Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-06-09

dated 9th March, 1913, wished 10 impose on
the nobility the law OF primogenltnre ana en-
| tail hut il was too radically opposed 20 TRAIL
| ion and popular customs 60 meet WIN no'o
\ than the most limited success There are very
/ few. and those only among the highest noDii'-
ty. who still enjoy their ancient patrimonies.
An this class reside at Moscow OF % Te'eis
hnrgh. or in the chief towns Of the several
Coycrnments they have always and unitedly
resisted every effort made by the Cars to inn
prove the condition Of tho serf and looked with
jealousy and suspicion on every scheme de-
signed TO elevate the status Of the Crown peas
anti
Peter the Great contemplated the establish
ment of college to teach the science OF agri-
culture. Catherine the Second meditated q
comprehensive plan for the better organization
IL the peasants Paul the First instituted
cnntoual administrations, and, in 1871, Alex
ander urged the necessity Of carrying out the
views Of Catharine, and they were investigated
by Count Goureff but every fort has proved
vain nor il this surprising, IA the whole y 3
tern is based on slavery Under the present
regime the forests are wantonly fired, and 9TH
erwse devastated. Many proprietary lands are
drained by turning the waters among the trees
on the Crown domains, and marshes and
swamps are formed. For instance III the Gov
eminent of Arcbangel there IL only one man to
superntcnd and preserve from injury thirty
five square miles Of timber, and, IN the Govern
ment Of Wolgoda, ten foresters have the charge
Of 500, 900 square miles. The culture OF arfi.
fetal grasses il neglected; there are no rich
meadows consequently few cattle, and want
Of animal mannes Till within the last ton
years the potato was only grown IN the wet
Dill. yer a
mental law Of Russia has been violated by the
working of this horrible system. Tho spirit OF
that law is embodied in the following tradition
al expression We seris belong to our lords
and masters, but the land Of tho country be-
longs to us. The land is there to feed ua; it
belongs to the people and the Car, who has
only given the mobiles the nsufruct." Now 1T
was proved, in 1887, that u vast number OF
peasants were absolutely destitute, plundered
of the share to which they were entitled by
virtue Of the commuDistic organization. The
rate of tax was uniform on all cf them, without
any regard to their means Of paying 1t, for it
was poll tax, not property tax Many
were crushed by this fiscal injustice. They
were compelled to construct roads; and soldiers
were biileted upon them These two last
obligations were not regulated by tho STARosTs
of the villages, but by the lsPRAsNIK, func
tionary elected by tho mobiles in the respective
Governments and that officer took care to put
the heaviest burden on the peasants of the
crown, 30 as TO care or wholly exempt the
peasants belonging to the mobiles to whose
votes he owed his position
The recruiting system for the army was also
fatal to agriculture. A rule was framed that
the military Consumption should first take place
among the most numerous families, which
profoundly shocked the patriarchal manners
Of the people, for it had been the immemorial
usage in Russia for all the members of family
to live together under the same roof GRANDPA
theirs and grandchildren. The recruiting law
led to the dispersion of families; and some
times only one male remained fit to bear arms ;
and when no was drafted, the household were
deprived of their natural supporter. In the
western provinces, formerly belonging to Po-
land, it was officially ascertaincd that, out Of
600, 900 peasants, $50 900 possessed only q sim
gle head Of cattle Tor each family, and 125, 900
did not own a single horned beast. To RENE
dy these and other evils, the Emperor Nicho-
lys nominated a special ministerial board, on
the 1st Of January, 1893, at the head of which
he plaoad Cnnnt Kioseief, who -~s~s S;reesed III
sound the whole question to its lowest depths,
not only in the interelts Of the peasants, but
in tho interes. of agriculture. In this inquiry
was involved the interests of %, 0000 900 of men.
Extensive innovations were to be avoided the
national and patriarchsl OF ganization Of the
village municipalities was to be preserved, but
all abuses were to be corrected.
REMAINDER or NO. II TO MORROW.