The Express.
London, England, 1857-12-22 00:00:00

IMPERIAL_ DECREE
_yoß THE PARTIAL

ENFRANCHISEMENT OF TEE BERFB.

An imperial reecript, dated from Turskoe Selo,
the 20th Nov. (old style), or Dec. 2 of our calendar,
has just been addreased by Alexander 11. to the
Military Governor of Vilno and the Governor-
General of Grodno and Kovno, instituting the most
important changes in the relations between the pea-
santry and landed proprietors of the oountry. It is
accompanied by an explanatory letter of instructions
from the Minister of the Interior, Lanakoi, and a
circular addressed by him to all the civil and mili-
tary governors, and the marshals of the nobility,
throughout all the governments of the Russian em-
pire, intimating that the same measures may be
adopted in the other provinces which have now been
definitively applied to the provinces above-named.
These documents are published by Le Nord of Brus-
sels, simultaneously with their official publication at
St. Petersburg. They are a confirmation, in some
degree, of the repeated statements made by that
journal and by the New Prussian Gazette of Berlin,
relative to the intended emancipation of the serfs in
Russia, statements which we noticed at the time.
Tee following is the text of the Imperial rescript :
" Special committees established in the govern-
ments of Vilno, Kovno, and Grodno, and composed of
the marshal' of the nobility and some other landed
proprietors, had been charged with the examination
of the system of inventories which is in force
throughout those provinces.
"The Minister of the Interior has now made me
acquainted with the good intentions evinced by those
committees with regard to the peasants of the three
governments.
" Fully approving of the intentions of these repre-
sentatives of the nobility of the governments of
Kovno, Vilno, and Grodno, as being agreeable to my
views and my desires, I authorise that nobility to
proceed, from and after this day, to the elaboration
of the measures necessary for putting into execution
the plans of the said committees, always on condition
that the work is to be but progressively accom-
plished, so as not to disturb the economic organisa-
tion at present operating in the estates of the nobility.
" For this purpose I ordain :
" I. That from and after this day an executive
committee shall be established in each of the three
governments aforesaid; and afterwards a general
commission for those three governments, the seat of
which shall be at Vilno.

" 2. Each committee, presided over by the marshal
of the nobility in that government, shall be composed
of the following members Ins landowner from
each district, chosen by, and from amongst, the
noble possessors of inhabited lands in the district;
two members chosen from amongst the most intel-
ligent landowners of the government, and nominated
directly by the governor of the province.
" 3. The general commission shall be composed of
the following persons :—Two members of each of
the provincial committee*, chosen by the committees
themselves. One intelligent landowner in each
government nominated by the governors from
amongst the most enlightened of the nobility. One
member delegated by the Minister of the Interior.
It is reserved to you (the governors) to choose the pre-
sident of the commission from amongst the noble ,
landowners who shall be members of it

" Immediately after their formation, the provincial
committees will have to proceed, each separately,
and in conformity with the desire expressed by the
representatives of the nobility, to the drawing up of
a detailed scheme with the object of securing the
subsistence and ameliorating the condition of the
peasants of those provinces, taking for the basis of
their plan the following conditions :
" 1. The proprietor retains his right of property
over all his land, but the peasants retain the en-
closures belonging to their habitations, which they
have the right of acquiring as freehold property by
means of a redemption price, payable within a fixed
term. They arg to have, moreover, the use of such
a quantity of land as is necessary, according to the
circumstances of the locality, to secure their sub-
sistence, and to give them the means of satisfying
their obligations towards the state and towards the
proprietor. As a compensation for the use of this
land, the peasants arc bound either to pay a rent to
the proprietor or to work for him.
" 2. The private relation, of peasants and pro-
prietors between themselves should be regulated in
each a manner as to secure the regular discharge of
the imposts due to the state, mid of the provincial
imposts and services.
The development of these principles, and their
application to the local conditions of each of the
three provinces, are left to the care of the provincial
committees. The Minister of the Interior has com-
municated to you his views upon this subject, and
the committees may refer to them, to guide them in
their labours.

When these committees shall have finished their
task, they will have to submit it to the general com-
mission. The commission, after having weighed
and examined the proposals of the provincial com-
mittees, and having combined them with the princi-
ples indicated above, will have to pass a definitive.
judgment on the matter, and to draw up the scheme
of a general settlement throughout the three go-
vernments, with the exceptions and variations which
each of them may require.
In charging you with the superintendence and
general direction of this important work iu the three
provinces of Kovno, Vilno, and Orodno entrusted le
your care, I authorise you to give both to the pro-
vincial committees and general commission the
necessary instructions to insure the regular p
and the success of the task which is confided to them.
The provincial governors will aid you in the per-
formance of this task. Yon will have to present the
scheme drawn up by the commission, together with
your observations thereupon, to the Minister of the
Interior, who will submit them to me for my
sanction.

" In thus offering to the nobility of Kovno, Vilno,
and Orodno, the means of realism g their good in-
tentions conformably to the principles which I have
indicated, I hope that the nobility will fully justify
the confidence which I evince towards diem, by call-
ing them to take part in this important work ; and
that, by the aid of Ood and the enlightened as-
sistance of the noble proprietors, this work will be
crowned with complete success.

" You, and the provincial governors placed under
your orders' will see that the peasants remain sub-
=naive to the proprietors, and that they put no
faith in the malevolent insinuations and the erro-
neous rumours which may arise.—l remain, with
good wishes towards you, " ALEXANDER."

In the ministerial letter of instructions it is stated
that the committees of revision (which are alluded to
in the first paragraph of the Emperor's rescript)
having expressed a desire for the abolition of serf-
dom, his Majesty has learnt with especial satisfac-
tion this noble wish on the part of the representatives
of the nobility, and has therefore authorised the pre-
paration of a scheme with that object. The abolition
of serfdom, however, is not to be effected at once but
progressively ; the peasants are at first to pus
through a transition state, being more or less at-
tached to the land, during a term not exceeding
twelve years, after which they will definitively be-
come free men, and be authorised to move, on certain
conditions, from one district to another. But the
proprietor's right to sell or transfer the peasants
belonging to his land, to remove them to
other districts against their will, or to
convert them, under the existing laws or customs,
into domestic slaves or retainers, is immediately to

be abolished. The peasants, under the supeut,
tendence of the proprietors, will take part lc tt„
communal usemblice and elective tribunals for N
administration of justice but the rural police
remain wider the charge of the proprietors.

AMERICA.

..-4.-...
ARRIVAL OF THE KANGAROO.

(IT BRITIAN AND MAONWIIC TILIORAPN.)
(MON OCR OWN CORRASTONOIST.)
LIVERPOOL, TVRIDAY.
The Liverpool, New York, and Philadelphia sire
steamer Kangaroo, Captain Jeffrey, bee arrived c
the port, and is expected in the river abe
two p.m.
She left New York on the 10th inst., and xi
bring one day's later advice' than the Africa, whit
arrived on Sunday.