Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/1308

 1186 RUSSIA

and places it almost entirely under the Governors nominated by the Emperor. In 1894, municipal institutions, with still more limited powers, were intro- duced in several towns of Siberia, and in 1895 in Caucasia. The institu- tions of the zemstvo are in force in 34 provinces (361 districts) of European Russia,

FinlcCnd ^. — The Grand-duchy of Finland, ceded to the Emperor of Russia by the treaty of Fredrikshamn, September 17, 1809, has preserved, by special grant of Alexander I. (renewed by his successors), the Swedish Constitution, dating from the year 1772, reformed in 1789, slightly modified in 1869 and 1882, and reformed in 1906. The decrees issued in the years 1899-1903 were all abolished by the Imperial Ukase of November 4, 1905, which gave authority for the reform of the Legislative body. The national parliament, which formerly consisted of four estates, the nobles, the clergy, the burghers, and the peasants, now consists of one Chamber oi 200 members chosen by direct and proportional election, in which all who aie entitled to vote have an equal vote. The suffrage is possessed, with 1 he usual exceptions, by every Finnish citizen (man or woman) who has reached his or her 24th year. There are 16 electoral districts with a representation proportioned to the population, a re-arrangement being ie(iuired every 10 years. Each district is divided into voting circuits. The voting system, devised with a view to proportional representation, provides for the formation of voters' associations which prepare three-name lists of candidates, the votes for whom are in a falling scale according to the order in which the voter has placed them. There may, within limits, be compacts between associations, and joint candidates may be entered in competing lists, while any voter may either support an association list or vote for any candidate he pleases. Every citizen entitled to vote is eligible to the Diet, the members of which receive 1,400 marks (56Z.) for each session of about 90 days. The Diet lasts for 3 years unless sooner dissolved. The Grand-Duke summons and may dissolve the Diet ; certain legislative measures are brought forward by the ministers as propositions from him, and the Government is responsible to him as well as to the Diet. But the Diet can decide on any motion not affecting funda- mental laws or the organisation of land and sea defence.

Poland, — Poland, which had a Constitution of its own from 1815 to 1830, and a separate government till 1864, was deprived at the latter date of the last remnant of its administrative independence. Finally, by ukase of the Emperor, dated Feb. 23, 1868, the government of Poland was absolutely incorporated with that of Russia, and the use of Polish language in public places and for public purposes (railways, signboards, wills, &c.), was prohibited.

Baltic Provinces. — The Baltic Provinces have had some institutions for self- government of their own. They have, however, been gradually curtailed, and the privileges of the provinces in police and school matters, chiefly vested in the nobility, have been taken away by a law of June 21, 1888, the judicial and police rights of the landlords having been transfen-ed to functionaries nominated by the State. By a law of Ju.ly 21, 1889, the last vestiges of manorial justice and of tribunals under the German-speaking nobility have been abolished, but the Law of Justice of 1864, which is in force in Russia, has been but partially applied to the pj-ovinces, so as to inaintain the administration of justice under the central Government. The Russian language has been rendered obligatory in the official correspondence

1 For further details on Finland, see end of Ruissia.