Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-02-21
RUSSIAN PARLIAMENT.


Word comes from ST. Petersburg,
over Berlin that the Russian govern
ment has decided 10 issue a proclama-
ton, on the lth Of March the anniyer-
sary OF the abolition Of sorfdom, con-
veplng the zemskl sober
Students or Russian history toll us
that this IL an ancient lnet'tution OF
the country and corresponding 10 tho
representative assemblies Of other ma
tlons. The words are translated, "land
parliament" Russia. il must be re-
membcred was very early invaded and
settled by the northern viking, who
swarmed All over Europe. They brought
with them their love Of freedom and
equality and their free Institutions,
and thus It came 10 happen that the
country, very early, had a representa-
tive assembly or parliament, some-
what similar 20 the "althlng' Of he
old Norsemen But this assembly has
not been summoned 10 meet since the
time car Peter the Great, who simply
usurped an power and ignored the
people.
The zcmskI sobor we are told. was
composed Of the Boynr Council, or the
House Of Mobiles, In which also sat the
clergy, the highest administrative ofIi-
oals, the delegates Of the townsmen,
the merchants and the peogantry The
Boyars and ecclesiastical dlgnitaries
were not elected, In the provinces,
however, regular elections were held
Tho Boyar's sons-or minor nobemen
the landed propretors, the merchants,
the townsmen and the peasanls-all
voted separately for their respective
representatives The Sober met togeth-
er In one general session TO hear the
Cars opening speech After the address
by the crown the various estates met
separately and voted Independently Of
one another II must not be thought
that the zcmskl sobors were considered
IN any way as limitations Of the SUI
preme power the object Of these So
boris was rather TO support It by DELHI
eratlons advice and ratification They
had no initiative. Excepting when they
met to elect a Car. their functions
were purely delIberatlye only rarely
the Sober presented a "Tchelobitnaya"
to the Gear; literally forehead strk-
Ing petition" which was so called from
the fact that II generally commenced
with the formula, Striking our fore
heads on the steps OF thy throne"
The present evolutionary movement
In Russia appears IN new light. when
tory It is a movement to wrest from
autocracy the liberty wrongfuly taken
away from the people. 1t is generally
thought that the Russians are not pre-
pared for liberty But II progress had
not been stopped or retarded, by the
ourtalment OF the prerOgatlyes the peo-
pie anclently enjoyed, there is no rea-
son why the Russians should not now
have been as far dayanced IN self-gov-
eminent as any nation In Europe. We
notice the Gear is still appointing CONT
missions to Investigate" conditions,
and to ind out what the people want.
But this appears almost ridiculous In
view Of the fact that the zemstvo pres-
idents have already spoken for the
people, and IN view o. the other fact
that the Cars government ordered the
peaceful workmen shot down, when
they came to present their wishes to the
Car II he had wanted to know what
the people desire, why did he not listen
to them. when they came to speak to
hlm2 The Russians want representa-
tive government They want the ooun-
try opened to modern ideas, modern
civilization. They want their ancient
rights restored, and according TO APP
pCsrenceS peace viii not come until
th.v.. ast.tnpJa a ra grnnfal