The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-05-09
EARLY CONFLICT
IS NOW EMINENT

ST. Petersburg, May S.-The danger of
an early conflict between the govern
ment and parliament has been greatly in
creased by what has happened within the
last twenty-four hours. The good impress
sion produced by the official intimation
of the new premier that the Emperor and
the government were sincerely desirious
of working in harmony with parliament,
which was accepted in good faith by the
leaders of the constitutional democrats.
enabling them to council moderation has
largely been dissipated and in its place.
the old feeling of mistrust has been re-
vived The Liberals are utterly dumb
founded in view of the seml-official as
surances on the subject by the unex-
pected PRONUNCIATION late last night OF the
obnoxious fundamental law in slightly
modified form. At one stroke 1t put an
end to the claim which the new eabl-
net tried to foster, namely, that the
downfall of the Witte cabinet was due
to imperial disapproyal of the original
draft of the law. An article in the law
not mentioned in last nights dispatches
exempting crown lands from taxation and
ex-appropriation and another reserYlng
the power of amnesty for political pris-
oners to the Emperor or run counter to
the already expressed will of the ma
jorty and are bound to produce a clash
The only commendable new feature of
the fundamental law is a provision to
the effect that imperial orders must be
counterslgned by the president of the
council of ministers or the MEMBER OF
the cabinet whose department is affected.
But so long as the cabinet is not respon-
slble to parliament 1t is easy for the Elm
peror to dismiss an unwilling minister
and replace him by one who will do his
bidding.
The Indignation aroused by the Emper-
or's attempt to build an artificial dyke
around the prerogatives of the crown has
been intensified by the action of the police
last night In dispensing meeting of some
members in the lower parliament and OF
the upper house or new council of the
empire at the hall of the Economical
society. Without any warning the build
ing was surrounded by the 1smailoysky
guard regiment and a detachment OF cav
airy and hundred policemen marched
into the hall where Count Heyden, IL
marshal Of the nobility and a member of
parliament for st. Petersburg, was presid-
ing, and ordered the meeting to dispense
under instructions from the chief of po-
lice. In spite of vigorous protests that
the meeting was enirely legal under he
regulations governing the society the
members of parliament were compelled to
yield to force and left the hall.
NJ Rodltchieff hurried after midnight to
the hall where the constitutional demo-
Gratis were holding their convention and
announced to the members there assem-
bled the action taken by the police. An
indescrible scene of fury followed after
which NJ. Rodichief In speech which
was cheered to the echo. declared that
the governments appeal for confidence
had again been false and the police must
rely upon themselves. 1t was decided that
one of the first things after the assem-
bling of parliament would be a demand for
the dismissal of the chief of police. As
these incidents were not sufficient to ex-
cite the members of parliament the local
authorities with a fatutous genius for
laundering inflamed the working classes
yesterday Without warning they ordered
many of the leaders of the workmen to
leave. They We're not even given time to
remove their families. The matter was
brought to the meeting of 122 peasant
worlSmen members of parliament who de-
nounced it as an attempt on the part of
the government to bring about strike
on the evening of the assembling of par
lament for the purpose of provoking a
struggle and under cover of the disorder
to dissolve parliament.