Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1861-04-03

Ptaus -Vuu uOG GWslle euunFe. Ivan G0loTiu,
the historian rays Russian mobiles wish
for emancipation for three reasons. First,
tbecnuse they are apprehensive for their
own safety; second, because the conatry
grows poorer acd poorer; third, because
they are ashamed to pass for slave-traders
to the eyes of civilizetl Europe. The gov
ernmeRt wishes for it too, in order To
whitewash itself before foreign nations. /"
He might have added that the lack of in.
I'dustry and commerce, resulting from the
social state, tof the people, the profound
Decentralization of some of the governors
and of the majority of the subordinate
Foheers of the empire; abSeutecism, bri-
hery and corruption in high places, the
iiGnorauceiOf; the clergy the spperStitions
-PtF the masses, and many other causes
too long to enumcrate, have placed the
empire In such condition that reforms
aud emancipation have become question
of life and death. The late Emperor
Nicholas I,-Was aware of it, and attempted
at different times TO cnfrTlnchise the Eerfs.
hut tniled onsaccount of the i'll will of the
nobility on one side, and of his too radical
noiionslon the other. However, thp men,
Dry of his efforts was not lost, and his
plans are now taken pp.by the people us
the greatest RhOlitiGnist of the empire.
d Alexander IL, his son, ~ statesman and
a.Philosopher. has followed in the wake of
his tatheT, and, aware as lie is that the
safety OF RussiH is intimately connected
with the freedom of the people, has work.
ed in one direction ever since his advent to
the throne. AS soun'as the Crimenu war
WAS over, in 1857, he began his measures
of reform, and, fortunately for the cause of
humnn freedom, was assisted in his task hv
half his nobility, whose patriotism Justly
alarmed at the precarious condition of the
iinances of the country, at the revolution
ary tendencies of the Poles and Hungarians
andaat the discomfort of several of the
provinces, sought for the, safety of Russia
i'm the natural defenders, the people. Pre-
parntory dispositions were made to that
effect The census oftlIe serfs living ON
+! the estates, the number of families in each
village, the HmOunt of land allotted to each
/ OF them, their professions and industry,
the mortgage Idiby banks upon proper
Z W, the amount of taxes paid or to be
paid, the condition of the serFowners,
We're the subjects of long investigation
To-day this work is over, and it llus re.
suited in one of the greatest events of our
I age, the passage of fifty millions of souls
from bondage 10 freedom.
MEASURES ADOPTED FOR THE IXrRASCHIsI-
| IESr or THE sEHFs.
/ The first measure decreed by the En-
| Peror is the removal of several officers Of
the crown. Offorty or fifty governors, or
! provincial chiefs, now in power, ten ut
| least will be turned out on the ground of
| dishonesty and incaparity With them n
host OF corrupt officials will be driven from
Office This trib4te paid to honesty win
nave an excellent effect upon public opin-
ION tsoE, y rs u Russian Historian. nyon
cannot emancipate the serfs without cuian-
glpallug the mobiles, nor lnoralize tue sub
Ieets without moralfzing the government.b
/ Al the same time the administrative and
Judicial officers will be invested with
greater power; business will be settled on
a Just basis; the powers of the city and
county attorneys increased, and justices of
peace will be created to pronounce upon
the differences between the noble and the
| peasant. A'.,
The first officers selected by the nobility
Will have to be confirmed by the governor.
The local laws and the police Of the dis.
f, trict will be administered, for the time
being, by the land owners. All these
measures are only transisn and will have
to, be modified as the people grow more
enlightened and more apt to exercise the
| rights of citizenship.
Thescrfs WILDE di.idedinto four groups,
each of which will be the object Of seho1l
rate and distinct legislatiun.
The first group includes the serfs of
small proprieto:s. possessing less than
twenty males apiece Half Of them will
be organized in colonies aud sent upon tue
lands of the crown aud of the imperini
family. The other half will be distributed
into small territorial districts, formed uDon
tthe system adopted by the French COM
mpnes. each man receiving certain por-
ton OF land sufficient to his support and
thht Of his family. To compensate The
J nNvnnRg fhA
the amount of five millions of dollars. TO
be implied TO this use. At the same time
the serf already colonized and enfranchis-
edrwtil pay to the treasury an interest of
SIX or seven and n half per cent, till tho
complete extinction of the debt.
The second group comprises all the serfs
| paying the o6rok or annual taS, five hun.
drcd thousand of whom will be bourbt
annually by the government. A yearly
issue OF thirty-fivc millions of dollars in
/ government scrip will be devoted To that
purpose. An an Ilal interest of a. per
cent. upon each serf vHiGed at from eighty
to one hundred dollars apiece, will br mid
by the peasant himself for the reimburse.
ment of this amount.
Every serf established upon n private
property or settled in villages will have
the right to purchase his cottage AMI en-.
closure BY means of gradual manual la.
bor, orof a payment in praduce, or money.
Tue third group contains the scrfs liable
to three days labor per week. According
to the Imperinl decree this kind of labor
will be reduced to two days, with privi-
leEe for the peasant to purchase his free
dom. at stated price, till he I've inrluicd
tnthe annual purchase made I,v the gov
Iernmeut, in which case lie will be taxed
for the payment of the interest of tile
money employed In his purchase.
The fourth group comprises the domes-
tic servants, to which the government HAS
nla.le the same proposition as that made
to the PeaFautsy. and will be enfruncbised