M. Stolypin faced the interpellstions regarding his recent action in
the Council of State yesterday week. He began at once by assuming full responsibility for the procedure adopted in suspending the sittings of the Duna, and promulgating the
Western Provinces Bill by virtue of Article 87 of the Funda- mental Laws. But he maintained that it was not a matter for the Imperial Council or the legislative institutions to decide whether extraordinary circumstances had arisen which required resort to Article 87. It would, he admitted, be foolish and even criminal to make Article 87 a permanent feature of Government. But "the rejection of the Zemstvos Bill by the Council of Empire indicated a deviation from the national policy on home affairs, and such a volts face in itself con- stituted an extraordinary circumstance. The Crown put an end to this vacillation, and the Bill was enacted in the manner provided in Article 87. The Senate," he further declared, " was alone competent to decide whether the Decree was in accordance with the Fundamental Laws." The Council of Empire decided by 99 to 53 votes that the interpellation was not affected by M. Stolypin's declaration, but, as the numbers of the dissentients did not amount to two-thirds, the question of illegal procedure by the Government cannot be submitted to the decision of the Emperor.
