rocope, against the suspension by imperial ukase of a
fundamental law of the Grand Duchy. The Czar must have known of the
unlawfulness of the present procedure, for on November 6/18, 1894,
shortly after his accession, he signed the following declaration:--

. . . We have hereby desired to confirm and ratify the
religion, the fundamental laws, the rights and privileges of
every class in the said Grand Duchy, in particular, and all
its inhabitants high and low in general, which they,
according to the constitution of this country, had enjoyed,
promising to preserve the same steadfastly and in full
force[239].

[Footnote 239: _The Rights of Finland_, p. 4 (Stockholm 1899). See too
for the whole question _Finland and the Tsars, 1809-1899_, by J.R.
Fisher (London, 2nd Edit. 1900).]

The military system of Finland having been definitely organised by the
Finnish law of 1878, that statute clearly came within the scope of those
"fundamental laws" which Nicholas II. had promised to uphold in full
force. We can imagine, then, the astonishment which fell on the Finnish
Diet and people on the presentation of the famous Imperial Manifesto of
February 3/15, 1899. While expressing a desire to leave purely Finnish
affairs to the consideration of the Government and Diet of the Grand
Duchy, the Czar warned his Finnish subjects that there were others that
could not be so treated, seeing that they were "closely bound up with
the needs of the whole Empire." As the Finnish constitution pointed out
no way of treating such subjects, it was needful now to complete the
existing institutions of the Duchy. The Manifesto proceded as follows:--

Whilst maintaining in full force the now prevailing statutes
which concern the promulgation of local laws touching
exclusively the internal affairs of Finland, We have found it
necessary to reserve to Ourselves the ultimate decision as to
which laws come within the scope of the general legislation
of the Empire. With this in view, We have with Our Royal Hand
established and confirmed the fundamental statutes for the
working out, revision, and promulgation of laws issued for
the Empire, including the Grand Duchy of Finland, which are
proclaimed simultaneously herewith[240].

[Footnote 240: _The Rights of Finland_, pp. 6-7 also in _Pour la
Finlande_, par J. Deck, p. 43.]

The accompanying enactments made it clear that the