The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-01-26
ALL POWER IN RUSSIA
 UNITED IN THE EMPEROR

Petersburg, Moscow and Kiev), the Arch bishop of Georgia (Cauoasus) and several bishops sitting in turn. All of It's de- eislons run in the Emperor's name, and have no force until approved by him.
 The fourth board of government Is the committed of ministers. It consists or all the ministers, fourteen In number. Be- sides these. five grand dukes and many functionaries. chiefly former ministers. form part of the committed.
 The empire Is divided into 7S govern ments, 1s provinces and 7ss districts. At the head of each general government Is a governor general, the representative of the Emperor, with large powers.
 The Russian Empire comprises one un- der the rule of the Rurio dynasty. Feodor l., the last of the Rurics, was assassin ated, and that gave the Romanoffs the chance they had long sought.
 Michael Fedorovitz reigned until his death in 1882, ard was succeeded by Ivan and Peter L, who came to be known in history as Peter the Great. Seven years later Peter became the sole sovereign. At the time of his death, in 1725, the Russian court was divided Into two powerful parties The one demanded that the crown should go to Peter, the son Of Alexis, brother of Peter the Great, who had been put to death by his own brothers decree. The other faction called for the crowning of Catherine, the widow Of Peter the Great.
 The latter finally triumphed, but her reign was a brief one. for she died with in two years. Before her death she nom- mated Peter, the son of Alexis to be her successor. In 179o he was deposed and the crown given to Anne of Courland, daugh- ter of Peter the Great and Catherine. Peter IT. was, In fact, the last of the Romanoffs for the male line, became ex- tinot with his death, but the name was preserved though the accession of Anne of Courland, who was the mother of the un- fortunate Peter III.
 Peter IT., was dethroned and assassin ated in 1762. He was succeeded by his widow, Catherin II. She reigned until 1796. On her death in that year she was succeeded by Paul. who became a maniac( anG was assasinated in 1901. Alexander l. was crowned, and his reign continued un- ] til his death, in 1895 The next in the line of accession was Nicholas I. For thirty years he ruled over the Russians. and saw one of the stormiest of all periods of the country's history. He was succeeded by Alexander II. in 1855.
 The reign of Alexander II. was full of vicissitudes The Nihilists had become em- boldened by centuries of misrule and ty- ranny, and throughout his reign they were plotting his death. In 1880 a dyna- mite bomb was exploded under the royal dining room, and the only reason the Czar and all the royal family were not killed was because they happened to be few minutes later than usual for din- ner.
 year later Alexander II. was assas- | sinated. A Nihilist threw bomb under his carriage, tearing him to pieces. His | successor, Alexander III. was marked by the Nihilists several times for assassina- ton, but all of their plots failed. Many of them were sent to the mines of Siberia for life and others put to death.
 The present Czar came to the throne in 1894 Nicholas II. Is the eldest son of | Alexander III. He was born in 1868. Just 1 twenty-six days after he was crowned l Czar of all the Russians he welded | Princess Alix of Hesse Only few months ago a son and heir was born to l the reignng family amid great popular l rejoicing.