The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-12-14
 A IN LIVONIA Provisional Government is
 Set Up. TROOPS DESERT THE GEAR Soldiers Go Over to the In- SurreciionistS. Fort Commanding the Harsor of Riga in Their Hands. and omcials Are Prisoners-Count witte Talks.

St. Petersburg, Tuesday. via Helsing- fors and Berlln, Dec. fS.--Two mes sengers who arrived here from Riga to- day, having walked about l3o miies to catch a train at Flock not oniy connrm the report that a provisional govern meut has been set up in Livonias put they say that many or the troops nave gone over to the insnrrecttonists.
 Dvina Fort. commanding Riga har- bor. is In their possession and the Gov crnor and other Russian officials are prisoners. The messengers add that the provisional Government exercises authority throughout Livonia and part of Courtland.
 The new government has declared the separatiou of the lithuanian people from the Russian Empire They have chosen new local officials and have de- creed the closing of the spirit shops and breweries and the annulment of contracts between the peasants and land owners. There is a general up rising of the native peasants who are travelling In armed bands attacking the estates and driving off or killing their owners.
 Some of the land owners have organ ized volunteer battalions to protect their property as the authorities are powerless to afford aid but the ma jority are fleeing In terror. The peas ants forbid the owners to sell grain or | lumber and formally declare that the | forests and estates of those who have departed will be confiscated
 | Peasants in Deplorabfe Condition. The position of the peasants in these provinces has been the most deplorable of any In the entire empire. Condi- l tions almost approaching, those of the I feudal system have been continued down to the present time and practical | iy have kept the peasants in a state of | SHsn unIo w4Vo .ass~ Al. l of the German barons from whom they rent land and purchase the right to cut wood and tish in the waters of the gulf
 l The Russian officials are being ex- 1 pelled from the provinces and many oi them have been killed in the streets Of the town There As a reign of ter TOT at Riga, Women and children ars living in the upper stories of houses and foreign merchants are winding UT 1 their business or abandoning every thing in order to escape.
 | It is doubtful whether the promise of local self government contained in today imperial ukase will have much effect, at least for the present but il | furnishes ample proof that the gov l ernment realizes 1t is helpless to ro- store order without granting heavy concessions. The partial concessions | granted to the people of the Baltic provinces are bound to encourage the Poles. Georgians and other border l peoples.
 Little is known of General Sollogub who it is reported will be appo.nteo | governor general of the Baltic prov inces, but he Is said to be a man oi energy with fairly liberal ideas. The Bourse again weakened on re. i ports of commercial failures every. where in the provinces and also ir ] sympathy with the extreme panicky condition of the Moscow exchange.
 Runs on Savings Banks.
 Runs on the savings banks contiu' ued The Almary, private bank cap, Italizcd at $5O,000, has closed it's door, being the first bank failure in St Petersburg. The state bank in ordel to reassure public opinion opened two additional windows to accommodat, the frightened holders of paper whS desired to exchange it for gold.
 The League of Leagues has issued an address declaring that the recen acts of the government proved 1t wal attempting to suppress the emancipa
 litical freedom could only be obtained
 by an armed struggle in which al
 progressive elements were invited t,
 join.
 The Nasha Shisn claims to be In pos
 session of information to the effect tha
 at conAerence or grand oukeS aut
 court officials held at TsarskoeSelo 1
 was decided that Count itte had prov
 ed failure and that the time had ar
 rived for the adoption of firm meas
 ures which could be emeployed witi
 less opposition under a man like Prime,
 Sviatopolk- -Mirsky. former minister O
 the interior. The paper declares tha
 a further conference will be held to
 morrow at which Count Witte will no
 be present. It Is reported that Prime
 John oboIensky, former governor gen eral of Finland will succeed NJ. Durnov,
 as minister of the interior.