The Disturbances by Russian Students

South Canterbury Times, Issue 6237, 9 June 1890, Page 3

The Disturbances by Russian Students

The serious disturbances in Russian Universities (says the correspondent of the Daily News) have assumed unprecedented proporportions, Wot only all the universities, but even all the academies —namely, those of medicine, surgery, technology, forestry, and” the School of Minos—have joined the movement commenced by the JLetroffakei .Agricultural Academy, near Moscow; and it is remarkable that this time the number of students is far larger than it has been on any previous occasion. What the "Russian students wish is really not much. They only want the abolition of . the new University Statutes, which were introduced some few years ago at the national Russian universities, except those at Darpat, Helsingfors, and which are equally unpopular among the students and the professors. The latter were really also Jplacod under the severe inspection of special university police. They demand the re-establishment of the old statutes, which certainly did not grant them any remarkable privileges. The absolute retrogressive regime of the present is gradually creating a widespread spirit of disaffection among the educated classes of the people, quite apart from the more desperate motives which govern the actions of the violent revolutionary party. The 'propaganda of the latter, however, profits largely from this growing discontent. Their ranks are, no doubt, frequently recruited from the more extreme of the malcontents. Imperial ukases and Imperial measures are now discussed with a reckless outspokenness and severely critical candour in circles where formerly such subjects were carefully and circumspectly avoided. The numbers of military officers upon whom the suspicion of political disaffection now rests is causing the gravest anxiety. At headquarters a number of staff officers are among the suspect, aud the searching assiduity of the secret police recently brought to light a very serious state of affairs, but the worst feature of these discoveries is the absolute certainty expressed by the police that the revelations only prove that much more remains unrevealed. According to advices from St. Petersburg, the Czar had planned a hunting excursion in Poland some time ago, but just before the journey his Majesty was requested by the Ministers of Railways and of the Interior to give up the idea for the present. The reason given for this was that a peculiar attack had been made upon the Imperial special train near Wilna, to which place it had made a trial journey. According to one version stones were thrown at the carriage ; according to another an attempt was made to throw the train off the metals- At the Ministers’ request the excursion was postponed. ■