Los Angeles herald., 1906-05-21
EMPEROR TAKES
DECIDED STAND
NICHOLAS REFUSES TO MEET
DEPUTATI0N
Decision Acts as Bomb In Parliament
ary Camp and Radical Element
Is Ready for Violent
Measures
BY Associated Press.

ST. PETERSBURG, May 20.-A
bomb was thrown into the parliament
tary camp this afternoon by a note re-
ceiVed by President Mouromtseff of
the lower house, from Peterhof, which,
instead of making an appointment for
an audience at which he and the depu-
tation could present the address In
reply to the speech from the throne,
contained the information that EN-
peror Nicholas would not receive the
deputatlon and that the address must
be presented through the ministry of
the court.
Disconnected utterly at this unex-
pected development, the leaders of the
majority in the house hastily sum-
Inoned a caucus of the Constitutional
Democratic deputies President Mour-
omtseff, instead of sending the ad-
dress to Baron Fredericks, minister of
the imperial house, Immediately issued
a call for a meeting Of parliament at
IL o'clock tomorrow, at which he will
report the occurrence and ask for
further instructions. A most heated
meeting is in prospect.
Caucus Lasts Till Midnight
The first disposition Of the caucus of
the Constitutional Democrats, which
ing and at midnight had not adjoured,
was to regard the refusal to receive
the deputation as a challenge and an
open affront which was only answera-
BILE by a counter declaration of war.
The deputies were red with rage, but
after the first passion had cooled the
leaders realized the danger of too pre-
cipitate action and set for themselves
the task of bringing their enraged fol-
lowers under control.
Outsiders were not admitted to the
caucus but through the glass doors
of the great hall of the constitutional
club, where the session was held, 1t
could be seen that Prof. Miliukoff,
Prince Dolgourokoff and others were
on their feet time and again. pleading
with and commanding their auditors to
act deliberately and firmly and not to
ruin all by unreasoning passion.
Trouble Expected Today
The cooler counsels seemed ultimate
ly to be prevailing, but it is almost
certain that the radical group. ac-
companied by portion Of the peas
ants. will break away tomorrow and
endeavor to force the house into some
fiery declaration against the emperor
and the government which might COM
pe an immediate rupture, entailing
dissolution and civil war.
An interesting constitutional point
is involved in the refusal OF a personal
audience by the emperor. According
to the parliamentary law 1.-The presi-
dent submits to the emperor the trans
actions of the lower house." but it is
not stated whether he does so per-
sonally and a deputation is now here
authorized.
Objected to Delegation
The Associated Press is informed by
member of the ministry that EN-
peror Nicholas was willing to receive
President Mouromtseff, but that the
action of the house in appointing a
delegation to accompany him was re-
garded as a dangerous precedent,
capable of being stretched to include
deputation of any size-even the
whole of the membership of the house.
This minister intimated that If the
leaders of the house desired to avoid
rupture they could do so either by
accepting the instructions to present
the address through the ministry Of
the court as proper and Justihable
matter of routine or could, by keeping
within the limits of the constitutional
provision, direct the president of the
house to apply alone for an audience.
II was pointed out that no distinc-
tion had been made between the lower
house and the council of the empire,
and that the last named body has also
been instructed to present its address
through the same channel.
President Mouromtseff went to Peter
hof this evening in order to be pre-
sented to the empress, who had no
opportunity of meeting him during the
ceremonies of Saturday. He did not
kInA