RUSSIAN AFFAIRS

Otago Witness, Issue 2722, 16 May 1906, Page 24

RUSSIAN AFFAIRS

I * i ST. PETERSBURG, May 7. The Czar has dissolved the old Committee of Minifitere, whose powers lie has transferred to the Council of Ministers and the Duma. I May 8. The Southern Angola Economic Society met in this city to discuss the Duma's future task. The police dispersed the meeting, despite the protests against the illegality of their action. j Although the organic laws just promul* gated omit most of the admitted objec-' tionable clauses, a Congress of the Constitutional Democrats protests that their mere enactment constitutes a flagrant violation of the Duma's rights, as conferred under the Czar's manifesto of October 30, 1905. Count Ignatieff was assassinated at Kief, It is uncertain which of the family it is,bnt probably the victim is the younger brother of General Count Ignatieff. May 10. The report of Count Ignatieff's assassination is officially denied. The Czar is at present at Peterhof. Hejourneys to St. Petersburg by water. M. Stolypine has been appointed Minister of the Interior, M. Kokovstoflr Minister of Finance, and Prince Schirinsky Procurator of the Holy Syncd. They are all reactionaries. Great efforts were made to create the impression that St. Petersburg was jubilant over the opening of the Duma. A general holiday was proclaimed, church bells were rung, Te Deums were sung, and 40,000 troops were concentrated in thecapital. Two hundred peasant members of th& Duma protested against the terrible restriction placed by the Government upon the activities of the Assembly through the organic laws, and they invited the whole country to recognise that the challenge emanated from the Government. It was impossible not to take a gloomy view of the future. May 11. Eager crowds in the direction of Tauride Palace warmly cheered the procession of ! members of the Duma thither, j Professor Mouromtseff (Moscow) has been elected President of the Duma. It has been resolved ta ask for an amnesty for political prisoners. There was a demonstrative absence of people round the Winter Palace, where, amidst a magnificent ceremonial, the Czar arrived almost by stealth and addressedthe Council of the Empire and the Duma. The Speech from the Throne was colour1 lets, and was received in etony silence by the Duma, being applauded only by the Court and the Bureaucrats. The speech has created the deepest disappointment. The Czar pointedly promised to watch' over the stability of the institutions granted, and he emphasised his words as he proceeded to declare that the welfare of the State demanded equally liberty and order based on right. He prayed for a blessing on the labours of the Council of the Empire and the Duma. The Czar and Empress have returned to Peterhof. May 13. A boy of 14 years killed a policeman at Odessa who had knocked down a girl detected in throwing a bomb. May 14. The Duma has passionately and unanimously demanded a full amnesty for ' religiouSj agrarian, and political offences. - The U6e of a microphone enables the Czar to listen to the debates. The Council of the Empire has recom* mended an amnesty for all offenders, ex- ' oept for those guilty of acts of homicide., Count Witte pleaded that his hands were tied, and he did things which would be disapproved. j ====== Europe has a population of about" 395.000,000, or orus-fourth of t.hat of the whole world. Belgium has the densest . PQBulation.