520 



E U S S I A. 



Russia, paper-money, from time to time, to an immense a- 

 Wy^ mount. The value of the paper rouble has gradually 

 sank from being the representative of 3s. 6d., or even 

 more, to be only equal to 9d. sterling ; and for a num. 

 ber of years past it has chiefly varied between 9d. and 

 lid. 



In the year 1822, the Russian government, in order, 

 it was said, to diminish the quantity of paper money 

 in circulation, and to carry on plans for the general 

 improvement of the country, contracted a large loan 

 with Messrs. Rothschild & Co. at London, bearing 

 interest at the rate of 7^ per cent. The money ac- 

 cordingly was remitted to Russia, and the supply, it 

 Was expected, would have produced immediate advan- 

 tages, especially to commerce. But, if Dr. Lyall be 

 correct, this was not the case. In the Courier and in 

 the Morning Chronicle, a few months ago, this gentle- 

 man stated, upon what he esteemed indubitable autho- 

 rity, that the castle of St. Peter and St. Paul at Peters- 

 burgh was filled with uncoined silver and gold, and 

 that the massy ingots of the yellow metal sent from 

 England had not been coined into current money in 

 order to help the exchange. He further says, that they 

 are filled up as a store of tangible, and everywhere, 

 valid cash, for the days of emergency. His inference 

 from these facts is, that Russia has some grand plan in 

 view for the employment of this idle money some in- 

 vasion and conquest, which it is calculated will repay 

 all the lost interest, and compensate all the disadvan- 

 tages to the nation at large which are now sustained 

 by hoarding up the valuable metals. 



Mr. Soimof and Dr. Fachs have lately made a visit 

 to the Ural Mountains, on purpose to examine some 

 recently discovered gold mines, the richest of which 

 are said to lie between Nijni Tagilskoi and Koushet- 

 oumskoi. It was expected that the whole of these 

 mines would furnish 130 poods, 6760 pounds troy, the 

 first year, and of course that the quantity would be 

 augmented in succeeding years. Should this be the 

 case, Russia may receive a very seasonable increase of 

 her revenue, and be enabled to pay off her debts, or to 

 carry her ambitious plans into execution. 



The following public letter gives the latest intelli- 

 gence on the present subject : 



St. Peter sburgh, July li-lh, 1824. 



" On the 3d of this month, the council entrusted 

 with all affairs relative to public credit, had a sitting 

 in which the minister of finance, lieutenant-general V. 

 Cancrin, presented a report on the state of finances in 

 the course of last year. From this report, which gives 

 -a very favourable account of the improvement of the 

 finances, it appears, that on the 1st of January, 1824, 

 the whole of the public debt amounted to 20,620 rou- 

 bles in gold, 91,534,318 roubles in silver, 260,628,677 

 roubles in paper, and 47,600,003 florins of the Dutch 

 loan." 



GOVERNMENT. 



Govern- Russia has generally been an hereditary empire, and 



anent. the crown has devolved to either sex. The pretended 



elections of some of the sovereigns, beyond doubt, 

 were the result of intrigue and delusion. How can 

 there be an election where the people are slaves, and 

 have no voice, or where, if they had any, they would 

 be governed by their masters' will ? 



The sovereign must be of the Greek religion, as well 

 as his spouse, if he be married. His person is sacred, 

 his powers unlimited. On ascending the throne, 



proclamations announcing the event are issued at Russia. 

 Petersburgh, and the monarch afterwards proceeds to ^^/^ 

 Moscow, where the crowning takes place in the Cathe- 

 dral of the Assumption. 



To give a full idea of his numerous titles, we shall 

 copy the commencement of every important ukaz, 

 or proclamation : " By the helping grace of God, 

 we, Alexander I. imperator and samoderjets (emperor 

 and autocrat) of all the Russias, tsar (king) of Mos- 

 coWj Kief, Vladimir, Novgorod, tsar of Kazan, tsar of 

 Astrachan, tsar of Poland, tsar of Siberia, tsar of 

 Kherson, and of the Tauridan Chersonnesus, gosudar 

 (sovereign) of Pskof, and velikii kniaz (great duke) of 

 Smolensk, of Lithuania, of Volchinia, of Podolia, and 

 of Finland, kniaz (duke) of Esthonia, Livonia, Cour- 

 land, Semigallia, Samogitia, Bielostock, Karelia, Tver, 

 Ugoria, Perm, Viatka, Bulgaria, and other countries, 

 gosudar and velikii kniaz (sovereign and great duke) 

 of Novgorod, of the lower country, (Nijnii-Novgorod) 

 of Tchernigof, Riasan, Polotsk, Rostof, Yaroslaf, Belo- 

 Ozero, Udoria, Obdoria, Kondia, Vitebsk, Mstislaf, 

 and of all the northern region, povelitel and gosudar 

 (emperor and sovereign) of Iveria, Kartalinia, Georgia, 

 and Kabarda, hereditary gosiidar (sovereign) and ruler 

 of the Circassian and Mountain (Kaucasian) princes, 

 successor of Norway, duke of Shlesvick-Holstein, 

 Storman, Dithmarsen, and Oldenburgh," &c, &c. &c. 



The Russian monarch has ever had unbounded 

 power ; his will has always been the legislative au- 

 thority. Russia, strange as it may seem, has prospered 

 under despotism, and always suffered wherever an at- 

 tempt has been made to diminish or bound the sove- 

 reign power. The efforts, however, have probably not 

 been made with sufficient vigour and determination ; 

 and the nobles feared a power divided between the 

 throne and a senate, more than the arbitrary orders of 

 a despot which overrule every court of judicature in 

 the realm. The sovereign can enact new laws when 

 he pleases, or make alterations of those already exist- 

 ing; he can make war or peace, raise taxes, levy re- 

 cruits, grant privileges, confer titles and dignities, ec- 

 clesiastical and civil, military and naval ; he can esta- 

 blish or abolish monopolies, impose new taxes, or abro- 

 gate old ones ; he can make presents of, or sell domains 

 at pleasure, or increase them by purchase, conquest, 

 and negotiation. Even the sole legislation of ecclesi- 

 astical matters may be said to centre in him. He can 

 also travel out of the empire, and appoint a regency 

 during his absence. 



Under such a power, a country of slaves may be 

 happy, or excessively miserable, according to the hu- 

 mour and will of the potentate. There is no counter- 

 poise to oppression or to violence but the conscience of 

 the autocrat ; and if he be a merciless or foolish mo- 

 narch, his people's fate becomes most lamentable. In 

 fact the tsar, or emperor, may be said to be absolute 

 lord both of the empire and of the laws of his subjects. 

 He commands the nobles ; but if his rule be severe he 

 may forfeit his life, as was the case with Paul. The 

 property of the nobles is also directly or indirectly at 

 the sovereign's disposal. 



By the common people, the emperor is truly regard- 

 ed as the Lord's anointed, and revered as a superna- 

 tural being. 



AGRICULTURE. 



A dissertation upon the agriculture of Russia would Agricul- 

 little interest our readers, and would lead to the deve- ture. 







