Morning journal and courier., 1883-04-04
St. Petersburg and the Moscow Railway [Jesse Ceilings, Member of Parliament, in the Fort
 nightly Review.]

St. Petersburg and the moscow h9I"ay [Jesse Ceilings Member of Parliament, in the Fort
 nightly Reyiew.]
 The city of St. Petersburg and the Moscow railway strike one as two works which are typical of autocratic action. Here is a city made to order, both as to plan and situation, to suit the will and caprice of an absolute ruler. Its site had none of the qualities which have led men by the rule of natural selection to fix on certain spots whereon to congregate and to build dwellings, but seems rather to have been place totally unsuited for the purpose. The city did not grow and develop itself to suit the growing social wants and material conditions of people, but was planned by one man, who, with rule and compass in hand, drew the plan of city on paper and ordered it to be built accordingly The result is place with large masses of buildings, broad rectangular streets, imme nse squares and open spaces, and without small house or a narrow or crooked way, to be seen. The first reflections on looking at the city are: What provisions are there for the working classes and where do the poor dwell? On inquiry it is found that they are crowded into these large houses, and it is said that there are instances in which 1000 and 2,OOO perso1s are found living in one dwelling The effect of this manner of living on the comfort and morals of the poor is re- ported to be extremely bad, while effective sanitary arrangements and police supervision are almost 1mpOSSlDI0 WILL ESep0Ct bO tAO Moscow railway, the Emperor is said to have taken 8 ruler and ruled on the map 8 straight line between St. Petersburg and Moscow and ordered the railway to follow exactly that direction This was ready way of ignoring typographical difficulties, of dis posing of the rival claims and wishes or towns on the route, and of dispensing with the scientific skill of the surveyor; but the result was line of greatly impaired value throuch half deserted country, and whlcn scarcely touched @ town from beginning 70 end These two instances are apt A1ostIa- tions of the actions of desPotlc governmenss' The life of the nation is not allowed to oe- veIop it's own wants ana suppy ls own neads. but it is confined and governed Tn It's 1erions nbases by rules and methods pre- scr;bed for it. The clothes are not, so to soaok ftted to the man, but it is sought to St and if necessary to crush, the man into garments prepared for him without regard fo his size or requirements Nothing IS more striking in Russia than the contrasts which are met with at every turn. All the features ofa luxurious civilization are observed existing alongside of the merest barbarian. The rude sheepskin garment IS seen side by side with dresses of the latest Paris fashions. Evidences of the deepest poverty and proofs of the most lavish wealth are equally com mon In the market-places and popular quarters of Moscow the peasant class are seen partaking of such coarse food (rotten eggs being an article of diet) as the poorest people in Western Europe would not touch. On the other hand, there are evidences of the most luxurious living and an abundant supply of wines, fruits, and food of the most expensive kinds. In the midst of signs of great poverty are found splendid shops filled with goods of the most costly description, indicating the existence of large money spending class possessing expensive tastes and habits.