The Czar's manifesto

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume V, Issue 1471, 1 November 1905, Page 2

The Czar's manifesto

"Our tot Filled With Sorrow." An Appeal to the Nation Promise of Liberal Measures St Petbbsburg, October 31 Tho Ozar issued a manifesto late last evening, declaring as follows '.— "Tho troubles and agitations in oar capitals and numerous other places fill our heart with great and painful Borow. "The happiness of the Sovereign is indissolubly bound up in the happi nos3 of tho people, and tho sorrow ' of tbo people is the sorrow of th° Sovereign. 11 Tho agitations may oaate great nation- • al disorganisation,' and,menace tho integrity 'and unity of the Empire, and tho supremo duty; imposod. ( upon usby our: sovereign mission requires us to equip purself with all, our and all- our power, and hasten the cessation of troubles ■'■■■, so dangarous to thb'State.i •'] \

" Having directed tfaa auttibritioi> lo prevent open disorder And excesses, and to proteot poaceablo supjeols, we bare rocognised that in order to assure success of goneml measure 8 . of pacification it ii indispensable to coordinate and unify : the powers of the Central Government. "Wethereforedeireotthe Government to abstain from any interference in tho election of tho Duma, keep \ing in vibw our sincere desire for •• the realisation of the ukase o'.De; cembor 25th, 1904,' . l "The Government must maintain the Duma's proßtigo and cxl Mit confidence in its labourers They must not resist decisions], which are not inconsistent with Russia's historio

greatness, ,■• "One must identify oneself with the ideas of the great majority of eooiety, and not the eohoes of noisy r groups and Motions, which are too often unstable. , " It is especially important to secure re* form of the' Counoil of the Empiro .. •on an electoral principle, "Ibolioveintho oxeroiae of executive power. The following principles '.. should be embodied :-. "Firstly, straightforwardness and sin" C6rity, in conforawtion with civji liberty, and providing a guarantee for its maintenance V.y '' Secondly, a teticleuoy towards the abpT ■■''lition of exclusive laws; ;'' '; "Thirdly, co-ordination and activity of all organs of the Government, "Fourthly, avoidance of repressive measures in respoct to proceeding ß . which do not openly menace society v or'the State, "Fifthly, that aotswhioh are manifestly threatening to society or the State be based ■ upon the law or on tho moral unity of a reasonable 1 majority of society. • "Confidence must be plaoed in th° political ttvot of sooiety, It is impossible to desircan janaroby, which ( beside the horrors of civil strife, would dismember the empire,'

" We theroforo diveot the Government to grant the population : "Firstly, tho immutable foundations 0/ oivio liberty, based on the real in. violability of the person; frcodom of conseienee, Bpeeob, union, and association, " Beoondly, without deferring the election of the Duma, to oall to participation in tho Duma, as far a fl possible, (in viow of the shortness of time before it assembles) those claws now oompletely doprirod of electoral rights, leaving tho ulti. mato dOTelopment of the principle of doctoral right in general to the newly-established legislative order. i "Thirdly, to establish an immutable mloth'ut. noUw can come into force.withouithe 'DumaY- appro'v : '■ . tag oi . asking it possible foi' thV '. .V.'l . <l .'('l " y^ l ,<!',» i"> < [ '''' I .ifJri , 'ii' 1

elected people to exercise teal pat}* fioipation in the supervision and i legality of tho Acts it authorises. ' " Wo appeal to all faUhfal sons of Bussia to remember their duty to tho Fatherland, and to aid in ending the nnpfocedented troubles, applyi ing all their forcos andoo operation in restoring oalm and peace to our natal boiL"