It was announced last Saturday that M. Stolypin had formed
his Cabinet, and the result is a uniform Ministry of reactionaries. The scheme for the inclusion of Octobrist Ministers having failed, the Court party have asserted their authority, and secured the appointment of their nominees. Apparently M. Stolypin was not to blame, for he was willing enough to include Liberals in his Cabinet and accept a Liberal programme ; but M. Lvoff's visit to Peterhof made it clear that the Premier had been acting beyond his commission. But he was undoubtedly to blame for issuing a garbled account of the negotiations, which was refuted by the publication in the Novoe Vremya on Saturday of letters from Count Heyden, M. Shipoff, and M. Lvoff, showing that the breakdown arose solely from the refusal of the Government to accept the very modest Octobrist conditions. The result has been to drive the Moderates a little further to the Left ; • and with a view to the elections, a Constitutional Party is in process of formation, which, besides the Octobrista, will possibly include a considerable section of the Constitutional Democrats who reject the Viborg Manifesto. Meanwhile there are rumours again of a change of Premier. M. Stolypin was less liberal than M. Goremykin, but be is apparently too liberal for the Court, and it is probable that he may soon be replaced by Prince Vassiltchikoff, the new Minister of Agriculture.
