Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1906-05-16
Gar OPENS PARLIAMENT
Russia Makes Her First Experiment in
Representative Government

son an empire secure, well organized
and enlightened.
INLAY God bless the work that lies
before me in unity with the Council
of the Empire and the imperial
Douma. May this day be the day Of
the moral revival Of Russia and the
day for Che renewal Of its highest
Forces.
"Approach with sole unity the la
bors for which I call you and be
worthy Of the responsibility put npon
you by the Emperor and people.
"May God assist us"
Memoirs Dissatisfied.
Emperor Nicholas read slowly. The
admirable and even cordial tone of
the sovereign i'll renewing his pledges
and asking the coperation of parlia-
meat for the regeneration of the
country Was only negatively satisfac-
tory. CSurtiers and spectators other
than members Of the national Parlia-
ment led .he cheering, but the mem-
bers were ominously silent, expressing
neither approval nor disapproval.
What rankled most was the failure
Of the Emperor to mention amnesty,
and later when the members assembl-
ed in the Tauride Palace, away from.
the spell Of the throne room, many
OF them were with difficulty restrained
from precipitating matters by offer
ing resolutions on the subject. The
Constitutional Democratic leaders,
however, who dominated everything,
were anxious not to weaken the reply
which the lower house will prepare
tc the speech from the throne, in;
which issue with the crown will be
Joined, and succeeded in staving off
premature action.
The Emperor and the Empress af-
ter leaving the palace entered a
launch, passed down the river, board
I'd the imperial yacht Alexander and
returned to Petertof.
The crowds on the banks of the
river and island heartily cheered the
imperial party. There was no other
incident.
Parlamcnt's First Session.
The scene around the Tauride Pal
ace was in striking contrast with that
at the Winter Palace, Each, indeed;
was typical and told an eloquent;
story. at the Tauride Palace, tens:
OF thousands of people were acclaim.
ing their representatives; at the Wins:
ter Palace 4legions Of military and.
courtiers by the hundreds cheered for
The Emperor. Nevertheless, the pro-
ceedings Of the lower house were not
spectacular; in fact, they were most
tame m comparison with those at the
Winter Palace. The only genuine
flashes Of fire which showed real tenn
per of the members of the House,
were when Prof. Mouromstef, who
had been elected president Of the low
er house, invited government officials
and clerks to leave the hall and when
Ivan Petrunkevitch, in a few eloquent
words from the rostrum, told the
auditors that the first thought Of the
Parliament should be for those that
have suffered in the cause Of liberty,
who now filled the prisons and whose
arms were stretched out ip hope and
confidence to the peoples representa-
tives. More enthusiastic cheering
than that which greeted this appeal
never was heard in political con-
vcntion in the United States.
Constitution and amnesty were the
keynotes of Prof. Mor.-omtsef's
speech.
Dispatches received here from all
parts of Russia indicate that the op-
ening Of the Parliament was cele-
brated everywhere.