Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-06
Plans Behind the Elevation of
Governor General Trepof.
TO BE A BRIGHTER SIDE
IMPERIAL MANIFESTO TO REAL
IzE DEMAND FOR NEW REGIME
Will Be Issued Shortly and Will Create
a Legislative Assembly Consist
ing of Two Houses.

ST. PETERSBURG June 6.-The details of
the epoch making battle of the Sea of ia
pan, which are drifting in here through the
foreign press, and even the question of
peace or war, are almost ignored in con-
temptation of the more absorbing internal
situation created by the sudden elevation
of Governor General Trepoff to the office
of assistant minister of the interior, max
ing him virtually dictator. with the dark
vision of a policy of reaction and repres-
sion.
Yet the Associated Press was informed
on high authority today that Trepoff-s ap-
pontment only tells half the story and
that there is brighter side to the picture
AS intimated in these dispatches last night
it will come in the shape of an imperial
manifeto, which will possibly be issued
tomorrow. the empress birthday, or on
Thursday, the festival of the ascension and
Will Immediately realize the popular de-
mand for parliamentary regime by
creating a legislative assembly consisting
OF two houses.
The lower house will be called the gosu-
darstvennaia duma, imperial duma'' and
the upper house gosudarstvennaia SOVIET
or the present council of the empire. While
the upper house will enjoy the preponder-
ance of power. the lower house will also
nave legislative functions and the right to
lnterpellate ministers, the plan also invoiv-
ih5 liie Responsibility OF ministers. Delays
IN the elaboration of the machinery of
election will be obviated by the employment
OF the Law of 1864 under which land own
ers and property owners in the cities and
villages, including peasants, elect represen-
tatfves to the zemstvos, which in effect
places representation on a property basis
The emperor retains complete control of
the legislative assembly, with the right of
veto and power to dissolve assemblies and
order new elections.
PraSidanf rhAcax,
The assembly. will be presided over by a
member OF the emperors choosing Mem
bers of the assembly will be elected for
three years Ministers and chiefs of bu-
reaus Will be members ex oficio of the
legislative assembly.
Should the above information prove ac-
curate, as there is every reason to believe
1t is, the prediction of the liberals at the
opening Of the war that the Emperor
of Japan would give a constitution to
Russia appears about to be realized But
If the iron hand of Trepoff is to be gloved
in velvet 1t is extremely unfortunate that
the Russian emperor did not couple Ire
poff's appointment with the issuing of
the manifesto, as the announcement of the
former with no palliative has created
something like public CONSERVATION.
The press seems daZed. Most of the
papers are unable to fully understand
what it means and refrain altogether from
comment, but those which speak do so in
a strain Of the gloomiest forebodngs, see
ing in the appointment that the Russian
people have again bowed down under the
CALLING yoke of the police. The Slovo
asks:
rs 1t possible that the convocation of
a popular assembly will be dropped and
that a new and heavier police regime will
be used to stifle the peoples protest? For
the government to attempt to rule through
the police alone will spell ruin and it's in
evitable consequences-a popular revolt
bloody strife and civil war. Possibly this
is only a nightmare, horrid dream, but
if SO the government must forthwith dis
pei the doubts regarding it's intentions
concerning the convocation of national
assembly"