The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-02-04
POLAND.
Melancholy Condition of the Country.
The WarsaW correspOndent OF the London Pos
s-],'sF''-T''''1--'-1'--' :

Melancholy Condition Of the Country.
The Warsaw correspondent Of the London Post
writes as follows:-
We have had a very melancholy Christmas here
the endless contributions levied by the government
that the shops, usually SO full at this season,
have had scarcely any customers for any but their
cheapest goods, and there Is hardly family In the
capital which Is not mourning the loss Of one or
more OF It's members by exile or contscation.
The depreciation In the value Of landed property,
incredible. Estates are sold every day at q third
Of their real value. Last week one Of the finest
few years ago. was sold for 4l,0o0 rubles. This
depreciation, which Is mainly due TO the general
impoyerishnen Of the country + also n certain
sures OF the government in regard to residence.
Thus ukase decrecd some time ago that all landed
proprietors In Lithuania who were suspected OF
having been concerned in the late instruction
should sell their estates and settle in the Kingdom
OF Poland: me result Of this decree was tina .
tates in the adjoining districts OF the kingdom.
They had scarcely established themselves, however,
In their new homes when another regulation WAS
published ordering them to reside in the western
portion OF the klngdomyz., near the Prussian froL
tier-so that they are now compelled again to dis
pose OF their estates and move still further to the
south.
The Zamoyskl Palace which was sequestrated by
the government in 1868 because y bomb had been
thrown out OF 1t by some unknown person at Count
Berg, has now been finally given over to the corps
OF engineers. But though the government has
taken possession OF the property refuses 10 pay of
the mortgages upon 1t. one OF these amounting to
10000 rubes s2oooO was left by the late Countess
Zainoyski TO her children being portion of the
property which was settled upon her at her mar
rage. The heirs have repeatedly urged their claim
upon the government, but the latter refuses to pay
either principal or interest on the plea that as the
palace was the property OF Count ZomOyski and had
been con1scated the share OF his children In the
property must be con1scated also. The heirs then
attempted to bring the matter into court OF law,
but the dread OF offending the government here Is
such that they could not get single lawyer to take
up their case.
The system OF classification is still being pursued
In all parts or Poland with undated vigor. General
PotapoH, the Governor OF Lithuania and author OF
the famous decree lorbidding Poles to speak Polish,
has issued circular changing the Polish names OF
the principal villages and towns In his district INTO
Russian Ones and directing the officials to take no
notice OF any letters which not addressed in
ormity with the new scheme, which is TO come into
operation from the LIST Of January. Another decree
just issued orders the Russian calendar old sye) to
be adopted In Poland instead OF the GregOrian caen-
dar, or new STYLE" This, as might have been ex-
pected, has caused immense confusion In the COM
nercia and manufacturing districts, as the LIST of
January will this year be twelve days later in Poland
than before.
Joseph SiemasZko, the head or the Russian clergy
IN Lihuania-whose prosecution VI the United Greek
Church in that country in 1889, when upwards OF
sixty nuns We're fogged in a single convent at
Minsk, several OF them dying under the lash. has
made him an object OF universal horror and detesta
ton among the Poles--has died OF Wilma.