The Globe-republican., 1906-07-26
DOU!MlA DI|SS''OlLV 8 we'd
Emperor Nicholas Has Issued an
Ukase Ending the Session
Of Parliament.
MUST HOLD new ELECTION.
Will Not Convene Again Until March
5, 19O7-FOrm of Martial Law i'm
st. Petersburg-City Filled
with Troops.

st. Petersburg, July 24.-Russia's
first experiment in parliamentary gov
ernment came to an ignominious end
Saturday night with the PRONUNCIATION
OF two imperial ukases, the first dis.
solving the present parliament and
providing for the convocation of Its
successor March 5, 1907, more than six
months hence, and the second pro-
claiming the capital of Russia and the
surrounding province to be in state
OF extraordinary security, which is
only infnittesimally different from full
martial law. The measure of safety
Is to provide for the outbursts which
undoubtedly will be provoked by this
daring measure. 1t is now but a step
to dictatorship.
With the imperial ukase dissolving
parliament which was promulgated ear
ly Sunday morning, the curtain rose
upon possibly the last act in the great
drama Of the Russian revolution. The
people and the government now stand
face to face, and upon the army de-
pends the immediate issue.
Even should the government, how
ever, succeed in restraining an out
break of the people, the victory
probably will only be temporary and
simply confine the steam for the final
explosion. No one doubts the severity
of the storm which will rise in the
country in response to the emperor's
dispersal of the men whom he well
coined two months ago in the winter
palace as the "bent men in Russia"
but the die is cast. The government
has elected to fight, and the capital
Sunday bore eloquent testimony of the
preparations made to repress the mass
es by force. The city was packed with
soldiers and resembled an armed
camp.
The proletariat organizations have
been preparing for months for just
such provocation to declare open war
The government undoubtedly cal
culated on catching the opposition off
its guard, but If it expected to strike
terror to the hearts of the members
Of. parliament it has failed signally.
Some time ago when dissolution
seemed imminent the various groups
of the opposition virtually agreed to
follow the example of their French
compatriots of the states general and
meet, If driven out Of the Tauride
palace, wherever and whenever cir
cumstances dictated until a constitu-
ton was firmly established.
After hurried secret conference
Sunday morning it was decided on ac-
count of the possibility of the meeting
being broken up and the members ar
rested that they go Immediately to
Finland and decide upon the future
course to be pursued and small groups
left Sunday afternoon and evening by
train. Whether word was given them
to meet at Viborg or Helsingfors, is
unknown, but it seems probable that
Finland in future Russian history will
become anonymous with "The tennis
court" of the French revolution.
The representatives of the powers
were busy Sunday dispatching long
kilograms TO their governments advis-
ing them of the sudden and serious
turn of events. There were several
conferences of diplomats Sunday after
noon concerning the advisahility of
asking for warships, or at least of
hiring steamships to take off foreign
subjects in case of necessity, but no
concerted action was decided upon.
Sunday night the trains were filled
with foreigners departing for abroad.
Are Assembling at yiborE.
st. Petersburg, July 23.-The fol-
lowing dispatch has been received
from the representative Of the Asso-
ciated Press who accompanied the par
lament members to Viborg, 1t is
dated Viborg, midnight Sunday night
and says:
1.-TWO hundred members Of Russia's
outlaw parliament are gathered here
at the Hotel Belvidere, awaiting the
arrival of Count Hayden, M. Stocko-
witch and other prominent members
of the right before opening the ses-
sion at which will be adopted mani
festo that the people be summoned
and that they stand by the dispersed
members of all shades OF
opinion, especially the constitutional