New-York tribune., 1906-05-18
REPLY TO CAR READY
DAY OF HEATED DEBATE.
Parliament asks Why Prisons Are
Full of Political Offenders.

et. Petersburg May rs. 800 a. m-sitting
Until long after o'clock this morning, the
lower house Of the national parliament set its
seal upon its first great work. the adoption OF
the address in reply to Emperor Nicholass
speech from the throne at the Winter Palace,
setting forth fhe aims and aspirations OF Rus
sia's millions.
Despite attacks both from the Right and from
the Left the leaders OF the Constitutional Demo-
cratic party held their followers together 20 the
last and the address was adopted substantially
in the form in which It was proposed by the
commission.
The amendments adopted on Wednesday and
Thursday affect important details, but do not
change the general tenor OF the document. which,
extreme as il may be in the eyes Of the autoc-
racy, falls far short Of the expectations OF the
Radicals Time after time during the three
days Of debate the extremists. with their undy-
ing hatred of the whole ancient order. launched
fiery attacks against the mildness of the various
paragraphs only TO break against the firmness
OF the restrain of the chiefs OF the party
When the discussion had been finished, the
deputies with the exhortations OF the country
20 speedy action ringing in their ears ventured
no further delay. and though they had already
been n session fourteen hours took a recess
until , O'Clock this morning for the reading and
adoption Of the final draft of the address in
opening of to-day's session.
As = running a race to see which should be
The enss to preseIt to Emperor Nicholas de-
mani fo- annesty. the Council of the Empire
also Was in session well into the early morning
ho;.rs discussing its address in reply to the
speech froIl the throne. This document. which
Is fe- simpler and more conservative than that
of ths IoNer house. proposes an amnesty which
does not include those who coupled with political
in other words. political nssassins or partici-
pants ir agra-1an excesses.
The lower houses demand for amnesty, the
Kernel and most pressing point in its address,
was altered at the last moment by the commits
sion itself, which in response to criticisms Of
Indebtedness in the expression full political
amnesty" substituted amnesty for all crimes
committed from religious or political motives
as well agrarian offences"
The commission also accepted a new clause to
meet the wishes of the discontented in the army
ana navy. asking the Emperor to revise the con-
ditions of service on the basis of right and
justice.
Most of the other amendments proposed in the
closing hours Of the debate fell by the wayside
only one out of thirty-one proposed alterations
Of the agrarian paragraph, for example, being
accepted. The discussion of this plan lasted
four hours practically every peasant in the
house taking the rostrum to voice the demands
OF HIS constituents for '1and and liberty"
The paragraph with regard to the rights of the
various nationalities was adopted without change
and practically without discussion, though IT was
expected that the Poles would demand a fuller
statement for autonomy. The only incident
touching this paragraph was a sarcastic fling
at the consideration shown the national group,
uttered by an old Russian priest. who proposed
20 satisfy the discomfort of the border nation
alities. even If the integrity and name of Russia
perish in the process
The last feature Of the debate was an ATTEMPT
by Professor Kovalevsky to introduce a declara-
ton in favor Of peace and panslavism as the
guiding principle OF the empire An amendment
commending Emperor Nicholas for his peace
manifestoes and pledging the government to
cherish the aspirations of the slavonian peoples
outside the empire was rejected
After the address OF the lower house in re-
ply 20 the speech from the throne was adopted
the House adjourned, subject to the call Of the
president
After the reading of the final draft NJ. Petra
9itsky took the rostrum and appealed for a unan-
4nous vote. Count Hayden stated that he and
ms Hlenos, though approving OF the address in
general, were unable TO vote for certain details
so would withdraw, that opposing voice
might be heard. He then left the hall followed
by fiEe members. The address was tbere,Y,oo
unanimously adopted.
President Mouromtsef was Instructed tn re-
Today II possible. On his visit to the EMPEROR
Fresldeht Mouromtsef viii be accompanied NV
ssNetai members OF the commission which draft
ed the address
Before the Lower House took a recess Presi-
cent Mourontsen read from the chair two in
teIpellauons, addressed to the Minister of the
inferior, and signed 10y the requisite thirty dep
otes which probably viii form the first order
OF business to-day.
Inc nrst Interpolation refers to participation
by the police in the work Of melting one norton
o. the population against the other, and to the
discovery that infiammatory ploclamations had
Deen printed in the printing Office of the Min
istry Of the Interior, and asks what steps have
been taken for the punishment of the guilty.
parties e''
The second is as follows: Docs the Minister
OF the Interior know that the prisons are still
1ull Of political Offenders, whose treatment is
such as 10 force them to hunger strikes for re-
The House added to the paragraph Of the ad-
ofess dealing with the agrarian question
single amendment, including the ecclesiastical do
mains in the list Of properties subject to expro
priatioa.
NADIA ETTmTnnSTO7VA