which he considered most urgent,
and instructed the Committee of Ministers to prepare the requisite
legislation. The list of reforms coincided to a certain extent with the
demands formulated by the Zemstvos, but the document as a whole produced
profound disappointment, because it contained no mention of a National
Assembly. To those who could read between the lines the attitude of the
Emperor seemed perfectly clear. He was evidently desirous of introducing
very considerable reforms, but he was resolved that they must be
effected by the unimpaired Autocratic Power in the old bureaucratic
fashion, without any participation of the unofficial world.

To obviate any misconception on this point, the Government published,
simultaneously with the ukaz, an official communication in which
it condemned the agitation and excitement, and warned the Zemstvos,
municipalities, and other corporate bodies that in discussing political
questions they were overstepping the limits of their legally-defined
functions and exposing themselves to the rigours of the law.

As might have been foreseen, the ukaz and the circular had not at all
the desired effect of "introducing the necessary tranquillity into
public life, which has lately been diverted from its normal course." On
the contrary, they increased the excitement, and evoked a new series of
public demonstrations. On December 27th, the very day on which the two
official documents were published--the Provincial Zemstvo of Moscow,
openly disregarding the ministerial warnings, expressed the conviction
that the day was near when the bureaucratic regime, which had so long
estranged the Supreme Power from the people, would be changed, and
when freely-elected representatives of the people would take part
in legislation. The same evening, at St. Petersburg, a great Liberal
banquet was held, at which a resolution was voted condemning the war,
and declaring that Russia could be extricated from her difficulties only
by the representatives of the nation, freely elected by secret ballot.
As an encouragement to the organs of local administration to persevere
in their disregard of ministerial instructions, the St. Petersburg
Medical Society, after adopting the programme of the Zemstvo Congress,
sent telegrams of congratulation to the Mayor of Moscow and the
President of the Tchernigof Zemstvo bureau, both of whom had incurred
the displeasure of the Government. A similar telegram was sent by a
Congress of