The Government Bill regulating Russo-Finnish relations Las been considered by
a Committee of the Duma, whose Report only aggravates the severity of the provisions required by the Government. The scope of the Government proposals —which are based on the recommendations of the Russian members of the Russo-Finnish Committee appointed in 1909 to safeguard Russian interests in Finland—are set forth in full detail by a Finnish correspondent in Wednesday's Times. Henceforth Finland will be deprived of the right to tax itself, and the Russian Parliament will be empowered to determine the rights of Russian subjects in Finland; "to constitute exceptions, in the interests of the Empire, to the Finnish criminal law and law of procedure "; to legislate on popular education, on the right of holding public meetings, on the Press, the importation of foreign literature, on the Customs relations between the two countries, on trade-marks, copy- right, the monetary system, means of communication, naviga- tion, and the rights of aliens in Finland. Lastly, the Bill contains a saving clause to the effect that amendments to the Bill shall be made by the Russian Legislature alone. Even the fundamental principles for the internal administration of Finland are to be established and altered by general legislation, on the initiative of the Tsar.
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