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Show PEOPLE MAY BE HEARD Czar Signs Rescript Giving Giv-ing Them Right to Express Ex-press Their Vicwj. ST. PETERSBURG, March 4. In the Alexandra palace at Tsarskoe-Selo, surrounded sur-rounded by the Ministers and a few members mem-bers of the court, and with the Empress by his side. Emperor Nicholas yesterday aftemdon affixed his signature to a rescript re-script containing his Majesty's decree to give elected representatives of .the po-r-le an opportunity to express their views In the preparation of the laws of the Empire. Em-pire. This Is the autocracy's final response to the agitation In favor of participation by the people In the Government, which has brought Russia in .the last few months almost to the brink of revolution. revolu-tion. No condition in the regime of autocracy au-tocracy Is Involved for the present and It means neither a constitution nor a national assembly. At the same time It recognixes the principle of the people's rigbt to be heard regarding laws under which they must live. Whatever the it-suit may be. the document is sure to mark an epoch in Rt'sslan history as Important as the signing of the emancipation emanci-pation manifesto, the twenty-fourth anniversary an-niversary of which U was Intended to signalise. The signing of the document came at the end of a dramatic scene, the climax of which was an impassioned speech by F.tr.peror Nicholas to his Ministers, In T-hich he declared that he sought only the welfare of his subjects. "I am willing." will-ing." the Emperor said, "to shed my blood for the good of my people." |