Misplaced Pages

#509490

140-552: The fundamental statutes of state legislation procedure were published in connection with the manifesto, based on which the Russian state council would review the law proposals. The emperor had the final decision. There was no definition or restriction of what matters the state legislation concerned. The February Manifesto was prepared in secret from the Finns, although it was based on the work of two Russian-Finnish committees active in

280-697: A constitutional monarchy , in practice it is generally seen as instituting an absolute monarchy , especially after its modification in 1789 by the Union and Security Act , which further strengthened royal power at the expense of the Riksdag. It remained in force throughout the Gustavian era , until replaced by the 1809 Instrument of Government as a result of the Coup of 1809 . During the Age of Liberty (1719–1772), Sweden

420-724: A committee (or "commission") consisting of one or more persons to assist with the work of the assembly. For larger organizations, much work is done in committees. They can be a way to formally draw together people of relevant expertise from different parts of an organization who otherwise would not have a good way to share information and coordinate actions. They may have the advantage of widening viewpoints and sharing out responsibilities. They can also be appointed with experts to recommend actions in matters that require specialized knowledge or technical judgment. Committees can serve several different functions: Generally, committees are required to report to their parent body. They do not usually have

560-446: A committee as a way to explore them more fully than would be possible if the whole assembly or organization were considering them. Committees may have different functions and their types of work differ depending on the type of organization and its needs. A member of a legislature may be delegated a committee assignment , which gives them the right to serve on a certain committee. A deliberative assembly or other organization may form

700-568: A conflict with the Finns, and they deliberately sought this. According to the Russians, the manifesto did not significantly alter the relationship between Finland and Russia, as there had already been state legislation before. According to Nicholas II, the manifesto did not even affect the position of the Finnish estates, as he thought they never had a veto right in matters of the state in the first place. Finland had been governed since 1863 so that

840-607: A different version. A conference committee in the United States Congress is a temporary panel of negotiators from the House of Representatives and the Senate . Unless one chamber decides to accept the other's original bill, the compromise version must pass both chambers after leaving the conference committee. This committee is usually composed of the senior members of the standing committees that originally considered

980-429: A large project's development team could be organized to solve some particular issue with offsetting considerations and trade-offs. Once the committee makes its final report to its parent body, the special committee ceases to exist. A committee that is a subset of a larger committee is called a subcommittee . Committees that have a large workload may form subcommittees to further divide the work. Subcommittees report to

1120-521: A new conscription law in Finland. Heiden was opposed to this idea, as it would have weakened the position of the Governor-General of Finland as the chief of the Finnish defence district. He also stated that discontinuing the Finnish armed forces would lessen, not strengthen, the Finnish commitment to the defense of the empire. Now also Alexander III changed his mind, as he did not want to offend

1260-595: A new legislation order for the Finnish laws concerning the interests of the Russian empire, in which the Diet of Finland would only have had an advisory role. The Finns opposed the restriction of the legislative rights of the estates, whereas the Russians thought the Finnish estates could not have a veto right in matters concerning the interests of the empire. When the committee failed to reach a unanimous decision, its Russian majority decided in March 1893 to present their proposal to

1400-490: A particular task or to oversee a specific area in need of control or oversight. Many are research or coordination committees in type or purpose and are temporary. Some are a sub-group of a larger society with a particular area of interest which are organized to meet and discuss matters pertaining to their interests. For example; a group of astronomers might be organized to discuss how to get the larger society to address near Earth objects . A subgroup of engineers and scientists of

1540-408: A proposal about the codification of Finnish laws on a suggestion from minister-secretary of the state Theodor Bruun . As before, the Finns opposed the codification, and so the senate suggested founding a permanent law drafting body instead. Heiden insisted on the codification of at least those constitutional laws he felt were unclear. In 1884 a compromise was reached, where a permanent legislation board

SECTION 10

#1732764638510

1680-529: A significant effect on later Finnish politics. The matter remained officially uncontested and arguably unresolved for more than a century, but after the abdication of Nicholas II in 1917, the Parliament of Finland , as successor to the old Estates of the Realm, moved to assume sovereign power in Finland, based on the old Swedish provisions in case of a vacancy on the throne . This led to a power struggle with

1820-480: A smaller group, but simply permit the assembly's full meeting body to consider it with the greater freedom of debate that is allowed to committees. These forms are to go into a committee of the whole , to go into a quasi-committee of the whole, and to consider informally. Passing any of these motions removes the limitations on the number of times a member can speak. The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure has informal consideration, but does not have "committee of

1960-608: A specific provision in the charter or bylaws of the entity (i.e. a board cannot appoint an executive committee without authorization to do so). Members of the executive committee may be elected by the overall franchised membership or by the board, depending on the rules of the organization, and usually consist of the CEO and the Vice Presidents in charge of respective directorates within the organization. However formed, an executive committee only has such powers and authority that

2100-461: A state and only left some "local rights" to it. State legislation overrode Finland's own laws. Heiden's proposal was titled "A fundamental legislation of the government of the provinces in the Grand Duchy of Finland", as the Russians refused to use the term "form of government", which would have referred to the idea of Finland being a state of its own. The documents and conflicting statements of

2240-462: Is clear what is being discussed). The level of formality depends on the size and type of committee, in which sometimes larger committees considering crucial issues may require more formal processes. Minutes are a record of the decisions at meetings. They can be taken by a person designated as the secretary. For most organizations, committees are not required to keep formal minutes. However, some bodies require that committees take minutes, especially if

2380-517: Is generally remembered as a golden age of political and artistic freedom, but it was also characterised by factional struggles between the so-called " Cap " and " Hat " parties in the Riksdag and by military humiliation in the Hats' War (1741–1743) and the Pomeranian War (1757–1762). Indeed, some historians argue that by the early 1770s the situation had deteriorated to the extent that Sweden

2520-433: Is granted its scope and powers over a particular area of business by the governing documents. Standing committees meet on a regular or irregular basis depending on their function, and retain any power or oversight originally given them until subsequent official actions of the governing body (through changes to law or by-laws) disbands the committee. Most governmental legislative committees are standing committees. This phrase

2660-409: Is made with instructions and the motion is agreed to, the chairman of the committee in question will immediately report the bill or resolution back to the whole House with the new language. In this sense, a motion to recommit with instructions is effectively an amendment. In Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised ( RONR ), the motion to commit has three variations which do not turn a question over to

2800-466: Is that they be made up of qualified and knowledgeable people representing the best interests of the membership. In the case of business entities, their directors will often be brought in from outside, and receive a benefit for their expertise. In the context of nominations for awards, a nominating committee can also be formed for the purpose of nominating persons or things held up for judgment by others as to their comparative quality or value, especially for

2940-481: Is the common designation of the highest organ of communist parties between two congresses . The committee was elected by the party congress and led party activities, elected the politburo and the general secretary of the communist party . Instrument of Government (1772) The 1772 Instrument of Government ( Swedish : regeringsform ) was the constitution of the Kingdom of Sweden from 1772 to 1809. It

SECTION 20

#1732764638510

3080-587: Is used in the legislatures of the following countries: Under the laws of the United States of America, a standing committee is a Congressional committee permanently authorized by the United States House of Representatives and United States Senate rules. The Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 greatly reduced the number of committees, and set up the legislative committee structure still in use today, as modified by authorized changes via

3220-581: The Bjurböle meteorite which had fallen near Porvoo on 12 March was seen as nature's own objection to the activity of the emperor. The Finns thought Nicholas II could still change his mind if appealed to in name of the entire people. The idea of a great petition was born among the Swedish-speaking intellectuals in Helsinki in a couple of days after the publication of the manifesto. Assembling

3360-474: The European Parliament at a second reading. Although the practice has fallen out of favour in other Australian Parliaments, the Parliament of South Australia still regularly appoints a "Conference of Managers" from each House to negotiate compromises on disputed bills in private. In organizations, the term "conference committee" may have a different meaning. This meaning may be associated with

3500-600: The Grand Duchy of Finland , created in 1809 from the eastern third of Sweden as part of the Russian Empire , the 1772 Instrument of Government had a peculiar status. While the Russian emperors, reigning in Finland as grand dukes, never gave any indication that they considered their autocratic powers limited by any constitution, a theory was developed in Finland that the old Instrument of Government remained in force, mutatis mutandis , with Finland's position as part of

3640-597: The Great Offices of the Realm but had fallen out of use in the previous century. On the other hand, large parts of the Instrument were also inspired by recent Enlightenment ideas, in particular Montesquieu 's notion of the separation of powers . This concept would also be one of the main principles behind the US Constitution , drawn up four years later, and indeed Gustav was an avowed admirer of

3780-704: The November Manifesto in 1905 and then permanently by the March Manifesto in 1917. According to the fundamental statutes of the February Manifesto, the enactment of a new law in Finland could only be initiated by a Russian minister or a Finnish minister-secretary after negotiation with a Russian minister, or alternatively by the Governor-General of Finland through them. The Diet of Finland would only have an advisory role:

3920-470: The Senate Square in Helsinki awaiting information about the publication of the manifesto. Information about the publication was met throughout Finland with feelings of sorrow, hopelessness and bitterness. In Helsinki, there were mourning clothes, drapes and cloths displayed at the windows of fashion shops and books defending Finland's rights at the windows of book shops. A particularly noteworthy sight

4060-504: The 1826 state secretary directive, according to which enacting Russian laws in Finland would happen through the Minister-Secretary and his decision, as well as the 1891 amendment, according to which the Minister-Secretary should request a statement from the corresponding Russian minister for all Finnish laws concerning the interests of Russia. The role of the Diet of Finland was never mentioned in these decrees at all. However, as

4200-404: The Diet of Finland first assembled in 1863. Narrowing the rights of the Diet of Finland by a unilateral edict from the emperor was seen as a breach of constitution. According to the Finns, Nicholas II also broke his imperial oath, where he had promised to protect the laws of Finland. From the Russian point of view, the Finnish constitution could not override the autocracy of the emperor. Although

4340-605: The Empire having the nature of a personal union . This theory was, however, never put forward officially and never accepted in St. Petersburg. It did gain considerable popular currency in Finland, so that Russification measures instituted from the 1890s onwards were commonly decried as an "unconstitutional" assault on the country's autonomy. The "Constitutionals" ( perustuslailliset ) were an important political faction in Finland at this time, and their legacy of constitutional legalism has had

February Manifesto - Misplaced Pages Continue

4480-427: The February Manifesto narrowed the autonomy of Finland, it has gained a reputation bigger than its actual content throughout history. The only law directly enacted by the manifesto was the 1901 law of military conscription in Finland , which discontinued the military of Finland and forced the Finnish people to undergo military conscription in the military of Russia. The February Manifesto was first temporarily repealed by

4620-526: The Finnish conscription law based on the work of Dandeville's committee was made at the Russian General Staff in May 1898. It was based on the discontinuation of the Finnish defence forces and expanding the Russian conscription to Finland according to the integration claims made by Milyutin and Vannovsky. The new minister of war Aleksey Kuropatkin , who thought that integration of the defence forces

4760-506: The Finnish constitution or whether they simply saw themselves as having made voluntary allowances, which they could later unilaterally revoke. The Russian way of governmental thinking was different from the Swedish-Finnish one and was based on an autocratic tradition, where the ruler was above the laws. Before the Diet of Finland was founded in 1863, some laws were enacted by imperial order, which would have required acceptance from

4900-414: The Finnish constitution, the emperor commented: "We should forget about the form of government already." Even before this, the activity of the senate had led to another series of events: on 12 December Kuropatkin and Bobrikov decided that a new ukase should be published concerning the review of the conscription law, which would define the enactment of state legislation concerning Finland. The report given by

5040-409: The Finnish members of the commission to accept some kind of a compromise, but the Finnish and Russian members disagreed so badly that no common ground could be found. The Russians repeated the opinion of historian Kesar Ordin and rejected the idea of the Grand Duchy of Finland being its own state, while the Finns kept to their own interpretation of the constitutional law and defended the report given by

5180-583: The Finnish procurator Theodor Sederholm complained that the gendarmerie had illegally arrested the Finnish-Russian teacher Paul Leontjeff in Helsinki for possession of political literature forbidden in Russia. Emperor Alexander III ordered the governor-general to ask for a statement from the procurator in further unclear legal questions, but also ordered Heiden and the Senate of Finland to make

5320-601: The Finns any more. The proposal never progressed any further in his lifetime. After Nicholas II succeeded Alexander III as emperor and the elderly Heiden had resigned from his post, two new committees were founded from 1896 to 1897 to investigate the matter according to Vannovsky's previous proposal, both of which were led by general Viktor Dandeville . Mikhail Borodkin was also part of both committees. The committee members also included Finnish soldiers, such as Waldemar Schauman , Michael Leonard von Blom , Kasten Antell and Guido Gadolin , but their opinions were not noted. Despite

5460-401: The Finns were partly correct, because with the manifesto Finland could "slowly and covertly be changed into a governorate ". Bobrikov attempted to reach the Russian autocracy to Finland, but the order of state legislation was only one point in his program. One Russian newspaper wrote about the possible application of the manifesto: "Other than the military, the post, the telegram and the customs,

5600-578: The Finns, and also the national-minded minister of justice Nikolay Manassein gave a very negative statement. He had crushed the autonomy of the Baltic countries in the early 1880s. The statement by the codification department arrived in August 1890 and that by the minister of justice in October in the same year. The Senate of Finland had delayed investigating the matter by only appointing a board to investigate

5740-428: The Grand Duchy of Finland should be a state to its own. The possibility to change Finnish laws against the constitution without acceptance from the estates undermined the constitutional government, and if any matter concerning Finland could be moved away from the decision of the Finnish legislative bodies without prior confirmation, Finland would no longer constitute a state. In his letter to Kuropatkin, Bobrikov saw that

February Manifesto - Misplaced Pages Continue

5880-579: The Heiden commission were sent to a senate board appointed to review the report given by the Weissenberg committee. The senate finished its statement about the matter in May 1891. It was presented to Emperor Alexander III in spring 1892 in connection with the previously mentioned Heiden counterproposal, but events had already taken a new turn before this. Heiden had prepared a note as the introduction of his counterproposal, which he had separately presented to

6020-584: The Instrument of Government included the following: After the Swedish defeat in the Finnish War , a coup d'état was mounted against Gustav's son and successor, King Gustav IV Adolf , by disgruntled liberals and army officers. The king was forced to abdicate and sent into exile, and a new constitution was then drawn up, the Instrument of Government (1809) , which superseded the 1772 Instrument. In

6160-551: The Pan-Slavists and Slavophiles sought to abolish Finland's special position, just as the Baltic German historian Carl Schirren had previously predicted. Direct development leading to the February Manifesto is said to have started with a codification attempt of Finnish laws started by Governor-General of Finland Fyodor Logginovich van Heiden . Heiden found a conflict between the Finnish and Russian laws in 1882, when

6300-447: The Riksdag and compelled it to accept a new constitution which he had drawn up, the 1772 Instrument of Government. The Instrument of Government was a somewhat curious mix of different influences. In part it was based on earlier Swedish political traditions, harking back above all to the reign of the revered King Gustav II Adolf ; for example, it revived the posts of Lord High Chancellor and Lord High Steward , which had once been among

6440-486: The Russian majority of the Bunge committee could be used as a background, with Bobrikov having studied it when he was appointed to his new post. Nicholas II agreed and appointed a secret committee to design an imperial notice about the enactment order of laws. This committee was led by the head of the state council, Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich . Other members included Bobrikov, supreme procurator Pobedonostsev, secretary of

6580-600: The Slavophiles and Pan-Slavists replaced the reformists and gained access to influential key positions. The Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878) further increased the influence of the Pan-Slavists. However, in his final years Alexander II felt it necessary to keep the enthusiasm of the Pan-Slavists down. Russification of the Baltic countries was made by making the Russian language the standard language of official matters. Next,

6720-421: The Weissenberg committee. Both parties sought to fulfil their own political goals. The Finns made a proposal of a collection of constitutional laws, which was a bit milder than the report given by the Weissenberg committee at controversial points, but it was still not enough for the Russians. After concluding that a compromise was impossible Heiden made a proposal of his own. The proposal did not recognise Finland as

6860-501: The acting governor-general at the time. The committee made a statement on 14 August that the Diet of Finland could address the proposal in its entirety, but only to give a statement. Kuropatkin was alone opposed to this decision. The Senate of Finland made a new version of the conscription law proposal for the coming diet in November 1898, which was completely different from that made by the Russian General Staff, because its background

7000-414: The aftermath of the coup , and although it invoked ideas like the separation of powers, it provided few practical checks upon the king's power. Moreover, in 1789 Gustav removed many of the few limits which did exist upon his power by compelling the Riksdag to pass the Union and Security Act , which revised the Instrument of Government in a more nakedly authoritarian direction. Significant provisions of

7140-423: The assembly is considering a partial report of the committee. Otherwise, it requires a majority vote with previous notice ; a two-thirds vote ; or a majority of the entire membership . Under The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure , the assembly that has referred a motion or a matter to a committee may, by a majority vote, withdraw it at any time from the committee, refer it to another committee, or decide

SECTION 50

#1732764638510

7280-565: The autocratic system. The Russian zapadniks , meaning politicians geared towards renovation, opposed the conservative politics seeking to replace the old and autocratic system with a more democratic and liberal state. They viewed Finland as their model, which made the conservatives want to unify Finland closer with the parent country and abolish Finland's autonomy. In the years after the January Uprising in Congress Poland

7420-442: The case if they are in different parts of the country or the world. The chairman is responsible for running meetings. Duties include keeping the discussion on the appropriate subject, recognizing members to speak, and confirming what the committee has decided (through voting or by unanimous consent ). Using Roberts Rules of Order Newly Revised (RONR), committees may follow informal procedures (such as not requiring motions if it

7560-437: The codification department of the state council Eduard Frisch . The Finnish members included senator Georg von Alfthan , minister-secretary of the state Woldermar von Daehn , assistant minister-secretary of the state Victor Napoleon Procopé and procurator Georg Henrik Calonius . Per Bunge's wishes, the committee concentrated on the question of the position of general legislature, which had been raised in Heiden's note and in

7700-423: The codification department's 1890 statement before that. The Bunge committee was also given the material produced by the Weissenberg and Heiden committees and statements given about them, but only the Heiden note was actually used in the Bunge committee's work. The Russian and Finnish members of the committee made proposals for reports, which differed drastically from each other. The Russian proposal would have created

7840-455: The codification of constitutional laws, as that would allow the Grand Duchy of Finland to have its own form of government and gain Russia's recognition. The birth of the February Manifesto was a natural result of the politics the old and patriotic Russian Slavophiles and Pan-Slavists had towards conquered lands, with their most important goal being a strong and unified Russia. The Russian conservatives resisted change and sought to strengthen

7980-403: The committee might include building a business case for the project, planning, providing assistance and guidance, monitoring the progress, controlling the project scope and resolving conflicts. As with other committees, the specific duties and role of the steering committee vary among organizations. A special committee (also working, select, or ad hoc committee) is established to accomplish

8120-407: The committee reports its recommendations back to the assembly, the referred motion may be removed from the committee's consideration by the motion to discharge a committee. In the United States House of Representatives , a motion to recommit can be made with or without instructions. If the motion is made without instructions, the bill or resolution is simply sent back to the committee. If the motion

8260-410: The committee wanted to strengthen Finland's judicial position and made a proposal for a new form of government based on Swedish-era constitutional laws. Of the committee members, only Hermanson disagreed with the idea, rejecting the union theory, but he also agreed that Finland was an autonomic state inside Russia. The committee's report, including proposals for a new form of government and privileges ,

8400-430: The committee was Johan Richard Danielson-Kalmari . The members were appointed on suggestion from the senate and Heiden, but Alexander III made significant changes to the candidate list of the senatorial council. To Heiden's disappointment, Weissenberg and the majority of the committee supported Leo Mechelin 's controversial theory that Finland was a separate state in a real union with Russia. Instead of mere codification,

8540-411: The committee's report, but at New Year's time from 1889 to 1890 Heiden sought an imperial order that statements about it were to be requested from the Russian foreign minister and the codification department of the state council, after which it would be investigated in a new commission led by Heiden. The statement by the codification department criticised judicial views concerning the constitutional laws of

SECTION 60

#1732764638510

8680-413: The committees are public ones subject to open meeting laws . Committees may meet on a regular basis, such as weekly or more often, or meetings may be called irregularly as the need arises. The frequency of the meetings depends on the work of the committee and the needs of the parent body. When the committee completes its work, it provides the results in a report to its parent body. The report may include

8820-470: The conferences, or conventions , that the organization puts together. These committees that are responsible for organizing such events may be called "conference committees". A standing committee is a subunit of a political or deliberative body established in a permanent fashion to aid the parent assembly in accomplishing its duties, for example by meeting on a specific, permanent policy domain (e.g. defence, health, or trade and industry). A standing committee

8960-410: The content of individual laws. In the 19th century Russia sought to unify its realm, especially by Russifying the frontier lands. In Finland, unification was hindered by the local autonomy and constitutional laws, so they would have to be either discontinued or redefined. There had been a common codification , meaning a unification of laws and edicts, under planning already since 1826. The original idea

9100-432: The current situation was contrary to the interests of the Russian defence forces and the Finnish forces were not to be trusted, so the military burden could not be divided more equally between Finland and Russia. Alexander III stated he would accept this proposal in principle. In 1893, a committee led by Vannovsky proposed that integrating the Finnish armed forces as part of the Russian armed forces would be handled by enacting

9240-403: The deputy chairman of the financial department of the Senate of Finland Sten Carl Tudeer and procurator Woldemar Söderhjelm of the manifesto. Knowledge of the manifesto soon to be published reached the people of Helsinki on Thursday 16 February. The Finns took it as a devastating surprise, especially as there had already been rumours of something especially evil coming. In Russia the manifesto

9380-413: The diet started regularly assembling in 1863, it became a de facto standard that the decisions of the diet were not overridden in enacting laws, which fit together with the Finnish idea of constitutional law. Before 1863 it was easier for Russia to have its way in Finnish legislation, as the Minister-Secretary generally considered the Russian point of view first. The introduction of the Diet of Finland made

9520-454: The diet under Finnish constitution, such as ending the execution of capital punishment in 1826 and the law giving the Orthodox right to hold public offices in 1827. From 1808 to 1898 about 200 laws and decrees were enacted, with identical content in the Russian and Finnish decree collections. As there was no separate order of state legislation, enactment of congruent laws was directed by

9660-494: The diet, a special meeting of the diet was called in January 1899. Nicholas II signed an ukase about this special meeting on 19 July 1898. In August 1898 the emperor decided to appoint Nikolay Bobrikov as the new Governor-General of Finland, who supported Kuropatkin's line in the question of Finnish conscription. Bobrikov, who had been influenced by the Russian conservative nationalist press wanted to integrate Finland deeper into

9800-399: The diet. These interpretations were later disputed in Russia. In practice however these constitutional laws were taken into action in the Finnish administration. For a long time, the Finns took for granted that the emperors had committed to constitutional rule in Finland, as each emperor had given an imperial oath to Finland upon inauguration, renewing the promises made by Alexander I. None of

9940-490: The early 1890s. Its immediate purpose was to enable the discontinuation of the Finnish military conscripted in 1881, which the Diet of Finland did not want to agree to. However, the manifesto acted as a start for the politics driven by Nikolay Bobrikov who had been appointed Governor-General of Finland in 1898, which aimed at narrowing the autonomy of Finland and other ways of Russification of Finland. The Great Petition

10080-660: The emperor in December 1891. At this time, the emperor decided to appoint a mixed Russian-Finnish committee led by the former finance minister of Russia Nikolai von Bunge to create rules about the relationship between the general and local legislation. This committee might have been the idea of either Heiden or the codification department of the state council. The Bunge committee worked in St. Petersburg from 1892 to 1893. Its Russian members included Bunge, governor-general Heiden, financial minister Manaissen, minister of war Pyotr Vannovsky , interior minister Ivan Durnovo and leader of

10220-437: The emperor in the name of the entire committee. However, per the Finns' protest, Alexander III delayed the investigation of the matter and never took action on it before his death. In May 1893 Alexander III did give an order to appoint a new Russian-Finnish legislation codification committee, but this apparently never took place. Only in 1899 was a new systematisation committee of the Finnish legislature appointed in connection with

10360-401: The emperor to assemble the diet. Minister-secretary of the state von Daehn had surprisingly been recently granted the resignation he had requested in the previous year, and he had been succeeded by his inexperienced assistant Procopé as acting minister-secretary, whom Kuropatkin managed to bypass in preparing the matter. Procopé managed to change the decision so that instead of a normal meeting of

10500-413: The emperor's mother Maria Feodorovna , who viewed the Finns in favour and who still had a great influence over her son at the time. During the following years, the Finnish estates were repeatedly pressured to accept laws proposed by the Russian ministers on the grounds that the Russians might otherwise take the proposal given by the Russian majority of the Bunge committee into action. General conscription

10640-400: The emperor, appealing to his imperial oath, explaining the unconstitutional nature of the manifesto and requesting it to be replaced with an edict given in constitutional order. Procopé read the letter to Nicholas II on 24 February, but it had no effect. Tudeer and Söderhjelm representing the senate as well as the speakers of all four estates of the diet had arrived in St. Petersburg to appeal to

10780-418: The emperor, but Nicholas II refused to meet them. The emperor's negative response was officially announced to the senate on 2 March. Per Bobrikov's demand, the manifesto also had to be printed and sent to all officials in Finland and read aloud in a church to the people like laws and edicts were. This was carried out, but with some delay. Early in the morning on Saturday 18 February thousands of people were at

10920-541: The emperors had however specifically mentioned Finland's constitution until Alexander II confirmed the new dietary order in 1869, whose introduction mentioned that the emperor would retain the rights according to the 1772 form of government and the Union and Security Act. The exact constitutional laws were not specified in the imperial oaths even after this. Some historians have later questioned whether Alexander I or any of his successors ever really thought himself to be bound by

11060-473: The entire adult population of Finland. Signatures were assembled almost throughout the entire country, save for some remote lands which were too difficult to access. Committee A committee or commission is a body of one or more persons subordinate to a deliberative assembly or other form of organization. A committee may not itself be considered to be a form of assembly or a decision making body. Usually, an assembly or organization sends matters to

11200-426: The estates had never been bypassed in legislature the constitution guaranteed concerned them, but Nicholas II – as possibly Alexander II and Alexander III before him – felt this was a mere voluntary allowance by the sovereign ruler, which he could disobey at will if it served the interests of the empire. There was also a point of view that the manifesto could help Finland's position, as it gave the right to participate in

11340-542: The following years and decades, it gradually became an established interpretation in Finland that this meant the Swedish Instrument of Government of 1772 and the Union and Security Act of 1789, except for some points in conflict with the new situation. This led to the conclusion that although the emperor was an autocrat in Russia, in Finland he had agreed to a position of a constitutional ruler, who had no right to decide on certain matters without approval from

11480-419: The governing documents of the organization give it. In some cases, it may be empowered to act on behalf of the board or organization, while in others, it may only be able to make recommendations. Governments at the national level may have a conference committee . A conference committee in a bicameral legislature is responsible for creating a compromise version of a particular bill when each house has passed

11620-471: The governor-general, the minister-secretary, the Senate of Finland and the Diet of Finland could each give their statement about the law proposal, however the Diet of Finland could only do so in the case of a law requiring normal review. As well as this, when the Russian State Council was discussing laws concerning Finland, the discussion could be attended by the Governor-General of Finland,

11760-596: The legislation in each chamber. Other countries that use conference committees include France, Germany, Japan, and Switzerland. In Canada, conference committees have been unused since 1947. In the European Union (EU) legislative process , a similar committee is called a ' Conciliation Committee ', which carries out the Trilogue negotiations in case the Council does not agree with a text amended and adopted by

11900-532: The matter in March 1890. The board was appointed in secret, because it was not part of Heiden's plan. Mechelin, having left the senate in the same year because of the Postal Manifesto , participated in the board even after leaving the senate. A commission led by Governor-General Heiden met in Helsinki from October to November 1890, attempting to review the report given by the Weissenberg committee after they had returned from St. Petersburg . The commission

12040-434: The matter is to be referred, and if the committee is a special committee appointed specifically for purposes of the referred motion, it should also specify the number of committee members and the method of their selection, unless that is specified in the bylaws. Any proposed amendments to the main motion that are pending at the time the motion is referred to a committee go to the committee as well. Once referred, but before

12180-445: The membership in the committees may change. A nominating committee (or nominations committee) is a group formed for the purpose of nominating candidates for office or the board in an organization. It may consist of members from inside the organization. Sometimes a governance committee takes the role of a nominating committee. Depending on the organization, this committee may be empowered to actively seek out candidates or may only have

12320-548: The memorial statue of Alexander II on the Helsinki Senate Square, as Alexander II was remembered as a protector of the Finnish constitution. The first flowers were brought to the statue on 19 February, after which this activity continued spontaneously and culminated in large flower arrangements on 3 March, 13 March and May Day. The Russian authorities could not forbid this form of protest as Alexander II had been Nicholas II's grandfather. The memory of Alexander II

12460-461: The methods used, the facts uncovered, the conclusions reached, and any recommendations. If the committee is not ready to report, it may provide a partial report or the assembly may discharge the committee of the matter so that the assembly can handle it. Also, if members of the committee are not performing their duties, they may be removed or replaced by the appointing power. Whether the committee continues to exist after presenting its report depends on

12600-433: The minister-secretariat of the state, the Finnish customs office and Finland's own monetary system , the adaptation of the Russian language in government offices and secondary schools, and opening Finnish public offices to Russians without restriction. As the question of Finnish conscription concerned the interests of the entire empire, Kuropatkin thought the Diet of Finland only had the right to make an advisory statement of

12740-475: The minister-secretary, and especially invited Finnish senators. Neither the manifesto or its fundamental statutes ever defined which matters were considered state legislation in Finland. This left open the possibility that any law whatsoever could be declared as such. When Finland was annexed to Russia in 1809, Emperor Alexander I gave an imperial oath to the Finns at the Diet of Porvoo , where he promised to retain

12880-499: The nascent United States . However, while Gustav may have admired republican concepts like the separation of powers in theory, in practice he tended to rule as an enlightened despot , akin to contemporaries such as Joseph II of Austria and Frederick the Great of Prussia, rather than as a constitutional monarch . The phraseology of the Instrument of Government was rather vague, in part due to its having been written in haste in

13020-423: The officials of the Finnish state secretariat had fooled Milyutin and Alexander II into accepting the Finnish conscription law by keeping the constitutional nature of some of its points secret from them. When the ten-year trial period of the Finnish armed forces founded in 1881 had passed, minister of war Vannovsky made a proposal to the emperor in 1891 to integrate it into the Russian armed forces. According to him,

13160-455: The orderly mechanism of rule changes. Examples of standing committees in organizations are; an audit committee, an elections committee, a finance committee, a fundraising committee, a governance committee, and a program committee. Typically, the standing committees perform their work throughout the year and present their reports at the annual meeting of the organization. These committees continue to exist after presenting their reports, although

13300-430: The parent committee and not to the general assembly. When the entire assembly meets as a committee to discuss or debate, this is called a " committee of the whole ". This is a procedural device most commonly used by legislative bodies to discuss an issue under the rules of a committee meeting rather than the more formal and rigid rules which would have to be followed to actually enact legislation. " Central Committee "

13440-464: The petition was agreed in a closed citizens' meeting held at the Ateneum on 20 February. The petition was organised by several parties and language groups, but was tightly kept secret from the Russian authorities. Any man or woman over 16 years of age could sign the petition. Over 520 thousand signatures were assembled to the petition in about a week in early March, which accounted for at least a third of

13580-602: The point of view of the rest of the committee, but his opinion was ignored. As the preparation was done in secret, Procopé could not warn his countrymen in advance, but he covertly informed Leo Mechelin about the coming manifesto. Fredrik Björnberg , the commissary of the St. Petersburg office of the Bank of Finland was also informed of the matter in advance as he had connections to the widowed Empress Maria Feodorovna. Nicholas II signed two documents on 15 February ( Old Style : 3 February): fundamental rules for state legislation made by

13720-556: The power to act independently unless the body that created it gives it such power. When a committee is formed in a formal situation, such as committees in legislatures or for corporate bodies with by-laws, a chairman (or "chair" or "chairperson") is designated for the committee. Sometimes a vice-chairman (or similar name) is also appointed. It is common for the committee chairman to organize its meetings. Sometimes these meetings are held through videoconferencing or other means if committee members are not able to attend in person, as may be

13860-484: The power to receive nominations from members and verify that the candidates are eligible. A nominating committee works similarly to an electoral college , the main difference being that the available candidates, either nominated or "written in" outside of the committee's choices, are then voted into office by the membership. It is a part of governance methods often employed by corporate bodies, business entities, and social and sporting groups, especially clubs. The intention

14000-418: The preparation. He was active in the committee. The committee finished its work quickly, as all the preparation had already been done six years before by the Bunge committee. The committee met three times: 30 January, 10 February and 13 February 1899. Bobrikov only participated in the last meeting. There were no significant differences in opinion between the Russian members of the committee. Only Procopé opposed

14140-498: The proposal, and even that could only concern details about the practical enactment of the law and not "actual parts" of the proposal. Nicholas II appointed a new committee to investigate the matter, led by chief procurator of the Holy Synod Konstantin Pobedonostsev and other members including Kuropatkin, Bobrikov, Heiden, Procopé, Frisch, judicial minister Nikolay Muravyov and Stepan Goncharov ,

14280-460: The publication of the manifesto were seen as heroes. At first, the Finns thought Nicholas II had only signed the manifesto deluded by his clever advisors. But when the emperor refused to meet the delegations of the senate and the estates, the Finns accused him of breaking his imperial oath. The Finns were so upset about this that they even blamed him for natural phenomena: particularly bad floods of spring 1899 were called "the oath-breaker's flood" and

14420-575: The purpose of bestowing awards in the arts, or in application to industry's products and services. The objective being to update, set, and maintain high and possibly new standards. A steering committee is a committee that provides guidance, direction and control to a project within an organization. The term is derived from the steering mechanism that changes the steering angle of a vehicle's wheels. Project steering committees are frequently used for guiding and monitoring IT projects in large organizations, as part of project governance . The functions of

14560-449: The question itself. Organizations with a large board of directors (such as international labor unions, large corporations with thousands of stockholders or national and international organizations) may have a smaller body of the board, called an executive committee , to handle its business. The executive committee may function more like a board than an actual committee. In any case, an executive committee can only be established through

14700-664: The question. As well as Tudeer, the publication was supported by senators Yrjö Sakari Yrjö-Koskinen , Ossian Wuorenheimo , August af Nyborg , Isak Fellman , Johan Sohlman , Henrik Borenius , Gustaf Oskar Gylling and Gustaf Langenskiöld . The immediate publication was opposed by deputy chairman of the judicial department Theodor Cederholm and the senators Karl Ferdinand Ignatius , Waldemar Schauman , Lennart Gripenberg , August Nybergh , Nikolai Konstantin Hornborg , Gustaf Robert Alfred Charpentier , Ludvig Gustaf Leonhard Clouberg , Sven Wilhelm Hougberg and Gösta von Troil . Of

14840-460: The questions about inheritance, care, justice, court decisions, harbours, consuls , life insurance, trademarks , the power of the governor-general, the position of the Greek clergy, the Russian schools etc. should be counted among these questions." Governor-General of Finland Bobrikov returned from St. Petersburg to Helsinki already on the signature day of the manifesto, 15 February 1899 and informed

14980-452: The religion, the constitution, the privileges of the estates and their "constitutional" rights. He also mentioned this at his speech at the inauguration of the diet. Alexander I never further explained which specific laws he meant when he spoke of constitutional laws ( Finnish : perustuslait , Swedish : grundlagar , French : lois fondamentales , Russian : korennyje zakony ) or the constitution ( la constitution , konstitutsya ). During

15120-498: The resistance from the Finnish committee members, the committee gave a new report in spring 1897, which stated that the Finnish armed forces were to be discontinued and the Russian conscription law was to be enacted also in Finland. Two development lines led to the February Manifesto: the goal to change the 1878 conscription law and the need of state legislation necessary for the change to take effect. A new proposal for

15260-465: The rest of the empire, and had already prepared a ten-point program while preparing for his appointment, of which the third point included the codification of Finnish laws and enforcing an exceptional order of decree for the uniform laws between Finland and the rest of the empire. Other points in Bobrikov's program included the discontinuation of several institutions symbolising Finland's autonomy such as

15400-430: The review of legislature concerning Finland to the Finnish minister-secretary of the state and the members of the senate. In any case, the manifesto at least acknowledged the existence of Finland's own legislation. The Finns thought the February Manifesto was a coup d'etat. It weakened the foundation of Finland's autonomy by moving decisive power away from Finland to Russia, altered the state legislature rules and took away

15540-812: The rights given to the Diet of Finland by the Finnish constitution although the manifesto itself had not been decreed according to the constitution, and furthermore it had been prepared in secret without consulting any Finnish experts. It was seen to revoke the promises Alexander I had given at the Diet of Porvoo about keeping the Finnish laws and rights in force. Furthermore, the manifesto did not define what exactly constituted state legislation, which meant any law or edict whatsoever could be considered as included in it and thus be altered or revoked by government decree. The manifesto broke two judicial rules generally accepted in Finland: first that Finland should be under constitutional rule instead of Russian autocracy, and second that

15680-493: The secret committee led by Grand Duke Mikhail, and the Graceful Announcement concerning them, which was the actual February Manifesto. The emperor thought the signing of the manifesto was so trivial that he did not even mention it in his diary. The Finns' angry reaction to the manifesto came as a complete surprise to him. On the other hand, Kuropatkin and Bobrikov might have realised that the manifesto would lead to

15820-420: The senate could appeal to the emperor before it, or the manifesto should be published first and the senate should apply to the emperor after that. For three days, there was heated discussion about the senate's decision at unofficial club meetings of members of the diet and other intellectuals in Helsinki. The general opinion was strongly against the publication of the manifesto and many officials tried to pressure

15960-403: The senate could be disbanded and Russified, if it defied the emperor by refusing to publish the manifesto. The senate negotiated the matter in three unofficial sessions on 16, 17 and 18 February. Many senators were uncertain at first and changed their points of view between the sessions. The differences concerned delaying the publication of the manifesto: either the publication should be delayed, so

16100-497: The senate's decision spread immediately to the public and lists of the names of the senators who had supported the publication of the manifesto were spread throughout Helsinki. They were met with general disrespect and were even targeted by acts of vandalism. The word petturi ("traitor") was written on the wall of one senator. Yrjö Sakari Yrjö-Koskinen , the leader of the Finnish Party , was met with particular contempt, as he

16240-515: The senators Theodor Cederholm , August Nybergh , Emil Streng , Victor Napoleon Procopé , Karl Ferdinand Ignatius and Johan Gustaf Sohlman . The Russian members included Kronid Malychev and Pyotr Haritonov from the codification department as well as Alexander Hvostov from the ministry of law. The secretary and interpreter of the committee was lector Konstantin Ivanovich Yakubov. Heiden's original goal might have been to persuade

16380-565: The senators against publishing it. Mechelin first supported the immediate publication of the manifesto, but changed his opinion after discussing with other officials. A great popular meeting was held on short notice at the Ateneum in Helsinki on the evening of Friday 17 February on the initiative of Arvid Neovius and the Nya Pressen newspaper, consisting of about 300 men from academia, both Finnish-speaking and Swedish-speaking. The meeting

16520-481: The senators representing the Finnish Party , all but one supported the publication, while of those representing the Swedish Party , all but two opposed it. Apparently because of outside pressure, procurator Söderhjelm objected to the senate's decision, even though he had himself supported the publication on the day before. Together with the publication of the manifesto, the senate approved a letter addressed to

16660-467: The situation more complicated. Most of the uniform laws between Finland and Russia before the February Manifesto had already been enacted before 1863. According to the interpretation used by the Finns, state legislation was a kind of contract between states, which was taken into force only if the diet accepted them voluntarily. This interpretation was not accepted in Russia, but until 1899 conflicts could be avoided by negotiating different points of views about

16800-460: The state council von Plehve, judicial minister Muravyov, department directors of the state council Eduard Frisch, Mikhail Nikolayevich Ostrovsky and Dmitry Solsky and acting minister-secretary of the state Procopé as the only Finnish member. The matter could also have been prepared at the state council itself, but the state secretary von Plehve proposed a secret committee selected from the committee members, possibly to strengthen his own influence in

16940-401: The state council. Secretary of the state council Vyacheslav von Plehve asked the new Emperor Nicholas II in January 1895 what to do about the question investigated by the Bunge committee. According to von Plehve, taking the Russian proposal of the committee into action would cause unrest in Finland, and so the emperor decided not to pursue the matter. The decision might have been influenced by

17080-405: The type of committee. Generally, committees established by the bylaws or the organization's rules continue to exist, while committees formed for a particular purpose go out of existence after the final report. In parliamentary procedure , the motion to commit (or refer ) is used to refer another motion—usually a main motion—to a committee. A motion to commit should specify to which committee

17220-405: The whole" or "quasi committee of the whole". In Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised , the motion to discharge a committee is used to take a matter out of a committee's hands before the committee has made a final report on it. A committee can use this motion to discharge a subcommittee. The vote required is a majority vote , if the committee has failed to report at the prescribed time or if

17360-502: Was absolutely necessary, was a staunch supporter of this proposal. He saw it as a start of a greater integration of Finland into the Russian Empire, as serving in the Russian defence forces made the Finnish youth into Russian-speaking "decent Russians". As it was likely that the Diet of Finland would not approve the new conscription law, Kuropatkin wanted to take the question away from their judgement. He first sought an ukase from

17500-415: Was adapted in Russia in 1870, and Russia wanted to extend this to Finland as well. In February 1871 minister of war Dmitry Milyutin took a stand in the conscription question in Finland. Count Nikolay Adlerberg , the Governor-General of Finland at the time, opposed Milyutin's idea of suppressing Finland's autonomy. Conscription was adapted in Finland so that a separate army taken from the Russian armed forces

17640-496: Was assembled to counter the manifesto. The Finns felt the February Manifesto was a coup d'etat. When Finland had been annexed to Russia in 1809, Emperor Alexander I had promised that the old laws could stay in force. According to the interpretation in Finland at the time, this also included the Swedish Gustavian era constitution , defining the rights of the Diet of Finland. These rights had been respected ever since

17780-430: Was celebrated throughout in Finland particularly on the day of his death on 13 March, when the statue in Helsinki was decorated with the largest display of flowers and wreaths of all time; there were wreaths brought in all the way from far away in the countryside. Finland's national anthem Maamme was sung in front of the statue and nine shouts of eläköön ("long live") were given in honour of Alexander II. Knowledge of

17920-413: Was conducted by professor Magnus Gottfrid Schybergson . The meeting unanimously agreed to oppose the manifesto, and made an appeal to the senate signed by 225 people, and sent delegations to the procurator and to the senators. The senate finally agreed to publish the manifesto on its second session on Saturday 18 February. The votes in favour and against the publication were even, so Tudeer's vote resolved

18060-424: Was founded for regular laws per the wishes of the senate, but a separate committee was appointed for the codification of constitutional laws and other governmental and judicial edicts. A Finnish committee led by Alexander von Weissenberg was appointed in 1885. Other committee members included senator Isak Fellman , professors Thiodolf Rein and Robert Hermanson , and judge Karl Woldemar Nystén . The secretary of

18200-463: Was founded in Finland, called the Finnish armed forces, which could only be used to defend Finland's own territory. Alexander II approved the law of Finnish conscription on 27 August 1878. Milyutin was opposed to this " separatist " solution, but accepted it as a temporary solution, as the law was first enacted for a trial period of ten years. The Russians F. P. Yelenev and Mikhail Borodkin , who had been critical of Finland's autonomy, later claimed that

18340-469: Was given to the senate in December 1886. The senate was worried about the opinion the Russians might possibly have of the report and did not hurry in investigating the matter. The report, written in Swedish, was interpreted to Heiden by Konstantin Ivanovich Yakubov , a teacher of the Alexander Gymnasium in Helsinki, who wrote a critical note about it. For three years, nothing was done about

18480-561: Was governed as a constitutional monarchy , initially under the Instrument of Government (1719) and later under the near-identical Instrument of Government (1720) . Under this system, the king played a relatively minor role in the government, which was instead dominated by the Riksdag of the Estates , with most of the executive functions of government being discharged by the Council of the Realm ( Swedish : riksråd ). The Age of Liberty

18620-560: Was on the brink of anarchy. Gustav III was therefore able to attract considerable support for his scheme to overthrow the government and replace the 1720 Instrument of Government with a new constitution. On 19 August 1772 the king rallied the Stockholm garrison and arrested the Council of the Realm, along with several prominent members of the Cap party. Two days later he convened a session of

18760-434: Was originally supposed to consist of Heiden and eight Finnish senators, but Heiden also invited one expert from the Russian foreign ministry and two from the codification department of the state council, making the commission a mixed Finnish-Russian committee in practice. The Finnish members were deputy chairmen of the judicial and economic departments of the senate, Johan Philip Palmén and Samuel Werner von Troil , as well as

18900-565: Was promulgated in the wake of the Revolution of 1772 , a self-coup mounted by King Gustav III , and replaced the 1720 Instrument of Government , which had been in force for most of the Age of Liberty (1719-72). Although in theory the 1772 Instrument merely readjusted the balance of power between the Crown and the Riksdag of the Estates (Swedish Parliament), without changing Sweden's status as

19040-509: Was published in the Government Gazette on 17 February. The senate had to publish all laws and imperial edicts concerning Finland before they were taken into force. However, some Finns thought that the senate had the right to refuse to publish illegal decisions made by the emperor. All of the senators thought the content of the February Manifesto was illegal and wanted to appeal to the emperor to change it, but they also feared that

19180-437: Was retaining Finland's own armed forces. Kuropatkin and Bobrikov became furious when they heard of the senate's proposal, as they felt the senate had no right to change the content of the proposal. When Nicholas II later confirmed the final law proposal given to the diet, he chose the Russian General Staff's version, although acting minister-secretary of the state Procopé had recommended the senate's version. When Procopé applied to

19320-405: Was seen as the "main culprit" of the vote, as people thought he had persuaded his fellow party members to agree with him. A coffin was brought to the lobby of Yrjö-Koskinen's home as a threat. In the end, Yrjö-Koskinen resigned from the senate in early March after first giving an objection to the objection of procurator Söderhjelm during the publication of the manifesto. Those senators who had opposed

19460-481: Was that almost all women on the streets were in mourning clothes. University students had mourning drapes on their hands. The entire city was like undergoing a funeral. Publication of the manifesto was delayed by a strike by the typesetters of the Virallinen lehti newspaper, but it was printed on the issue on 18 February. One of the most prominent demonstrations against the manifesto was bringing flower wreaths to

19600-484: Was to extend it to Finland already in 1835, but Alexander Sergeyevich Menshikov , the governor-general at the time, had stopped it. In the 19th century, the Russian government used a lot of resources towards the codification of laws, and a special codification department was founded in the state council. Finns viewed the codification very suspiciously, as they feared it would lead to unification of Finnish legislation with that of Russia. The Finns were especially interested in

#509490