New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-09-10
PRINCE FOLLOWS CAR.
Montenegro to Haze National As
sembly and Freedom of Press.


Prince Nicholas of Montenegro whom the late
| Gar on one memorable occasion described as the
only friend of Russia, is reported to have within
the last few weeks surprised his subjects nv an
nouncing his decision to grant them a constitution
and to convoke national assembly, for the be-
| ginning OF December next to which the accounts
of national revenue and expenditure are TO be sub
mitted. The proclamation notifying the Monte
negrins Of this royal favor in for them like
wise intates that the prince has resolved to issue
| law assuring the freedom of the press SO as to
enable the latter to tell the truth, and only the
| truth"
| There is 9 certain amount of hurnor about this
latter announcement, the prince not only owns
| and publishes, but likewise himself writes the
greater portion of the only newspapers weekly
| one-appearing in his dominions, and there is no
record of his ever having heretofore made use of
his prerogative as monarch to interfere with his
| freedom OF utterance as newspaper editor.
Moreover, II is little bit difficult to understand
what the prince by his determination TO
grant his people constitution. for Montenegro has
! constitution. granted by the late Prince Dano in
| 1852. which was amended by the same prince IN
1856, and still further revised and improved by his
nephew and successor. the present Prince Nicholas
| just quarter Of century ago. According this
national constitution, the legislative authority is
| vested in national council. consisting of eight
members four of whom are nominated by the
prince and the ether four elected by abitants
all those bearing or having borne arms being quail
| ihed to vote
Possibly and probably the prince intends that
this council of State shall in future constitute
species of Senate upper house. and that the a
| tionai assembly shall be composed of duly
elected representative from each Of eighty mill
tary districts into which the princpality some
| what patriarchally divided.
| That the Prince should be ready to submit bud
| gets of revenue and expenditure to this a
| tional assembly is remarkable concession. For
until he has had sole and irresponsible control
| OF the revenues of the principally amounting to
about 100000 year, derived from land ami cattle
taxes. salt. petroleum and tobacco rnonopoles and
customs duties besides about $500 900 year in sub
| sides from the Russian government, and about
| $4,000 year from Austria Just what becomes of
| this money has always until now been matter of
speculation. For the Prince, though q genial old
gentleman OF most majestic stature and presence,
4! is inveterate gambler and always in straitened
circumstances. white the national treasury is
continually empty that the Prince is constantly
obliged 70 appeal for financial assistance the
| court OF St. Petersburg. OF late there have been
persistent of disafection among his sub
jects in consequence of his disposition TO increase
the taxes and TO convert into cash stores of grain
and foodstuhs sent by the Gar for the relief OF
the misery which prevails in the prtncipality.
1t is perhaps for this reason that the Prince is
granting national assembly. controlling. any
rate supervising, national revenue and expenditure,
and he probably hopes that this will encourage his
people TO subscribe 10 the new national bank OF
Montenegro, which he has Just founded at cettinje
| the first institution Of its kind in Montenegro So
| far there has not been eny great rush the
part Of the Montenegrns TO take stock in the bank
| which is viewed locally with good deal of sus-
pcion another scheme the part OF the
Prince to money from his subjects, and mas
much as he is the principal stockholder, the presi
dent, treasurer and in fact the absolute controller
OF the bank, they are in measure justified in their
apprehension that in confdtng their savings TO the
bank they VIII merely be putting them into the
| Princes pocket
CHILDHOOD SPENT IN POVERTY.
| Although the Prince is now connected through the
| marriage of his children with most OF the reigning
| houses OF Europe. is recognized an indepen-
| dent sovereign. and has been received in state as
! such at the principal courts OF Europe. yet his
childhood was spent IN the utmost poverty, and in
| the hurnblest circumstances. True, his father was
the Younger brother of the late Prince Of Monte
| negro But that did mean much in those days,
and he was so poor that he was wont to drive his
own cattle 70 nlarke: Antivari. while his wife,
! Stana mother of Prince Nicholas had her hands
| hardened by toll and her shoulders bent by the
| heavy burdens which she, like other women Of
| Montenegro, had been compelled 10 bear For IN
| times gone by, and until about twenty-five years
ago. the women of Montenegro, though renowned
! for their beauty. used by the men Of the
country as little better beasts OF burden. and
| one of the greatest services which the present
| Prince has rendered to Montenegro has been tho
| Improvement which he has brought about in the
condition of the fair The Princes own daugh-
tiers have never known the extreme poverty OF their
! fathers early youth, and OF their grardnother,
having been brought up at the court Of St Peters
b,-s ~ the expense and under the direction Of the
| now widowed Czarina. and are most accomplished
/ women.