FINNS AND RUSSIANS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8341, 30 January 1913, Page 8

FINNS AND RUSSIANS

RESISTING LAW OP EQUALITY,

FINNISH OFFICIALS IMPRISONED

ST. PETERSBURG, January 28. Twenty-three Finnish officials of the Supremo Court at Viborg hare been sentenced to sixteen months’ imprisonment, and have been disqualified for a decade from holding office, for resisting the law equalising the status of Finns and Russians in Finland. The President of the Court was acquitted.

A Government Bill was passed by the Russian Puma last year compelling the Finns to grant the Russians in Finland equal rights and place them on the same level as that of the natives. "This new law/’ stated the correspondent of a London journal before tho passing of tho measure, "will in alt probability be approved and passed, with very little alteration, by tho principal factions of the House, only a small group of the Extreme Bight and the Constitutional Democrats offering any great opposition. Tho Finns are naturally in a state of great anxiety and depression, in anticipation of this fresh blow to be dealt against the autonomy and isolation to which they cling so tenaciously. Tile terrible part of tho now measure is the danse whereby Russia provides for the almost inevitable neglect or refusal or tho Finnish officials to carry out the new enactment by ordering the arrest of auch disobedient officials and tnerr trial by the Russian courts at St. Petersburg. A number of influential Finns from Helsingfors are visiting St. Petersburg, trying to raise some opposition amongst their friends to this fatal clause; but the Russians know very well that without some such rigour as this the Finns will never submit to Russian laws introducing far-reaching innovations into tho Grand Duchy of Finland in defiance ot Uxeir own Diet and Senate."