New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-01-25
RUSSIA.
EMANCIPATION OF THE SERFS

EMANCIPATION OF THE SERFS
Tie following is the report addressed by the Russian
Minister Of the Interior, NJ Lanskol to the Governor
General Of st. Petersburg under date OF December H.
1857 explaining the measures which have been au-
thorzed in that Government, az well as IN the pro,
Sinces OF Koyno wilma and Grodno, for the gradual
abolition Of serfdOm 49,
i have had the honor of submitting to his Majesty
! the emperor the regulation plans drawn up ny the
noble propretOrs Of the hamburg and Peterhoi DISTRICTS
for the peasants nhabltiDg the nanOrla IaHds pans
that YOU communicated to me- also the cons!dera-
tions that accompanied them and which were drawn
up by the mbly Of Representatives ana Depe,es
& from the nobility Of the entire government VI o''
& Petersburg. ,ur
II Is with most peculiar satisfaction that the En-
neror has learned this noble tendency on the part OF
the St. Petersburg corps OF mobiles towaIH inc aei,,
Grafton ard defntve organization OF their peasan-
trys existence. By the rescrlpt addressed 10 you HIS
Majesty degns in consequence, to aulhOrze thc no.
bilty OF his Government to prepare, IN COmmttee
anpciped for the purpose, plan OF regulations, keep
inc for t,r norm the indications of the aboye-nen-
TONED rescrpt for the order that must be observed IN
the abos of this Committee, and likewise or the chei
basis of these regulations .,., :;
fhe rescrpt for the composition of the Committee
formed for this object in the government OF ST. Pe-
terbug, and alsofOr the order OF us iao0rs, his "a
iesty has degned to order az follows;
For the election in each district OF the members
of the Committee the mobiles will have the rist 10
elect if it be desired the marshal Oh the nooiJ
II viii be the duty Of the MOBILES to elect, stimuli
taneously with the members of the COMMITTEE substi
iute candidates for each of its members VINO VIII
have TO represent them III case OF absence. .
3 The election by the mobiles OF the COMMITTEE
members and their substitutes must be submitted to
your EAcellency for appreciation
a. The Committee will be allowed upon receiving
vour authorization to admit to IFS sittnss, for consul
fstion snch of the noble landowners IN the Govern
mept of St. Petersburg as may be able to give to the
Committee any useful information or suggestions they
L require.
s. The mobiles will have if they find it expedien to
nav ont Of their own resources salaries to the elected
members and the other expenses oil the COMMITTEE.
g. The Committee is bound TO report regularly 10
VouY Excellency the course Of its proceednSs Inc
Committce oil your ntmatioD, will be able to change
Its resolutions without being tied down by its previous
decisions. " ..
T. The Committee will be bound to finish its labors
within the term of six months, reckoning from the hIs
day ofits sitting A.. 1,,...,;..o.
must conne itself to the subjects submitted to ITS ex
animation. His Majesty has beenp pleased at the same
time TO direct me 10 communicate to your Exce!lency
my own considerations that may assist the Committee
aforesaid in the performance OF IT'S TASK. IN eAecuon
of this supreme order, and taking into consideration
everything connected with this matter, fnd that the
Committee, charged with the task OF preparing plan
OF regulations for organizing and improving the exist
ence of the peasanry nhabtmg the seigneuris lands
of this government should keep IN view ana examine
in detail by applying them TO the local conditions,
the folk wing considerations:
J. The future organization OF the mahorlal peasul-
try based upon the principles laid down in the I'M
per0l rescrp ought not to be accomplished at once,
but progressively To this cad the peasants should
be from the first in a state of transition that IL to say,
more or less attached to the gebe; and it s only then
that they will enter into detnitive condition. when
the Government shall have authorized them on GER
tain conditions, to pass from one locality 10 Gnotner'
For the duration OF this transitory state VIII be ne
cessary to fix term which ought not TO extend De-
yCnd twelve years.
ii. In conformity with the principles laid down in
the Imperial rescrpt the propretors preserve their
nvod the dangers that might to the agricultural
popuauon IRON wandering and vaSrant me the
peasants VIII preserve their aotments toussadebnaia
ocedtost), which they win then have 10 purchase in
Fee simple by redemption within a given period 10
be determined on. Moreover, in order to insure their
existence and help them to fulfill their obligations
both toward the State and the proprietors tey will
have allotted to them, according TO the localities a
sufficient quantity Of land the usutuc of which they
must pay of to the pTUpIetoT' either by n'tallments
(Obrokl, or by personal labor. .
For the development and application Of these prin.
cipes in all their details 1t u indispensable that the
following observations should be taken INTO eons'dera
lion:
l. The peasant allotment consists Of the house or
hut lie dwes in with it, courtyard accessories, 1t:
kchen-garden and all the ground within the nclosed
space. -, =.
. The peasantrys rights OF condition, after their
defnitiye organization Excepting the night 81 nlsra
ting 10 other localities, which VIII be denueu ~
convenient season by the Goycrnmentl, ana lhe IiS
oil holding tenement with It's appurtenanceS, VIII oe
acquired either by the entire commune (mlr or sepa
ratey by the families Of the peasants, but only III
either case after the payment of the price to the pro
Pretor within period to be specified. la the iormei
s~e purchase by the commune) the Enclosures
toossaaebnyia outshastkil become the exclusive pro-
perry oi The peasant families belonging TO this com
1lnae. IN The latter purchase separately by
.nc peasant iamlesl these families, with their nc!o-
ruVe % eueemed, wtl continue to form part oi the
commune and remain subject to all the conditions Of
tno communal organization and administration.
D. ihlsfedemption may be- effected either by money
dtsas,.. A. -. sha
peasants bound to perform az an equivalent for
their uuruct of the land allotted TO them in virtue Of
NE fourth paragraph of the present. article.
= over and above the tenement with its inclosed
space sufficient portion Of the mobiles land accord
ing to circumstances and the local conditions will be
anotted IN usutruct 10 the peasants, with a view to
secure them livelihood and enable them more easily
%iVlhi' theS obligations towards the State aud tbs