FINLAND.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 644, 22 October 1909, Page 7

FINLAND.

. ,;■.:,.' ; »■; ' ■'^■■..: .: ;• ■ 3. RUSSIAN PLAN TO ANNEX VIBORG. AN IMPORTANT BASE.. WITHIN STEKIXG • DISTANCE OT THE ... /CAPITAL.. . .;;. , (By : TelesrapU-Prcsi AejociaUon-Cosjyrlfflit.! .(Eee. Ocbbor 21, 9.15, p.m.) .:. .; iy . , r '..- ■ ' London,' October 21.is . ™n*..St., Petersburg l .'correspondent bf'the .;■ "Daily News" reports that.the Russian ,6ov <a eminent intende to annox from Finland the ), province of Viborg. '.• ':■-.- id A force, includiftg Cossacks .' and.artillery! !t has been soiit to'Viborg toovcr-aw the inh habitants. .. ' : .:- .' ' .'. ( : , , e _In justification of tho annexation it ij urged n that Viborg is within : an hour , )! journey of St.Petersburg, and might form a base for insurg,3 onts in the event of -a. revolution. • . ly ENCROACHMENT ON FINNISH RIGHTS. n I ,Y ibo 'B'' B s''fflilM.by rairnorth-west of St. , r . Petersburg, and capital of the'Viborg ment (m South-East Finland)- wae place a whence issued tho Viborg Manifesto, eign/d by ' ■;£% fS° m ?■■ Petersburg. ■••• The maniteto " at Vjn »«' ¥ to Pay.taxes, and not.to give reoruits, if the Duma .were'hot convoked. Last year sentence of three months' imprisonraent, mth os 3 of all political rights, was imposed on all its. signatories, exoept two, who v . were acquitted. . : "f . Th « Ru s si »n Government 'has for some' time 8 imputed to Finland the harbouring of revolutionaries,; end a tendency to whittle down the constitution granted to .Finland by the Tsar in ~ 1905 has t becnmaiked for the last two years. ;; ? t ." ne i as . l year an Imperial Order was wsued stating that the. final decision in Finnish questions affedting the interests of the Empire as a,whole rested'with the/Imperial Ministry, and ell such queetione must in futtirebe submitted to the Ministry for consideration. The Gover-nor-General must henceforth report not only to the State Seoretary for Finland; but to the , r Imperial Premier on all matters requiring the sanction of the Tsar. . ' .'■'"/ ■• .. , The elections..were held on July 1,1903,' and '-. resulted. ,thus:-Sooial .Demoorats, 83; Old Finns, MiYoung Finns, 25; Swedish party, 25; s Agrarians, 9; Chrietian Workmen's Unions 2. „ When'the Diet: assembled (August's) a great ■„ majority were: opposed to the .prior reference » of legislation to the Imperial, Ministry. The President of the Diet, addressing tho GovernorGeneral, declared that any meaeure'which was hot consistent with; the: independent administration of Finland and the special consideration by the .Tear, on .direct reports on financial subjects was-an invasion of ■the l ,country's rights.