The Minneapolis journal., 1906-07-22

adoption of new laws (no power, how
ever, to touch the fundamental laws of
administration. -.-..s.---. e..
Third-The right to interpellate min
listers and chiefs of departments, and
call their attention to infractions Of ex-
isting laws.
Measures passed by the douma 90 to
the Il? council Of the empire, ana the com
emperor, whose decision is final
Election for representatives are held
in only twenty-six towns, which are
named. In all others and in the prov
lnces and in the territories, elections
are brought about by electoral colleges,
members of which are chosen by land
owners, city electors and delegates of
the peasants, The last have the right
to choose two delegates from each can
ton; Then voting on the qualifications
is based on a property holding, and
the only persons barred are women,
men under 25, soldiers and sailors in ac-
tive service, officials exercising their
functions and persons not acquainted
with the Russian language.
;sa@ Conflict Begins Early.
Soon after the first douma> was con-
stituted the conflict between it and the
bureaucracy began. The 8. representa-
lar. It. acted with rare restraint and
with astonishing unity. On all grave
matters it was unanimous. Thsi fact
suggests the possibility that the Rus
sian people may resent it's dissolution
and make the next douma even more
radical. - <svf
Demands by the douma for sweeping
amnesty and the abolition of capital
punishment in the cases Of political Of.
tenders, which were. rejected by the
czar, were the principal points Of the
LED. to the dissolution of the represen.
tative assembly. When the deadlock
became serious the car sought to form
a coalition assembly, but in this he
failed. ~at. E.
Wanted More Power. 81,
The constitutional democrats, who
controlled the douma, refused to Htake
office that is, to allow their leaders
part Of moderate liberals. They in
sisted on responsible ministry in
the European sense Of the term, ffon
a ministry that the douma might dis
miss at will
The czar could not grant this demand
under present Fundamental laws, -
and the revision of these laws is i'm
probable What he might have done
Is to give the douna cabinet Of in
telligent and independent thinkers tax.
en- from the ranks Of the zemstvoists
Such cabinet would have beer
able to work.
Dreaded Breach.
| Meanwhile the impotent and do-noth
!. ing Goremykin cabinet tried to appeast
| the douma by various concessions
| The other day the minister of the in
| terror announced that on reflection
the government had decided to accep
the bills now under consideration TO
establishing real freedom Of conscience
which, in spite Of numerous imperia
DEGREES, has remained an irredescen
dream-and the bills safeguarding free
dom Of the public meetings and sasso
Citations for legitimate purposes.
The, bills were ,conservatively drawn
The extreme left was dissatisfied. Blu
when they were first introduced tn
ministry declared them inadmissable OF
account Of their alleged radicalism. Fo
some time the court shrank from al
i open rupture with the douma, for wha
with daily assassinations, army revolts
agrarian crime and threatened mas
lsacres, it had reason to dread the con
II SEQUENCES Of such breach.