The sun., 1908-05-12
Hn.RnssIa a Parliament?

As was TO be expected vehement pro-
tests were provoked by the assertion
made the other day by Mr. KoKOvTsEFF,
Minister of Finance, that Russia's Duma
is not a parliament. Mr., KHoMYAKoFF,
the president Of the chamber, at once
denounced the remark as IAN unfOrtu-
nate expression" but subsequently he
withdrew his structure on the demand
OF Premier SToLYPIN, who threatened
to resign. Mr.. KoKovTsEFF also was
persuaded by the Premier to withdraw
his provocative statement, which, how
ever, he endeavored to explain on the
ground that the Duma does not entirely
resemble other European parliaments,
in which a majority Of the popular cham
Der decides the fates Of Ministers, IN
doubtedly Russia now has parliament,
but this, like all other European parlia-
ments except those of Greece, Norway,
Bulgaria and Servia, consists Of two
chambers, the appointed Council of the
Empire being one and the elected Duma
the other. OF course the Duma by
itself no more constitutes a parliament
than does the British House Of Com
mons or the French Chamber Of Depu-
ties or the German Reichstag Neither
is it true, az Mr. KoKOyTsEFF seems to
imagine, that all parliaments to deserve
the name must embody the principle
of Ministerial accountability to the
popular branch, The principle Of Minis
terial accountability was never dis
tinctly recognized in England itself
from the reign Of EDWARD |. until the
later years of WILLIAM ILL.,, and it might
never have gained a firm footing had
not GEORGE l., who could speak no
English, felt himself forced to coniide
in Sir ROBERT WALPoLE, who throughout
that reign and much of the next conf
manded a majority Of the House Of
Commons.
France, too, had a bicameral paria-
ment under NAPOLEON l., and again
under NAPOLEON Ill, but except in the
last year of the latters reign the prin-
ciple of Ministerial responsibility to a
majority Of the lower house was not ac-
knowledged. Moreover, nobody would
deny that the present German Empire
possesses true parliament, composed Of
two chambers, the Bundesrath and the
Reichstag; but never has the principle Of
! Ministerial accountability TO a majority
of the last named chamber been conceded.
The same thing may be said Of the Aus
trian or Cisleithan Reichsrath and Of the
, Hungarian Diet. The fact is that so
far as Europe is concerned it is only in
Britain, France, Italy, Spain and Nor
way that the principle Of Ministerial
accountability TO majority Of the popu-
lar chamber may be said to be estab-
lished. II is also obvious that when
Mr.. KOKOvTsEFF denies the existence Of
a parliament in Russia on the ground
alleged by him he might as well deny
/ the existence Of one in the United States,
for VIGOROUSLY orr President is not obliged
10 select Ministers who can command the
approval of a majority of the House Of
Representatives
II is to be feared that Russia's public
men are not so well informed as they
might be concerning the history and
workings Of representative institutions,
| For that very reason it is of the utmost
moment that the experiment in rep
resentative self-government should be
continued and that the present Duma
should not share the untimely fate Of its
two predecessors. Yet evidently such
would be the case if the popular cham
Der and the Cabinet could not manage
to work together. 1t follows that all
those onlookers who wish Russia well
must deem il fortunate that the leaders
Of the Constitutional Democrats and the
Ootobrists, who alone in the present
Duma sincerely desire the maintenance
Of representative institutions, have