Russian Town meetings

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 265, 14 November 1885, Page 3

Russian Town meetings

There is one striking and peculiar feature in tho political institutions of the Russian Empire. That is, that whilo the Czar's rule over all his people is an absolute despotism, in a large portion of Russia there exists a purely democratic local government. It is strange to see these two utterly different systems - a system of pure one-tnan power and a system of pure democratic rule—existing sido by side, We wonder when we hear that, in spite of the Czar's power, the peasants of a large part of Russia have almost as large a freedom of self-government as the cantons of Switzerland or tho towns of the United States. In a largo part of Central and Southern Russia in Europe, the local power resides in what we should call the " town meetings." In Central Russia this popular assemblage is called the "inir;" in Southern Russia, the "gromada." It comprises every adult male inomhor of fie commune, or village ; and within local limits, its authority is supreme. The ■' mir," however, can be summoned at any time by the poorest and most obscure resident of the commune; at his call it must assemble, debate and decide upon the measure which he wisho to have considered.

In the United States the_ town meeting assembles in the town hall, is presided over by a moderator, or chairman, chosen by the meeting, and its decisions are settled by the voto of a majority of the citizens present.

In all those respects the Kussian " mir " differs from the American town meetings The mir is always bsld in the open air. Sometimes the villagers gather in front of the Mayor's house; sometimes in the market house or public square; sometimes before the village tavern. No presiding officer is appointed. When the mir comes together, he who has summoned it states the matter which he wishes considered. Thereupon thoro rises a deafening clamourof discordant tongues. Everybody tries to speak and make himself heard He who has the strongest voioe has the best chance of getting tho floor. If the speaker pleases his hearers, he is allowed to go on. If not, his voice is drowned in a chorus of shouts and yells. " When the question is a burning one," says a recent Russian writer, •' the meeting grows warm, all speak at once, and nona listen. The assembly breaks up intogroups, each discussing the subject on its own account. Everybody Bhouts his arguments at the top of his voice ; shrieks and objurgations, words of contumely and derision, are heard on every hand; and a wild uproar goes on, from which it does not seem possible that any good can result." No vote is taken in the Prussian mir on the questions it has to decide Every question must be dstermined, not as with us, by a majority, but unanimously. Tho debate continues, until a proposal is made which commands the assent of every ono present. The utmost freedom and frankness of speech marks the meetings of the mira ; and decisions, whatever they are, mußt be implicity obeyed by every resident in the commune. There is no appeal from it, even to the Czar, or tho Czar'a officers.

Indeed, so free is speech that sometimes the peasents will speak in the mira of the Czar'a rule in a way which no one would