Los Angeles herald., 1907-06-16
RUSSIAN
DOUMA IS
DISSOLVED
Gar Strikes Blow
at Reform in
Empire
Nicholas Overrides the
Law Proclaimed
by Himself
st. Petersburg Takes on Appearance
Of an Armed camp-SoIdiers
Ready to Arrest Social
Democrats

Ry Associated Press.

by Associated Press.
ST. PETERSBURG, June 16.-Em-
peror Nicholas affixed his signature
this morning to an imperial ukase
abolishing the present douma and or
dering that the election of members
to it's successor, which is to meet No
tion law, which provides against the
"submergence of the educated class by
the uneducated Masses
This act constitutes a virtual coup
detat and overrides the fundamental
laws solemnly proclaimed by his ma
jesty on the evening of the convocation
of the first douma, which declare that
the electoral law can never be changed
without the consent of parliament it
self. This breach of the constitution IS
justified by the great law of necessity,
the advisers of the emperor holding it
impossible under present conditions to
secure a parliament capable of CO.
operating harmoniously with the crown
to save Russia from anarchy and rev.
olution.
The session of the council of minis
ters, at which the decision to dissolve
parliament was reached, lasted from 8
o'clock last night until nearly 4 O'Clock
this morning. The ministers had agreed
upon the terms of the ukase before
midnight, however, and a draft Of 1t
was taken Immediately to Peterhof,
where the emperor affixed his sigma
ture.
Officially Published
The news of the dissolution was re-
ceived at 2:04 o'clock this morning,
but the meeting of the cabinet was
continued until the arrival of the
signed document. This document was
delivered by Premier Stolypin to the
official printers for publication in the
Official Messenger and the Rossi this
morning.
The imperial ukase is addressed to
the ruling senate, and reads as fol-
lows:
According to paragraph los of the
fundamental laws of 1906 we ordain:
Firstly, that the imperial douma be
dissolved; secondly, that new elections
of members to another douma be held
beginning September IA; and thirdly,
that the new imperial douma be con-
voked November IA of the present year.
1.-The ruling senate will not fail to
take proper measures to place this in
effect.
(signed) NICHOLAS"
"Peterhof, June 16, 1907
This ukase is countersigned by the
president of the council of ministers,
p. A. Stolypin.
The dissolution of the Russian douma
followed the refusal of that body to
permit the arrest of a number of it's
members on the charge of conspiring
against the state.
While this douma passed more legis-
lation than it's predecessor, the meas
ures were of comparatively minor i'm
portance.
The president of the douma was
Feodor A. Golovine.
City an Armed Camp
The city has again assumed the ap-
pearance of an armed camp, the guard
regiment last night left the summer
camp at Krasneye-S for st. Peters
burg and throughout the night detach-
mentS of infantry and cavalry have
been arriving here. The garrison of
st. Petersburg is now double it's ordi-
nary strength, the guard regiments
having been replaced by regiments of
the line when the former went into
camp. Long lines of transport wagons
with camp equipment, ETC.. trundled
through the main streets all morning,
interspersed with occasional detach-
ments of cavalry and infantry march
ing to the headquarters. Otherwise the
center of the city bore it's usual ap-
pearance, but the industrial centers
literally bristled with troops. Every
railroad station was guarded by two
companies of infantry and two squad
rons of cavalry and armed troops were
held in readiness in view of the possi-
blity of the outbreak of a railroad
strike, and the reserves of all the regi-
ments were confined to barracks. All
the railroad stations were watched by
secret police in order to prevent the
escape of the Social Democratic depu-
ties and revolutionary agitators, among
whom general exodus is expected to
begin so soon as parliament has dis
solved.
Emperor Explains Act
The ukase is accompanied by man
ifesto setting forth the motives which
led the emperor to act. He adverts to
the douma's rejection of temporary
laws, it's refusal to condemn terrorism,
the delay in ratifying the budget, the
revolutionary spirit Of a large portion
of its members, the abuse of the right
of Interpolation and the failure of the
douma to comply Immediately with
the demand of the exclusion of the
fifty-five Social-Democratic members
charged with conspiracy.
The various evils are ascribed to de-
fects in the electoral law, consequently
the emperor decided to change the ba-
sis of suffrage SO that every part of the
Russian population should be repre-
sented in the lower house. The repre-
tcontipued ON Page Two.)