The San Francisco call., 1906-05-07
MEMBERS OF SLAv
PARLIAMENT GATHER
FOR FIRST meeting
Inauguration of the Douma Will Occur
on Thursday of This
Week.
Forsign Visitors and Journalists il
St. Petersburg to Witness
the Event.
Constitutional Democrats Expect te
Compel the Emperor to Come
20 Their Terms.

ST. PETERSBURG. May s.-The
members Of the National Parliament
and the Council Of the Empire are
arriving here on every train Quite
a number of distinguished foreign via-
itors and journalists already have
reached St Petersburg to witness
Thursdays great historic event
the Inauguration Of the Russian Par
Lament.
The fears tnat the Government will
attempt to dissolve the Parliament be-
fore 1t has the opportunity to accom-
plish anything are vanishing. and
despite the bomb outrage at Moscow
today and the continued irreconcilabls
attitude OF the extreme revolutionists
there is more hopeful feeling that
Russia may enter smoothly into parlia-
mentary life. This Ia due not only
to the moderate attitude Of the demo-
cratic majority, whose leaders with
admirable restraint are holding the
extremists among them IN check, but
the manifest desire OF the Government
L. to avoid a conflict.
4ne new Na0A1lcl uAS 6IluOQ1iC00 d
policy of hands Off. practically saying
that the Parliament shall have carte
blanche. and SO long as 1t does not
attempt to meddle with the fundamen-
tai laws of the empire the Parliament
will be allowed to offer its own solu-
ton for the crying agrarian problem.
With this attitude of the Govern
ment, if it is sincerely carried out, tthe
Constitutional Democrats for the pres
final victory, when the Emperor viii
be forced to grant q constitution.
which time they believe Is not far of.
N Nabokoff, the leader Of the Con-
stitutional Democrats today said
frankly that his party had no desire
at present to have a Premier and
Cabinet even II it could. Such respon-
sibility would place it upon the defen-
sive, while by remaining In the oppo-
sition. with the country behind it. the
chances of forcing a complete surren-
der were increased instead OF being
diminished.
The little group of Socialists OF the
extreme left has not yet shown Its
hand, but With the Constitutional
Democrats, which have @ clear work
ing majority, 1t will be powerless to
force a conflict. The Octoberists In
the Center are a negligible quantity,
and with the present temper at
Tsarskoe- Selo this small group of re-
actionists In the Parliament sings
low. The ceremonies at the Winter
Palacee, when the Emperor will de-
liver & speech from the throne, have
been arranged with ali the glitter
and pouap Of state function, the Idea
of an Informal opening In order
to diminish the Importance Of the
position OF the Parliament being
abandoned. The entire imperial fam
lily, with the ladies and gentlemen Of
the court, the former IN the national
Russian costumes and the latter In
court dress, aid-de-camps. Ministers,
generals and officers OF TIE guard regi-
ments. marshals of the nobility and
such governors general and military
commanders OF the army corps as are
In St Petersburg: the Mayors and city
councils OF ST. Petersburg and Moscow
and members OF the Holy Synod are
cornman nded to attend. The chiefs of
missions were invited by an imperial
order which was issued today.
The members OF the Parliament viii
assemble In the beautiful Nicholas
Hall. the Council of the Empire at the
Hermitage Pavilion and the others Of
tho "Arnorial." Field Narshals" and
other halls
rhano,-wtrpylz-sole Iortae- Q