New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-09-26

inc Irst time assembled at Borgo. in that same
80 III "Foef that the people might tender their
oath OF allegiance 10 Emperor Alexander
ne Gar on that occasion received petitions
Hoih MS new subjects to undertake the reor
eaHi@ation or Finland, which he promised to
take INTO consideration" But he voluntarily
pieoged himself to preserve the ancient institu
ions OF Finland. What he meant by this was
ueIlnlteiy explained when shortly afterward he
promulgated the civil code of 1894 which had
oeeh IN force during the period of Swedish rule
and likewise confirmed the church laws Of 1855
Ihese two codes were held to cover the civil
economic and religious life OF Finland and TO
guarantee its rights and liberties
UPBULT FINNISH AUTONOMY
It was these two codes that Alexander and
each Of his successors have promised To oh
serve; and far from having broken their pledge.
Alexander II. Alexander III and Nicholas II
have each OF them increased the prerogatives
and the autonomy of the Films If I mention
these three monarchs and not Nicholas I it is
because from 1909 until 1868 the Finnish Diet
was never once convened. During that period
taxes were imposed, laws made and cancelled
by the enperors without consulting the Diet
In 1858, however Alexander III. after Iiberating
the serfs, convoked the Diet Of Finland and
expressed the wish that it should meet at least
every five years." and since that date il has
russians
power Of legislating in everything that concerns
the local affairs OF the grand duchv belongs
Jointly to the Emperor, in his capacity Of Grand
Duke of Finland. and TO the Diet. The powers
Of the latter We're still further increased in
1856, by Alexander Ill who conferred on it the
right Of Initiating laws reserving. of course. the
final decision TO the Crown: while Nicholas has
gone even still further and has as have
shown. endowed the grand duchy with the most
democratic representative assembly in the
world
The women in the Diet are held by all political
parties TO have fully justified by their behavior
and by their good sense the claims Of their sex
for legislative representation. In al least four
instances husband and wife belong TO the As
sembly. and women are represented in all
parties even among the Socialists whose fem
lnine members emphasize their convictions by
wearing red dresses The female legislators in
clude peasant women from the country districts
as well as workers in towns one of them in
terests herself very keenIy in behalf of domestic
servants She began To earn her living as
general servant at the age of ten hut now edits
a paper devoted 10 the interests of servants
whom she has formed into a union How demo-
cratic is this national assembly of Finland will
he gathered from the fact that il contains
thirty-two wOrkingmen. fifteen small tenant
farmers, forty land owners, three mers only
twelve lawyers. twenty-nine teachers, twenty
one journalists. seven professors. seven mer-
chants. three foremen. two railroad employees
and three walters
Formerly the Diet consisted Of the four
estates-the mobiles, the clergy, the burghers and
the peasants. But there is no longer any dis
tinct class representation, and there are only
few mobiles among the forty land owners having
seats in the Diet The number of noble Finnish
families is 237, Of whom seven are counts and
forJy-five barOns, the remainder having no
titles, but figuring. nevertheless on the rolls of
the now extinct House Of MOBILES
Although Finland has sent quite large num-
Der of its citizens 10 America-there are large
number Of Finnish settlements in the Western
states-yet TO most people the grand duchy is
little more than a geographical expression.
This, TOO despite the fact that it is larger than