Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1817-12-16
RICHMOND. DECEWBER 10.
FOR THE ENQUIRER.
RJSSl In Noue1,bey. 1916.
[CoNcLuDEp.i


| reign but with The emperor rests uncon-
trolab.e and absolute power over the na-
ton, and The lives aad properties of It's
inhabitants. The people have no rights,
the sovereign no obligations.
In addition 90 Che ministers of state,
which are usual in all governments, the
emperor las about him, 10 assist aud give
dignity and weight 10 his government,
two councils; one called the cmperal or
privy cnGncii, The OTHER the directing Sc
iiale. The empcrlal council consists of
the great officers of state, and such other
persons Of high rank as he NAV think iii
TO appoint; and is div ided into four de-
partments, VIZ: Of war, OF finance, of law
| and justice, and of the interior economy
OF the empire: 90 each OF which there is
apresldcnl. The senate is composed ex-
acily In the same manner OF The great Of
n ers ol state, asd of all indefinite num-
Der of distinguished persons, but is divi-
| ded into six departments two Of which
are held al Moscow. Sometimes the en-
perial council ventures TO suggest the pro-
Icct Oi Il law 10 the emperor, but in rene
raj, the council and senate are nothing
more than registering offices of Tie ems
peror's edcis. After law, (cailed ukasel
is resolved on by the emperor, he causes
II tn be sent 10 the senate, H. be recorded.
aud promulgated, and 10 send autbenti-
Gated copies of IT to the governors of pro-
vinces. This is the reason WHY il is call
Ell the directing senate. The senate forms
also the highest judicial court and has
appellate jurisdiction only, and i'm cases
oi gwen amount. It's opinions and de.
cisloms are. however, subject to be con-
troled and reversed By the emperor.
through his minister of Justice
The provinces, of which there are 40
IN The Whole empire, are placed under the
Immediate superintendent of governors.
appointed by the emperor. In each pro-
vince there is a high, and several lower
courts OF Justice. In the high courts the
Judges are appointed ky the crown: in
th lower, the chief Judge by the crown:
the associates by The nobility. In both
cases. the salaries are very low, and The
persons appointed are comp He'd to serve
certain number OF years All the Of
hcerS indeed, both military and ci,il. of
lie Russian government are allowed very
small salaries. This has been given as
the reason for the universal vcnality and
corruption which Is ackuON Iedned 10 DrP-
vail throughout every department Butt
lhlnk 1t has Its foundation IN other causes:
IN the arbitrary, defective and unjust sys-
TEN of the government: the unpaturaI
classification OF the inhabitants, and their
=
Could there he any thing, for instance.
more defective, or better calculated TO in.
troduce bribery and corruption, than The
rule which makes ihe Judges of courts
liable TO pay five and ten per cents unon
The amount OF the sums in litigation, when
tier decisions are reversed by the courts
above? Certainly sucharegulationw would
be more apt 10 have venal influence. and
a greater effect iii breaking down the mo-
raj principles in men, whose property II
mus pun IN jeopardy, Than the mere a.
mount OF compensation, when there
should be no pecnnlary responsibility felt
In The discharge Of official duties. AS IT
Is, no Judge ever thinks of venturiuy 10
decide any cause until he has received fl,e
amount at the per cent. which he Is suh-
.Iect 10 pay, on his decision being reyers-
ed; which sum, let the suit end as il NAV,
lie never returns; nor is tkiS all, an addi-
uOnal sum Is necessary TO ensure a favor
able decision. Indeed il seems To be adj
united by all than the person who can
give The greatest bride To the Judges al
ways succeeds, IN all the cou,ts, even in
the senate, where generally the members
are ignorant of and iBattenlive TO such
things, which are left very much 10 So
creiarcs, WHO are entirely at The disposal
OF the highest bidder. a very resnetta-
D't S'"'iCihdi dSHNteu me NAL the DTaC-
tee OF giving money to the JUDGES, was
so common that there was but Jtile or no
deiicacy lei III Offering or receiving IL;
and that he had often been pressed lard
ny them 10 squeeze out as large 4 sum as
possible from him
In the customs things are also very-
badly managed, and the practices equally
disgracetuI. There bribery and frauds az
all kinds. are perfectly sysiematized. 1t
| is not only usual for the officers of tln
customs to receive brides for the permis
| sion 10 smugsle articles, the mpOr,at,ots
| OF which are prohibited, or on WHICH
heavy articles are laid, but the MGR
chants are III the habit of making bar
| gains with them for the admission of
! SUCH articles, previous 10 their ordering
| them to be shipped from foreign port.
E'en III the post office, 1t Is necessary To
| give brides 10 order TO obtain ones let
| lefS; ana he who gives the most receives
| IFS soonest after tie mail is opened |
| was told oil one merchant who gave as
much as 1000 rubles (about S 800 A war.
| besides other presents, for the privilege
| 81 receiving his letters soon after The ar
rival OF tlic mail, and putting them in
| shOlt time previous TO its departure
THIS ~ stem is the more disoraceCul to
! the government, as II Is not less uuiyer-
sal THAN notorious 10 all. But Tie lone
! prevalence OF these practices seems 10 have
| biunied Tie sensibiliiy of the Russians to
! their improprety. For they no longer
/ seem 10 consider them as disgracetul
| ana indeed there Is something Of a slini-
Tar nature grown into general practice i'm
the transactions between man and man.
! where there lisa constant effort 10 overreacii