Amid renewed tumult the Mayor announced
that the Bolsheviki already were violating Municipal autonomy by
appointing Commissars in many departments.
The Bolshevik speaker shouted, trying to make himself heard, that
the decision of the Congress of Soviets meant that all Russia backed
up the action of the Bolsheviki.
"You!" he cried. "You are not the real representative of the people
of Petrograd!" Shrieks of "Insult! Insult!" The old Mayor, with
dignity, reminded him that the Duma was elected by the freest
possible popular vote. "Yes," he answered, "but that was a long time
ago-like the _Tsay-ee-kah_-like the Army Committee."
"There has been no new Congress of Soviets!" they yelled at him.
"The Bolshevik faction refuses to remain any longer in this nest of
counter-revolution-" Uproar. "-and we demand a re-election of the
Duma...." Whereupon the Bolsheviki left the chamber, followed by cries
of "German agents! Down with the traitors!"
Shingariov, Cadet, then demanded that all Municipal functionaries
who had consented to be Commissars of the Military Revolutionary
Committee be discharged from their position and indicted. Schreider
was on his feet, putting a motion to the effect that the Duma
protested against the menace of the Bolsheviki to dissolve it, and
as the legal representative of the population, it would refuse to
leave its post.
Outside, the Alexander Hall was crowded for the meeting of the
Committee for Salvation, and Skobeliev was again speaking.
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