Sidebilder
PDF
ePub

intoxication. Besides here, as every where else, one man, when drunk, makes more disturbance than a hundred when sober.

There is another grand disadvantage under which our agriculture labours, in the land not being divided. The law of Catherine the Second only partitioned the villages; a more special provision is yet to come. This subject at present occupies the attention of Government; but the difficulties to be overcome are immense.

Here M. Sabouroff's letter concludes. I believe that by the last clause he means that the law as it now stands, provides only for the division of separate properties, and that the measure to be desired is one which would assign to each peasant his own allotment, so as to give him a permanent interest in its improvement.

I think, however, that one most important obstacle to the prosperity of the landed interest of Russia, is not alluded to by M. Sabouroff, and this is the compulsory partition of an estate among the children of a proprietor at his death. This law reduces every man to the condition of a life-tenant on his property, and of course must often prevent him from beginning an extensive system of improvement, which he cannot expect each of his various heirs to follow up, or which, when the estate became divided, would be probably out of their power. The law at the same

time destroys those feelings of local attachment and pride with which a man regards the property which is connected with the names of his fathers, or which he hopes will be connected with those of his descendants.

The following prices of provisions and agricultural produce at Tamboff, in November, 1837, are, I believe, tolerably correct; they prove the extreme scarcity of money alluded to by M. Sabouroff:

[blocks in formation]

Meat from d. to 2d. per fb.

Rye 3s. 9d. per chetvert (=216lbs.), Wheat somewhat dearer.

Potatoes from 8d. to 10d. per chetvert.

Oats, as I was assured, had been sold as low as 1s. per chetvert, though it seems hardly credible.

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

In this number, however, the private soldiers of the Army and Navy, with their wives and children, are not included, so that the sum total, in round numbers, may be estimated at sixty-one millions. In addition to which, must be reckoned the inhabitants of the mountains between the Black Sea and the Caspian, 1,445,000 souls. There are also Wandering Tribes of Circassians and others, whom it is impossible to number.

This statistical account of Russia is translated from an official table, published in the newspapers. Some of the classifications, especially those of the inhabitants of towns, do not appear very intelligible.

R

LONDON:

STEWART AND MURRAY,

OLD BAILEY.

« ForrigeFortsett »