body.
 "As a third principle, it may be said that 1t is not the aim to drag the coun- try into petty politics, such as Is seen In western nations. but, to call it to par ticipate in the difsicult labor of national iegislation only.
 The Framers' Motto.
 'The practical character of the future assembly Is out of its important fea- lures and the motto of the framers. Not a Reform, But Reforms.' is recognized
 The Bouligan project was not with out defects The framers. for instance did not equalize the rights of the two clements of representation and did not endow the douma with the same rights as the Council of the Empire. The ob- feet of the present deliberations at Pe- tershof Is to equalize the powers of the two component parts and 1t Is more than probable that the inequalities will be rectified Certain rules of proce- dure in the assembly must be revised fin order to secure efficiency and politi- cal soundness Among others, 1t Is pro- posed to obviate much of the red tape hampering the introduction of bills In the house and the unwieldly methods of interpellating ministers. These have been the subject of criticisms at Peter hof The nature of the suffrage is one of the main reasons why the project Ia again being revised at Peterhof.'
 Asked whether the questions of peace or war would be submitted to the pro- posed assembly. the official said:
 While the aim Is to give the repre- sentatives of the people equal powers with those of the Council of the Empire there is no idea of giving them greater power. In an autocratic country 1t Is impossible to give the subjects the right of deciding all-important ques- tions, but the absolute monarch can ad. dress himself to any subject for counsel thereon, and he certainly could to a chosen body. This was done in 18sl when the Council of State was called In regard to the war with Turkey" "