THE THIRD DUMA.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 44, 15 November 1907, Page 5

THE THIRD DUMA.

STATE OF PARTIES. THE OCTOBItISTS OBJECT. MODERATE CONSTITUTIONALISM. BY TELEGRAPH —rRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT. (Rec. Nov. 14, 10.13 p.m.) St. Petersburg, November 14. Tho roccntly-olectod third Duma will meet to-day, Tho state of parties is as follows.: — Right 120 Monarchists 70 Octobrists ... 100 Constitutional Democrats ; ... 60 Left ~. ... 28 The rest of tho members are divided into five small groups. - The Octobrists wish to form a Constitutional Contro, thus enabling tho Duma to legislate and to control 1 tho executive, and restoring tho authority of Government by union of tho monarch and tho nation, on tho basis of tho Tsar's manifesto of October 30. Tho loading mombers of tho Right insist that thero should be no reforms until the country is quiet. The figures show that the Octobrists cannot get a majority in favour of constitutional Government and moderate reforms unless they can attract not only the Constitutional Democrats, but also tho Loft, in order to counterbalance the reactionary Right and the Monarchists. But the very advanced mombers of tho Left are reluctant to compromise on .t moderate constitutional policy, and as to tho Constitutional Dejnocrats, a Home paper remarked during, the election campaign"The Cadets (Constitutional Democrats) and Octobrists display no indications of an intention to unite to form a ■ Constitutional centre, even of a temporary character. They are, indeed, supplying most of the sulphur and brimstono of the . present campaign. The Octobrists blame the cadets for the legislative unproductiveness of tho first two Dumas—a rather idlo dispute, sinco it is certain that tho Government never intended to consider any legislation' proposed, by the Duma—and the Cadets retort with the taunt that the Octobrists remain the ' party of the Government's most recent measures.'" As to the attitude of the Government, the same paper writes:—"Mi Stolypin, tho Premier, is evidently firmly convinced that Moderate Constitutionalism is 1 the only hope for this distracted country; but, unfortunately, he has not acquired tho requisite firmness in his dealings with anti-Constitutionalists at Court ar.d thoir tools and ■ hirelings in the country. Ho would, doubtless,,prefer to see an Octobrist majority in the third Duma, and a cadet wing if ..ore than big enough to offsot the Monarchist rowdies of tho type of Pnrishkevich." t