Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-07-08

For the National Era.
SLAVERY IN RUSSIA.
No. VI
sERRDoM IN RUSSIA.


Russia, the labor IL chiefly done by serfs both
by those of the crown and tboee Of landed pro-
pretors During winter, many Of them work
in their own cottages ON account of merchants
who furnish the raw matcrials II their lords
are owners Of q factory, they work in il, or in
factories 40 near ut hand that they cnn i've at
home Others hire themselves out in the large
towns, returning sooner or later to their conf
munes For the share of lands which he
holds. the Russian peasant is bound TO pay a
tax lObrok into the Imperial treasury if he il
serf Of the crown, or to his lord if he il tho
scrf OF u lord, but he can commute the Obrok
to his lord by working on his estates during
three days in each week or no may work IN
tho factory Of his lord Formerly the lord
could hire out his serf to = factory, but that
practice is discontinued, with tho exception OF
minors, who may be hired out as apprentices
for seven years. The modern practice Is for
the peasant serf to make his own terms at tho
factory, after having received permission to
absent himself from his lord, from whom he re-
ceiyes a passport, for which be pays; but if hc
ia crown serf he must obtain that permission
from the commune to which BIO belongs. Ac-
cording to d law OF Peter the Great, when
peasants were inscribed IN q factory and their
rations and pay were fixed they were hound
to remain for life, and could never return to
their communes; but that system is abolished,
with few exceptions For instance, it 10 con-
tinucd in the imperial armory of Touia, where
The workmen receive regular wages, and can
not quit the establishment without the express
permission of the superintendent.
The employment Of tine serfs, sometimes in
factories sometimes in agriculture, has long
been considered injurious to Russian industry ;
and Catherine the Second, in promulgating
a l.. &C n. Al.
sioners to check the evil II it could not be
wholly suppressed In her instructions to the
commissioners she makes the following re-
marks: Russia, far from having sufficient
population, possesses an immense extent of
territory which is not cultiva ;ed nor even peo-
pied How greatly would the empire flourish,
If hy judicions regulations, we could repair
this loss. 1t appears that the new plan adopt
ed by the gentlemen Of Russia in raising their
incomes, diminishes population and damnifes
agriculture. Almost all estates now pay theic
rent in money. The proprietors, who never or
rarely reside on their estates, tax each peasant
from two to five roubles head, without con-
sdering for moment how the peasant is to
raise the money. 1t will be very necessary to
ordain, by positive law, that proprietors should
assess charges on their peasants with discre-
ton and discernment, and in such manner as
TO remove themselves AS little as possible from
their estates. Agriculture and population
would gain by their residence; but at present
many husbandmen absent themselves for ff-
teen years, wandering throughout the empire
from town to town, to obtain money wages by
their labor to pay their Obrok.n
The remonstrances Of the Empress Catherine
were UNDECIDED, for the proprietors could make
much moro out Of their serfs by granting them
n 49, n
Ehanl as laborers on tho soil Formerly, the
Obrek was paid in kind, ont Of the produce Of
ahe soil but the Russian nobility, having be-
come acquainted with the habits Of Western
Eurcpe and being prone TO indulge in it luz
nries even 20 excess require hard coin for their
rents which they do noe expend in the country,
but at st Petersburg or Moscow, and other
Gowns of the different Governments into which
Russia is divided. Rural life has no charms
for them, M il has with the Britieh nobility,
since on their estates they would be surrounded
by slaves by whom they are abhorred, while in
England the wealthiest hunt with their ten
ants, and meet them ON terms of friendly
graduation Of social rank.
Wages, considered in their purchasing power
over commodities are higher in Russian towns
than in the towns of Western Europe Hence.
ehe peasant is eager to enter the towns, and at
the same time perfectly willing to pay his mas
her a high price Tor his passport, which is rev.
enue 10 his master in addition to the Obrok
Koeegarten in an elaborate and minute review
Of Russian industry, addnoes some statistics on
wages and the rate Of living collected from
VARIOUS manufacturers, which throw conGdera
BILE light On the condition Of the serfs who are
mechanics or artisans. A weaver in the coun-
try receives three copecks for weaving an
- -. -
English inches, and no only produces ten to
twelve arschines 10 day His daily wages,
therefore, range from thirty 30 thirty-six 90.
pecks, or from four 20 four and half pence,
Eoglish money Among this class Of people
fhe standard OF dietary is very low and thew
SCARCELY purchase anything drawing their sub
nistonce, generally cabbage soup, from their
own land With their wages ~ weaycrs, they
sssily pay the 0brok. In the towns, rs in
Moscow, tho case is Of course different; for
there the weaver cannot draw his Subsistence
from his land, and be must hire lodging; but
his higher rate Of wages offers him much more
than a compensation for these drawbacks. At
st Petersburg for instance, wages are one
third higher than Mt Moscow 10 that the ses (
who earns twenty Ave to thirty roubles month
at Moscow receives thirty.iive 10 forty nj st.
Petersburg This difference IN determined by
fhe difference in tho coat Of living. At Koursk
almost AN agricultural district wages are much
lower than Mt Moscow, being only from ten to
fifteen ronblcs month for a man, and from six
20 eight rcnbIes FOR woman but at konrsk
the cost Of living among this class does not OK
ceed two roubles month. The reader will
please 70 observe that in all these figures wo
fpeak a popsr roobIes, not Of SILVER roublos. IL
has been asccrtained that weavers in Moscow
steady men, take home annually fully three
hundred roubles, and even moro, as clear ga
wings u must also be noted that they gain
this sum ia shorter industrial year than in
this country or the United States; for in Rus-
sia there are not more than $40 to 900 work
ing days in the year owing to the numerous
festivals Of the Greek Church, which are rig
oronsy observed. Moreover, the scrfs are al
lowed a certain time to 90 10 and fro TO their
ccmmunss, which they generally visit at the
hay sesson and Easter. Finally, the scris ON