The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-16

IN court carriages, his ticket received only
eighty votes.
Could anything more closely prove the
frail hold of the Government upon the
people? And it must be remembered
that they do not have universal suffrage
in the cities, but a property qualification
which excludes the poorest Of the people,
the very ones who have most reason to de-
sire popular Government.
The second proof OF the feeling against
the Government is to be found in the una
nimity with which the Duma opposes the
position taken by the Government through
the Ministry. While the Members Of the
Duma are divided among themselves on
many questions, they act az one man in
their opposition to the Governments policy
in so far as that policy has been outlined
In fact, the tension has been so great that
l was afraid the body might be dissolved
by imperial order before we could reach
st. Petersburg.
THE A or AN EMPREss's FAvoRITE.
The sessions of the Duma are held in a
palace built by Catherine the Great for one
Of her favorites, Gen. Potemkin. 1t is a
commodious building and has been remod-
elled 70 meet present needs.
The largest room, extending the entire
width otthe building, was moe the ballroom
and some notable entertainments have been
given in entertainments calling for a
lavish expenditure and attended only by the
nobility. Now the room serves az a lobby,
and peasant representatives, wearing the
usual blouse and top boots, stride through
it going to and from sessions.
IL anAeI.. .,-. 4 A. iii -
ample dining rooms, where the members
OF the Duma and the press may secure meals
at very moderate rates. The assembly hall
Is large enough to accommodate the 45O
members, but Is badly lighted.
The windows are all back Of the Speakers
platform, so that the members ait with their
faces toward the light. 1t would be much
better If the light came from above, but it
Ia really surprising that the accommoda-
tons are as satisfactory as they are, con-
sidering the short time the workmen had
to make the necessary changes.
Back of the President il a life sized paint
ing of the Gar in uniform; on the left is a
box occupied by the Ministers when present
and beyond the Ministers il a etill larger
enclosure occupied by the representatives
of the foreign press. To the right of the
president are seats for members Of the
Council Of Empire who may be in attend
ance, and beyond them the enclosure oc-
cupied by representatives of the Russian
press.
LIKE y OTHER PARLIAMENT.
just in front and a little below the presi-
dents desi, is the rostrum from which the
members of the Duma address the assembly
and just below this rostrum is the reporters
table, where the stenog raphers take down
the proceedings. Besides the rooms al
really mentioned there are COMMITTEES
rooms, cloak rooms, rooms for the home
press and for the foreign press, &c.
In a word. the Duma building looks
very much like an American Legislature
or a European Parliament "A likeness still
further emphasized by the presence Of
men and women clerks, doork eepers, pages
and spectators. One thing only was out
of harmony with a legislative body and
that was a company Of soldiers stationed
in a wing of the building az if in anticipa-
ton Of possible trouble
We we're present at two sessions of the
Duma and found them intensely interest
ing. The morning session is at present