2Q SlitKi;iA. 



alivcly small; bosidcs this the iridispoMtiiiii of iIk- vaf-'alitiml cxilfs to a iloiiK-stic life and of 

 llic nativi's In enter into inama//e with the eiiininals ami the predciminanee of prostitution, 

 sickness, sipliilis et ecirra, aiiKiiit.' Ilii- fxilfil population, all this eomhincs to pn-Vfiit th<' iniil- 

 tipliiaiioii I, I ihc fxiji'il sciilcrs and lo paralyze it. 



'I his historieal ski'ldi id' tlii' conquest and e(doni/alon of llic va^i aira known und<T ilic 

 ^'(111 ral nauH' of Sihi-ria cimics down almost to the [)n'sent lime. Wlit-n duriiif.' the st-cund 

 liall (d' the present ceiilury it was discovered that the pi)|iidaiion was fast out^Towint/ 

 its terrilory then colonization hecame one (d' ilie uio-t important prol)|ems of Iho State, 

 And thus ii is thai the (invernment has resid\ed to innie to the aid of tho national 

 iiiovemi'nt, and to re(.MdaIe il hy a series id' measures. The matter was hcfinu by the law 

 of 18S9, respeclinj.' llie voliniiaiy emiLTation of peasants and hiirtrliers to State lands where 

 they previously had not the ri^dit of settlement. Accoidinj-- to this law the Ministry of 

 Stale Domains foinis special allotments on the State lands for settlers and communicates 

 concenniiii' llii'in to the .Ministiv nl tlie Interior, wlm alter investi^aliiii.' the local positinii of 

 tile families desirous of emijfrali!i,i>- Includes those which satisfy the necessary conditions in 

 the emigration iist and excludes those wtiicli are deemed unfitted. Emif-Tation was also allowed 

 to tlic soutfi-western Siheiian jirovinces peopled by the Kiii-ddz, and where l^issians were not 

 previt)usly admitted, and in \b'J2 this permission was extended to the two govemments of 

 East(>rn Sibeiia, those of Yenisseisk and Irkutsk. 



The result of this emigration movement to Siberia was tlie settlement id' Russian emi- 

 grants over the whole of the narrow southern band exiending f'lom the Urals over Western 

 and Eastern Siberia proper and beyond the Baikal over the basin of the Amour to the Sea 

 of Japan. And this is why, during the last ten years, the nec(^ssiiy dl' uniting all this extensive 

 and in parts even, interrupted colonized area of Sib(M-ia by an nninternipted railroad has be- 

 come more and more evident l)otli in Russia and Siberia. But the question of the construction 

 of this line only came to the fore after the memorable journey of the Heir Apparent through 

 the whole of Siberia. On bis return to Russia from his long journey to the East, His Imperial 

 Highness landed on Russian territory at Vladivostok, on the lltli of May. 189 1. and read there 

 the immemorial Imperial rescript of the ITili of March, 1891, published at St. Petersburg in 

 the name of His Imperial Highness the Tsaiwich and Grand Duke Nicolai Alexandrovich. 



«IIaving now commanded the iminediaie censt ruction of a railroad through the entire 

 length of Siberia with the object of connecting these richly endowed provinces of Siberia 

 with the internal network of railways, I commission you to aiinou:ice such as my will on 

 your return to the Jxussian territory al'tei' having visited the fiiiei^iii lands of the East. At 

 the same time I lay upon you the act of inaugurating the construction, at the expense of the 

 Crown, of the Ussuri section of the (irand Siberian Railway at Vladivostok. 



v;May your auspicious participation in the inauguration of this truly national work which 

 I have undertaken, serve as a fresh witness of my heartful desire to facilitate the relations 

 between Sibeiia and the other portions of the Empire, and in such wise make known to this 

 region, which is so dear to my heart, my liveliest care for its pacific progress^>. 



This decided the question of the construction of tho Great Siberian Railway which had 

 occupied the attention of the Government and nation for over a third of a century: and this 

 fact is one id' the most important events of the present reign. 



