The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-20
The Zemstvo Congress at Moscow.

The proceedings OF the congress OF
zemstvos which met at Moscow on July
IS will be watched with interest by well
wishers of Russia all over the world
The gathering may fairly be described
as representative, being made up OF
delegates, not only from all the zemstvos
provincial or district assemblies), but
also from all the dumas municipal
councils) in the European provinces OF
the empire. That the delegates are men
who have the courage Of their convic-
tions is evident from the fact that they
have come together not only without
official authorization but in the teeth
of an express prohibition, issued by the
St. Petersburg Government. How far
is body composed Of such materials
likely to 60, and how long are the au-
thorities likely to refrain from suppress
ing it by force?
Ostensibly, the purpose Of the meeting
is to prepare the draft Of Constitution,
to be proposed to the Car as a substitute
for the scheme Of pretended reforms de-
vised by Minister BoULYoUINE. a scheme
repudiated by the friends Of free insti-
buttons According to correspondent
of the London Standard, the Constitution
about to be framed will follow for the
most part the lines of the draft which
was recently approved by the Moscow
municipality, and to which we have for
merly referred. That is to say, the ma
tional assembly for the establishment OF
which the Moscow congress will petition
the Car will be bicameral, the upper
house being chosen by the electoral
bodies which already possess the privi-
lege of naming delegates to zemstvos
and dumas, while the lower house will
be the product of universal suffrage.
1t remains to be seen whether the Pc
titioners will ask that the power of the
purse shall be vested exclusively in the
popular branch of Parliament, and
whether the Cars Ministers shall be &C.
countabe to the majority of that cham
Der. It is we'll known that the German
Emperor's Ministers are not responsible
to the majority Of the Reichstag, and it
is most improbable that Russian auto
crat would consent at the outset to go
step beyond the concession made by
BISMARCK to the principle Of popular
sovereignty. Some concessions, how
ever, nominally considerable, may be
made. The St. Petersburg reactionists
are experts in keeping the word of prom
Use to the ear and breaking it to the hope.
They are we'll aware that country may
possess representative institutions in
name but not in fact. Such was the ex-
perienoe of France under the Second
Empire, where the Corps Legisldtf was
a nullity during the greater part of the
reign Of NAPOLEON III.
The Car, having himself announced
in vague terms an intention Of admitting
his people to share in the Government
is naturally reluctant to ALLEVIATE many
of his most loyal subjects by resorting
to violent measures for the purpose of
preventing them from meeting and ex-
planning what sort of share they would
like to have. For that reason it was
taken for granted up to few days ago
that the Moscow authorities would not
employ the police and soldiery to enforce
the official prohibition, if the delegates
from the zemstvos and dumas should
insist upon assembling. As matter OF
fact about seventy of the 300 delegates
had reached the city by Tuesday, and no
attempt was made on that day to inter-
fere with their assertion Of right to
meet and organize congress. That
pretext for interference will be put for
ward at later date may be inferred
:ro.. report circulated on Tuesday in
st. Petersburg that large fraction of
the zemstvoists and dumaists who have
been sent to Moscow are in favor of pro-
claiming the deposition of NICHOLAS II.
and the establishment of a regency I'M
der four Grand Dukes, which should
continue during the infancy Of the pres
ent Emperor's son, ALEXIS NIKoLAIE-
WITCH. II there should prove to be any
solid foundation for this rumor we
should conclude that some influential
members of the Grand Ducal coterie
were disposedto make a scapcgoat Of