The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-05-07
EYES TURNED
 TO RUSSIA Assembly Will Convene
 Thursday. WILL MEET AT .TAURIDE Last of Long Debate on Railway
 Rate Bill. Republicans at Last Together And Will Make Act . Party Issue--De- cision in Crapsey Reresy
Last of Long Debate on Railway
 pat. psff

Iue udtlonal asseHpiy ol rNuSSio eo
 which so many hopes for the future of | that country are pinned will be con-
 vened at the Tauride Palace in St.
 Petersburg on Thursday. May 10. Never before in the history of Rus sia has there been an assemblage which. with the sanction and approval of the government has represented | the people. It would, therefore, appear to be an experiment upon the outcome of which will depend the future of Russia.
 The national assembly or douma was granted by the Emperor August 19. 1905. and, according to the official an- nourcement lis established for the preliminary study and discussion of legislative propositions, which. accord ing to the fundamental laws go up
 through the council of the empire to
 .he supreme autocratic authority" The composition of the council of the empire, or upper house, one-half ap- pointed by the Emperor and one-half elected from the nobility and clergy, would seem sufficiently pliable to block the douma should 1t be in opposition to the crown. In the manifesto issued on March 6, 1906. was an innocent-lookins pro vision placing beyond the jul Isdiction
 of Parliament and consigning for con sideration to commissioners of the Council of the Empire and reports of the Minister of Finance, charges of
 mali lfeasance against officials of the Government, the establishment of stock
 companies with special privileges and
 questions relating to entailed estates,
 titles of nobility. etc.
 The Government retains the power to promulgate temporary laws during the recess of Parliament and as the Parliament is subject to dissolution by imperial ukase, the Government is in a position in time of stress to rid itself of any obnoxious legislator and pro- claim such laws as it deems necessary.
 Democratic Have Majority. Three hundred and seventy-one mem bers have been elected to the Assembly.
 of which the Constitutional Democrats have clear working majority. The oath to be taken by the members is We promise to perform our duties to the best of our knowledge in all loy alty to his majesty and mindful only of the welfare of Russia"
 The first and all-lmportant matter to come up will eb the agrarian prob lem. and recent despatches from St. Petersburg and seem to indicate that the government will work in accord with
 the assembly In this matter by pro-
 posing the formation of a Parliament ary Commission to eiaborte plans for ar agrarian project. This VIII practically mean the acceptance of the decision of the Constitutional Democr ats. It was first announced that the Douma would
 be opened by the Emperor. but this plan has been abandoned.
 Practically all the members of the United States Senate agree Tn predict ing that the present week will see the end of the discussion on the rail- road rate bill. There Is among the Re- publican Senators some disposition to artagonize the compromise provision for a Judicial review of the findings of | the Interstate Commerce Commission. but the fact that this provision Is ac- cepted by the conservative senatorial leaders on the one hand and by the | President on the other, renders 1t prac- tically certain that the amendment will in the end be accepted as party measure and that 1t will receive most. If not all, of the votes of the Republi- can Senators.
 It remains to be seen what effect the consolidation of the Republican party will have upon the Democratic
 Senators There is little doubt that they will criticise the course of their political antagonists. but 1t is not prob able that they will carry their oppo- sition to the extent of trying to post pone the final vote on the plll TOT any great length of time The Dem
 ocrats will probably content themselv-
 es with expressing surprise that the
 bill should be transformed into party
 measure and then after chaffing their opponents will let the votes be taken,
 each man voting according to his own personal views.
 There is no agreement among Repub- licans as to whether the billl shall
 be otherwise amended and it is proba-
 ble that a day or two will elapse be-
 fore any policy on that point can he
 determined. The consideration of the
 bill will proceed in accordance with
 the unanimous agreement, the measure
 being considered section by section and
 each section disposed of In order.
 At this time 1t seems probable that
 changes made be made giving the
 commission power to compel trunk
 lines to make connection with other