Show DEMAND I II I EUll Political Prisoners Not Forgot Forgotten Forgotten ten by Lower House of Russian Parliament WiTTE FORGING TO FRONT A LEADER LEAb rf IN THE COUNCIL CO I II I I St Petersburg May My 1 Y 14 After struggling struggling gling the th tb whole day until late this evening over ver a draft of the reply to the th speech from the th throne thron the members of the committee of the house postponed the final work worl of phrasing the document until 11 tomorrow morning The prospects are that full lull accord on sev several several several eral points may ma not be reached before the opening of the house at 2 and that therefore the reply may be thrown into the full house for final dis dh discussion The struggle has centered mainly on the th agrarian gra plank pla k to which the peas peasant peasant ant members found that the recommendations recommendations recommendations of oi the Constitutional Demo Democratic Democratic Democratic cratic convention though calling for a large arge measure of forced expropriation were not sweeping enough The peas peasants p peasants as ants wished the abandonment nt of most hOst of the limitations and qualifications of or orthe the right of expropriation Long Debate Expected The debate detEl on the address ss will wal be pro protracted protract t tract rut d probably occupying o two to days a s Besides s the points of universal amnesty and abolishment ot t the death eath penalty laid down in the instructions of the lower house the document adroitly In Introduces the th subjects ts of abolishment of he h council ll of the empire and ministerial ministerial rial Hal r as its text t Emperor Nicholas Nichol s pledge pl dge in his hi speech sp ch from the throne to tom m din tain In inviolate the institutions which he has granted the address ex expreSses preSses s the hope that this signifies that the tb country is on the road to a strictly system This being true the parliament nt wishes to call attention lo to lothe the fact that the th council of the em empire empire emIre pire Ire is a wall of ef separation between the emperor and the people Then advocating cating eating a responsible ministry selected from the dominant patty party in parliament the address addre points out as a great ad of that m the cessation of attacks on the monarch The Amnesty Am esty Question Th The Iron hand behind the respectful writing of the address addres peers out in the paragraph regarding amnesty which contains these significant words There are re some demands which can cannot cannot cannot not be refused and this is one I The workmen are remembered by a reference in the address to the need of amelioration in the condition of labor while for the Poles and other national nationalities lUes Ittes the address though avoiding the word ord autonomy and insisting on the maintenance of the bonds of the em empire empire empire pire in full strength speaks for the right of each nationality to Its own lan lon language guage customs and local self adminis administration administration t tIt It is reported that the cabinet ha has practically decided d upon an amnesty measure which though falling far short of o the th universality demanded by bythe b bythe the lOer lo er ho ise conforms c to the idea of the council coun il of the empire of grant grantIng granting grantIng I Ing pardon to all aU political offenders ex ox except except such as have ha ve been convicted of agrarian murders or attempts to mur murder murder murder der Witte Wins His Point Former l Premier Pr Witte again took a prominent part today in the conferences of members of the council of the em empire empire empire pire successfully insisting that the thea a of a reply to the th speech from the th should be postponed d until a regular meeting of the council at which representatives Of f the press shall be b present pres nt In order that the country may maybe maybe maybe be informed as to arguments advanced on either eith r side Nevertheless N the projected reply to the speech from the throne which probably probably ably bly will be adopted ad already has been b en drafted r and has been seen by b th Asso Associated elated Press Pr Though delicately expressed the re reply reply ply pJ virtually contains a demand for forthe forthe forthe the amnesty of political p prisoners who are Iro not guilty guilt of murder murd r or robbery robben In other respects the reply seems to be especially designed to disarm the sus suspicion J that t at It Is to be the role roJe of the th upper tipper chamber to block legislation pro po cd by the lower ower house After ex ox the deepest d loyalty to the em emperor emt t the reply repy rep Of the council of the empire contains theSe thee three principal First An unequivocal indorsement of ofA A J it liberal regime I Declaration of the intention to work in harmony with the tho lower lowerhouse low r house for large reforms Third Amnesty the suggestion being so worded as hot not to wound the sensibility sensibility sensibility of the emperor em erOr calling attention to the fat fact fa t that all remarkable rl occa occasions occasions in Russian history hist ry hive ht ve been marked by an act of grace and urging the strong claim to clemency Cl of those who while striving for liberty trans transgressed transgressed gressed lawful limits without being guilty of crime |