The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-20

over, the Increase In the amount OF inc
New York deposits last year was more
then eight times the aggregate increase
in the British savings banks, post office
and trustee, between 1902 and 1908.
VIII tho Gar Heed the Warning?
Terror shattered the nerves but could
not break the will of ALEXANDRA III.
Tho repeated attempts to kill him merely
stiffened his determination 70 pursue
reactionary policy. His son, the reigning
Car, is Of far more impressionable and
ductile temperament He ia, from many
points OF view, the counterpart OF LOUIS
XVI. We therefore regard Us credible
the telegram from St. Petersburg to the
effect that since the assassination OF the
Grand Duke SERIOUS he is inclined 70
concillate the Liberals by convoking the
historical assembly known as tho Zemski
Sober, and it is even asserted that the
committee OF Ministers to whom the
matter was referred has decided that the
oonvocation shall be issued on March 4,
the anniversary OF ALEXANDER lis abo-
lition OF serfdom.
Aside from the personal traits that rem
der the present Russian sovereign pecu-
liarly amenable to pressure, there are two
obvious reasons for concluding that his
impulse TO seek safety in concession will
this time DO carried out. or all the MEM
bers of the Grand Ducal coterle, the man
put TO death in Moscow was VIGOROUSLY
the most infexible and vehement reac-
ZIONIST He is also known to have eIer-
cised much more influence than any
other relative upon his nephew's mind.
1t is for this reason that loyal Liberals
have denounced him as the evil genius
OF the dynasty. Henoeforth their efforts
to secure representative institutions will
no longer encounter the opponent who
has hitherto brought them to naught.
This OF itself is an immense gain for the
cause of constitutional government.
No doubt the Grand Duke VLADIMIR
and the Grand Duke ALEXIS are bitterly
hostile to reforms, but they lack the
asoendency which the murdered man
possessed Moreover, they have the
strongest conceivable motive for with
drawing into the background and de-
hitting their resistance TO a mitigation of
the autocratic system All that a man
has will he give for his life, even his politi-
cal convictions, and there il no reason
TO believe that either of the Grand Dukes
mentioned has any desire to be the next
victim OF assassination. The Grand
Duke VLADIMIR in particular is aware
that his name figures on the list of the con-
demned which after the st. Petersburg
massacre was published in Switzerland
by the international committee OF the
revolutionary party-a list that was sub
sequently placarded In the Russian cap
ital. He knows, too, that nothing can
avert the execution OF the sentence. see
ing that the designated executioners are
themselves eager and willing TO face
death Protection cannot even be as
sured by perpetual immurement within
the depths Of guarded palace, for the
threatening missives OF his enemies have
been found by the bedside of Gear.
We deem it therefore probable enough
that the Grand Ducal coterie has receded
from the unoompromising position which
it took under the lead of SERIOUS, and
that II now advises the Emperor to sum-
mon forthwith the historical assembly.
1t becomes therefore a matter of inter-
est to recall some OF the features OF this
body, the Zemski Sober, which has not
been suffered to meet for more than
two hundred and fifty years When it
met for the last time, in the early part of
theseventeenth century, tperforrned one
great act Of sovereignty, for it formally
conferred the title OF Car on MICHAEL
RoMANoFr, who had otherwise no valid
claim TO the succession OF RURIK, but who
was the choice Of the faction Of mobiles
and clergy that for the moment hap
pened to be dominant. Aside from this
one performance of function theoreti-
cally supreme, the Zemski Sober, or
Muscovite Diet, had never ventured TO
assert even 80 much political power as
the French States-General once OF twice
essayed 70 exercise. II was a oonsulta-
tive, not law making, body. 1t did not
have the power of the purse, for although
il could vote new taxes or donations, it
could not curtail or suspend the imposts
that had been customarily paid, nor
could il forbid the autocrat to levy new
ones at his pleasure. Moreover, as the
zemski Sober could only be convoked
by the sovereign, 80 il could be at any
moment prorogued or dissolved by the
same authority. This was true Of the
French States-General also, and for that
reason some advisers Of LOUIS XVI.
assumed that he might with impunity
summon them 10 meet in Versailles.
The outcome Of that summons is we'll
known. but the result would have been
very different il the convention, which
additionally had sat as three separate
orders or eetates-the mobiles, the clergy.
and the tiers-etdt or bursesscs, had not
been transformed into unicameral
assembly. VIII the Zemski Sober under
60 a like transformation? At prev-
Gus meetings IL has been distributed.