The Western news., 1907-06-19
DUMA ENDS.
GAR NICHOLAS ISSUES UKASE
ABOLISHING 1T.
The Dissolution of the Russian Duma
Followed the Refusal of That Body
to Permit Arrest of Its Members
on Charges of Conspiracy Against
the State.


affixed his signature Sunday morning
to an imperial ukase abolishing the
present duma and ordering that the
elections of members to its successor,
which is to meet November IA, to be
held under the new election law,
which provides against the "submer-
gence of the educated classes by the
uneducated masses"
This act constitutes a virtual coup
laws solemnly proclaimed by his maj
esty on the eve Of the convocation of
the first duma, 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 neces-
sity, the advisers of the emperor hold
ing it impossible under present condi- |
tions, to secure a parliament capable |
| of cooperating harmoniously with the |
| crown and rescuing Russia from an ;
archy and revolution.
The ukae is accompanied by mani !
festo setting forth the motives which |
| led the emperor to act. He adverts to
the dumas rejection of temporary ,
laws, it's refusal to condemn terrorism,
the delay in ratfying the budget, the
revolutionary spirit of a large portion
of its members, the abuse of the right
of Interpolation, and the failure of the
duma to comply Immediately with the
demand for the exclusion of the 55 So
cial democratic members charged with
conspiracy.
| These various evils are ascribed to
defects in the electoral law, conse-
quently the emperor decided to change
the basis of suffrage so that every
part of the Russian population should
be represented in the lower house The
representation of the non-Russian ma
tionalities, the manifesto continues,
should be decreased in order to pre-
vent these delegates from becoming a
decisive factor in purely Russian ques
tiOns and elections in the frontier re-
giCns, where the standard of civic de-
velQpment is low, should be tempor-
arily suspended.
These necessary changes in the
mode of elections cannot be submitted
to the duma, the composition of which
is unsatisfactory on account of the de-
fects in the election law itself, but to
the authority which granted the first
election law belongs the right to sub
stitute new basis of suffrage.
God entrusted us with imperial au-
thority over our people" his majesty
declares, "and before his throne we
must answer for the fate of the Rus
sian state. Conscious of this, we have
taken a firm resolution to bring to an
end the great task of the transforma-
ton of Russia begun by us and to
grant Russia a new electoral law, the
publication of which we entrust to the
ruling senate.
From our loyal subjects we expect
a hearty and unanimous service to the
fatherland whose sons ever have been
, the fortress of her power, glory and
prestige. NICHOLAS"
Duma Resisted Arrests.
The dissolution of the Russian duma
: followed the refusal of that body to
} permit the arrest Of number of it's
members on the charge of conspiracy
against the state. 1t has been freely
predicted ever since the lower house
4 first met, March 5, that its dissolution
] was only a question of time and the
. many official denials never carried con-
+ victiOn.
0 The history of this duma, like it's
J, predecessor, has been one of almost
; constant clashes with the government
), This, in spite of the fact that con
=. sistent effort was made in some quar-
C ters to make the duma an effective
5, legislative body and that the govern
n ments program for legislation contain
= ed number of reforms. The cabinet
?, decided it would give parliament every
0 chance to justify it's existence. The
j. deputies, however, are insistent on rad
ical changes, and their persistence re
o suited in what amounts to a charge by
/; the government that the duma was 6
f. shelter for conspiracy and treason.
+; The situation entered upon it's fina
D phase when revolutionary members
!: went to London and took part in {
n congress which had for it's avoweC
j.; purpose the upsetting of the throne O
<, the cZar.