MANIFESTO BY THE CZAR.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11703, 1 November 1905, Page 5

MANIFESTO BY THE CZAR.

His Heart Filled with Great Sorrow. The Duma's Prestige to be Maintained. An Appeal to all Faithful Sons of Russia. Received October 31, 10.17 p.m. ST. PETERSBURG, October 31. The Czar issued a manifesto late last evening declaring: — "The trouble and agitations in our capitals and numerous other places fills our heart with a great and painful sorrow. The happiness of the Sovereign is indissolubly bound up in the happiness of the people, and the sorrow of the people is the sorrow of the Sovereign. The agitations may caused a great national disorganisation nnd*"arc a menace

to the integrity and unity of the Empire. ,The supreme duty imposed on us by our Sovereign mission requires us to efface ourself with all our reason and all our power, and hasten the cessation of troubles so dangerous to the State. Having directed the authorities to- prevent open disorder and excessas and to protect peacable subjects, we have recognised that in order to assure ' the success of the general measures of pacification it is indispensable to co-ordinate and unify the powers of the central Government.

"We therefore direct the Government to abstain from any interference in the election of. the Duma. Keeping in view the sincere desire of the realisation- of the. ukase of December 25th/ laii4, the Govern--ment must maintain the Duma's prestige and exhibit confidence in its labours and" not resist its decisions. While not inconsistent with Russia's historic greatness, one must identify oneself with the ideas of the great majority of. society, not the echoes of noisy groups and factions, too often unstable. It is. especially important to secure reform of. the Council of the Ebn-poi-e on an electoral principle. I believe in the exercise of the executive power the following principles should be embodied: — First, straightforwardness and sincerity in confirmation of civil liberty, and providing a guarantee for its maintenance; secondly, a tendency towards the abolition of exclusive laws; thirdly, the co-ordina-tion of activity of all the organs of the Government; fourthly, the avoiding of repressive measures in respect to proceedings which do not openly menace society or the State; nlthly, to acts manifestly threatening society or the State to be based upon law and on moral unity, with a reasonable majority of society. Confidence must be placed in the political tact of society. It is impossible that it will desire' anarchy, which, besides the horrors of civil strife, I would dismember the Empire. We therefore direct the Government to grant the population the immutable f ojmdations" of civic liberty, based on the real inviolabil-' ity of the person, freedom of conscience, speech, union, and association; secondly, without deferring the election of the Duma, to call to participation -in. the Duma, as far as possible, with- a yvieAV' to the shortness of time before it. assembles, those classes which are now completely deprived of electoral rights, leaving the ultimate development of the principle of. electoral right in-, general > to.- the established legislative order; thirdly, to establish an immutable' rule by which no law can come into force without the Duma's approving, and making it possible for the elected people to exercise a real participation in the supervision of the legality of the acts authorised. We appeal to all faithful sons of Russia to remember their duty to the Fatherland and aid in ending this unprecedented trouble by applying all their forces in co-operation in restoring calm and peace to our natal soil."