The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-08-06
PRUSSIA AT THE
DAWN OF NEW ERA
Representative Assembly Sure to Be
Summoned.
GRAND DUKES ARE LIBERAL
GAR ALSO ON THE SIDE or
PROGRESS AND REFORM.

After months of preparation and
anxious waiting the project for a new
popular representative assembly, an
innovation to the Russian political sys-
tenn of greater importance than the
emancipation Of the peasantry or the
establishment of zemstvos an the Cos. ia
now undergoing final revision and its
completion and PRONUNCIATION are
thought to be a matter OF days only.
The emperor, it is well known, hopes
to signaIize the first birthday o. the
infant heir apparent by a manifesto
summoning the representatives Of the
people, and during the long meetings OF
the commission at Reterhof last week
ne has driven the work of revision as
fast as it was possible, in order to have
IL finished before August L.
Extent of the Work Unknown.
The nature of the future assembly
cannot be stated with exactuesR until
the labors OF the commission are fin-
tshed and Emperor Nicholas sets the
seal of his approval on the work. But
IL is understood the councillors thus
far have recommended no sweeping
changes in the project as il came from
the hands of the council of ministers,
The reactionaries at yesterdays SAs-
sion OF the commission at Peterhof
lection or alteration of two important
provisions of the project, but the septi-
ment of the commission and the wishes
of the emperor and OF the grand dukes I
prevented any step backward, II
At the previous sessions the em-
perOr's advisers continued to discuss
the needs of the country with remark
able franl<ness-
Conflict on Paragraph ~.
The article over which the main con-
fict arose comprised paragraph AZ OF
the project, providing that the assem-
hly's rejection of any proposition sub
United TO II by a two-thirds majority 10
absolutely final. with no recourse what
ever. NJ, Stichinsky, a noted reaction
list senator. assailed the paragraph and
pointed out its wide limitations TO the
autacracy OF the emperor, and General
frepotf, assistant minister OF the In
terror, In a strongly worded address
declared that such limitations were i'm
peratively needed by the country and
the people, The paragraph was then
passed unanimously.
Another debate arose over the pro-
vision for the admission of representa-
tivss of the press at sessions of the as
seinbly and the publication OF the pro-
ceedings. but this was also adopted
after General TTepoff and Grand Duke
Vladimir had spoken In favor of the
fullest publicity,
Imperial Family Liberal.
The discussions at Peterhof gave
color TO a current report that Emperor
Nicholas and the grand dukes appear
TO be the most liberal minded and the
most truly anxious for reform among
the members of the conferences. a
rescript addressed to Minister of the
Interior Bouiigan directing him TO pre-
pare plans for the assembling of repre-
sentatives Of the people was issued
March g. and the work has been steadily
in progress during the Intervening five
months.f While the emancipation code
of 1851, the magma charta of the RUS
sian peasants. and the zemStyO ukase
OF 1864 freed the serfs and established
local self administration, they gave the
Russian subject no share in the inn
peftai government. The cOnvocation OF
a legislative assembly VIII give him his
fiTst political rights,
Completed. the project will fail short
Of the expectations OF the more ex-
IRENE liberals, who will be satisfied
with nothing less than a constitution
or the new zeal and model and viii be
chiefly unpleasant TO the school OF Po-
bedonstseff and to the reactionary
league OF Russian PATRIOTS" but the
great mass OF people is manifesting a
disposition TO accept the concessions
Of the autocracy In goOd faith being
confident that the faults Of the sys-
tenn will remedy themselves by prae-
tice.
Ceunseied Not TO Sulk.
Such men as Prince Troubetzkoy.
president OF ths Moscow ZemstVo: NJ
Niikitin, president of the St. Petersburg
douma; NJ. Shipof, former president
Of the Moscow zemstVo, and other lead
ers in the zemstvo movement, though
anxious for d body with further pow
ers, are counseling their followers not
TO suik at the limitations or the pro-
1ect, but 10 endeaVor to make the first
md oh
the way for a nearer approach to par
lfamentary government.
The absence OF a provision for uni
Yersal direct and secret suffrage I'M
doubleday viii cause complaint from
political theorists; but the decision OF
the Bouligan commission and the coun-
ell OF ministers in favor OF indirect
representation seems to be based not
on desire to make the assembly UNI
representative. but on the belief that
some intermediate step is necessary to
enable the masses OF the uneducated !
TO choose their representatives wisely
This view is shared by strong party
OF zemstvos Who are opposed TO the
system OF direct voting, and who I'm
congress at Moscow fought a provi-
sion for a zemstvo proJect with direct
representation.
Crown Not Protected.
The chief defect of the project, as an
alyzed by member OF the council OF
the empire, Is It's lack OF any adequate
guarantee to protect the crown against
encroachments by the assembly.
The present project said he. "is
not constitution with a balance OF
power such as is evolved by your con-
stituent maker.
The project creates an assembly
ana defines Its power, but frames 1t,
IA It's anxiety 10 avoid alIusion to tf1e
limitations OF Rutocfacy or to admit
that the creation OF the assembly came
otherwise than as the favor OF the inn
periaI viii and fails 10 provide for the
mutual covenant based on the respec-
tive rights OF the emperor and the peo-
pie or for defense against the gradual
OF SUDDEN sappinS away of any or al
or the powers OF the emperor by the
assembly whenever IL feels strong
enough TO do So"
$lo0 Reward, 500.