The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-06-11
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tfun nussia'a ast,ssadcf reopir throuah
hunifris ~ Russian press organs, w ~"
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iinnHfiot The fHma " q shnm, then, q
mcf" slihtpleth.' eSpoatulatcd @'tnr'
Tho autocraiio principle wa never In
HuasiN'- history more sseressively pro-
pounded frmonst rated others.
The salient paragraphs ~ this docnmcnt
repay careful consideration, ESPECIALLY ~
Hisaia'a national RAeemhly the aole elective
body In the empire qualified 10 speak for
Ruaatn'- nationals ~ q whole, has met the
imperial challenges with the p%laine-t ~
counter challenges.
These Fundamental Laws are entirely
Incompatible with the nations political
Acknowledgement Either tho autocrat
mus, retreat from the impossible position
he has taken. GRAND the word has been
publicly uttered In open House Of Assem-
bly, Russia's people will wage uncompro-
missing war with regime and autocrat,
regardless Of suspension Of the House
en- mnsss. Of its clearance Cromwell fashion,
or Of any other at best futile expedient OF
imperial coercion. Plain "a Is the language.
It represents with accuracy the feeling
alike of the members Of Russia's lower
house. and, what Is Of vastly greater sig
nihcance. of the Cars subjects who sent
them TO the Duma in st. Petersburg.
Below Ia a synopsis Of the principal OF
the Fundamental Ordinances dealing more
especially with the powers and inviolable
prerogatives of the autocrat as now defined
by the autocrat himself.
As Autocrat of All the Russias the Car
In the first place declares himself pos
sessed of power absolute and u~nimpeach-
able. God Himself, " he AYERS, "ordaineth
implicit obedience to the imperial mandate,
obedience to be rendered alike in fear and
trembling, and conscientiously." So says
paragraph 4 OF the ordinances, and the
spirit Of that paragraph is maintained
throughout the series. The ordinances
proceed to affirm that the person Of the
Emperor is sacred and inviolable. They
lay it down that the Emperor, in coniunc-
ton with the upper and lower houses of
assembly, gives effect to the legislative
power; yet the very next paragraph dis
tinctly ordains that "to the Emperor be-
longs all initiative in all matters Of legis-
alton" -On his initiative, and on his
initiative alone" it proclaims, "the Fun
damental Laws of the State may be revised
In the houses Of parliament"
The power Of the autocratic veto is
defined, for legislative purposes, to be
practically limitless. 1t is declared that the
Emperor's assent to all laws is absolutely
vital, for mo law may be contaminated
without the Emperor's ratification" Fur
Their, it ia imperially declared that while
the Emperor at will may delegate a def
mite degree of governing authority to his
Ministers, Governors and subordinate adj
ministrators genera 2 his personal powers
in the field of administration extend with
out circumscription 20 every portion OF the
Russian Empire. The Car, moreover,
defines the Emperor of All the Russias as
the supreme authority in all matters Of
Russian State relations with foreign Powers;
and to the Gar, as Car, belongs, 1t is as
serted the right to indicate and the author
ity to direct the foreign affairs Of his State.
To him alone may belong the authority to
declare war or conclude peace. He alone
NAV initiate or consummate treaties n
agreements with foreign Powers. The
new Fundamental Ordinances Of State
further lay it down that the Emperor is
the supreme commander Of Russia's army
and Russia's fleet. He alone may au-
thorize the increase or reduction of Rus
sia's forces, whether on sea or land; he
alone may authorize the mobilization or
disposition Of either service arm. His is
to be the power to declare towns, v~olosts,
governments or oblasts under martial law,
or under exceptional" form Of admins
tration. The Car alone may appoint, he
alone dismiss, any or all Ministers of State.
not excluding even the president Of the
State Ministerial Council himself.
In a word, these Fundamentals are Of 90
sweeping a character that Russia's Progress
sists throughout the empire DANGEROUSLY
inquire what powers of particular value are
left to the tardily granted national Duma.
Solicitors for the welfare Of Russian
autocracy in every contingency, Nicholas
II. ~enjoins that the vast lands and other
properties possessed not only by the reign
ing autocrat but by his imperial kinsmen
shall remain for all time inviolable. They
NAV not even become liable to tax or rate
a proviso which, say the peasant party
leaders, cruelty emphasizes the squalid
poverty Of Russia mujiks.
Such in substance are a few OF the ex-
traordinary ordinances before whose rati-
fcation at. T~sarskoe-Selo Count Witte re-
coiled. The ordinances are an accurate
presentation Of the Cars challenge, de-
livered at the very moment whent the chosen
representatives Of the Cars subjects were
preparing to assemble in the hastily inn