The semi-weekly messenger., 1906-07-27

| tOWnS.
St. Petersburg, July 22.-With the
| Imperial ukase dissolving Parliament,
which was promulgated early this
| morning, the curtain rose upon pCss-
of the Russian revolution. The people
and the government stand face 10 face.
| and upon the army depends the imme-
diate issue
Even should the government, how
ever, succeed in restraining an out
break Of the people the victory prob
ably will only temporary and simply
confine the steam for the final explo-
sion. No one doubts the severity Of
the storm which will rise in the coun-
try in response TO the Emperor's dis
persal of the men whom he welcomed
two months ago in the Winter Palace
as the best men in Russia. but the
die is cast. The government has elect
ed to fight and the capital today bore
eloquent testimony of the preparations
made to repress the masses by force
The city was packed with soldiers and
reembled an armed camp.
During Saturday night additional
troops were brought in and disposed
of according to plans already adopted.
These reinforcements included four in
fantry regiments Of the Chevalier
Guard, huzzars. mounted grenandiers
and battery Of machine guns. The
troops occupied railroad stations and
bridges across the rivers and canals.
and the patrols Of both police and gen.
darmeS were everywhere doubled.
The work Of gathering in revolution
ary agltatOrs began Immediately after
the ukase placing St. Petersburg in "A
state OF extraordinary security" was
promulgated, and hundreds of arrests
were made before daylight.
A VIRTUAL DICTATORSHIP.
The powers conferred upon II. Vo.
Der Launitz, prefect OF police. and NJ.
Sinovieff, governor of the providence.
Telittle short Of these of pettv die
tortors. Searches and arrests can he
made without process Of law, news-a-
pers forced to suspend publication and
persons deportcd By administrative
order without trial. Public and priv
are little short of these petty die
q.
by military courts AMI sumariIv exc
cuted. The only real difference be
tween extraordinary eecurity" and
full martial law is that power is ex-
ercised by the so-called civil instead
of military authority
Although the news OF the dissolution
OF Parliament spread like wi.d-fre
among the members Of the various
political organizations the masses here
generally are harly awake To the mo-
mentous event. The news travelled fast
In the country and the general eypec-
tatlon is that the peasantry, accepting
the dispersal Of Parliament as the final
blow to their hopes, will rise en
masse.
VibOrg, July 23.-The curtain drop
ped this afternoon on the final act Of
the drama Of Russia's first parliament,
when, under the spur OF the threat Of
Governor Rechanberg 20 use military
force TO end the session. and with
troops already converging on the hotel
Belverdere. where the meeting was
held. the assembled members of the
lower house, 1s6 in number, quietly
adopted and signed an address TO the
P~cft@ a.
AIRY In its nature elected a perpetual
executive committee. headed By Prince
Paul Dolgoroukoff. vice president Of
the house, TO carry on the work Of lib
Grafton. and adjourned amidst-eharac-
teristic Russian custom embracing and
kissing.
few members. including President
Mouromtse1, Ivan PetrunkevitcE and
Count Heyden, returned 10 ST Peters
burg by evening train The constitu-
uonal democratic representatives in
ten TO 90 10 ST. Petersburg In a body
IN the morning. but many Of the radi-
cal members fearing their arrest on !
their arrival at the capital will re-
main for the present In Finland o. re-
turn by round about routes. =:
ADDRESS TO THE PEOPLE.
The address. which bears a remark .
able similarity TO the manifesto franz i
ed by the Council OF Workmen last
November. which landed its authors /
and the editors Of eight ST. Petersburg
newspapers in cells of the fortress Of
ST. Petersburg and ST. Paul strikes the
government In its most vital point by
declaring that the administration and
not padiament is responsible for the
delay in the settlement OF aagrain