In spite of all the efforts of the Russian Government
to .• prevent it, the Constituticinal Democrats seem to be winning everywhere at the elections. The present elections are not of Members of the Duma, but of the Electoral Colleges which will return the Members, and though they on this account give no guarantee of the nature of Russia's first Parliament, yet at the same time they afford an indisputable proof of the trend of popular feeling. The " Octebrists," who now appear as the official party, have been badly defeated in the provincial towns, and even in many of the country districts. In St. Petersburg, the stronghold of reaction, the Democrats claim to have polled more than two-thirds of the votes, and have won every seat. The Government are taking every possible step to nullify these results by means of arrests and the cancelling of elections on technical grounds; but it is difficult to see how, in spite of all obstacles, the Electoral Colleges will not contain a majority of reformers. The retirement of Count Witte and the flotation of a new Russian loan are events which are said to be about to coincide with the meeting of the first Duma. We sincerely trust that a really representative body will assemble, for the possession of a genuine Parliament will facili- tate the rapprochement between this country and Russia which we have always urged.
