136 FORESTRY IN EASTERN RUSSIA. 



the contents of so bulky a letter may have been, 

 may have led to its being opened ; and the case is 

 adduced to show that there was nothing out of keeping 

 with the practice of the country in the malversations and 

 abuses in the forest service which I have cited. 



It may be supposed that there is now some security 

 against wrongs in trial by jury, which has been introduced 

 into Russia ; but on my saying this to a practical man, long 

 conversant with the management of works in the district, 

 and with doings such as I have reported, his reply was : 

 ' It may seem so to you ; and the rule of Court regulating 

 procedure may seem to be all that could be desired to 

 secure justice being done ; but the judge can be bribed 

 as efficiently as this could be done in the days of Nicholas ; 

 and if you can secure the judge, you can secure your case. 

 And I'll tell you how it is done.' Naming then a success- 

 ful practitioner in Jury Courts, he said: 'Here is an impor- 

 tant case ; and he will have nothing to do with any others. 

 His terms are that his client shall pay all expenses 

 incurred in preparing papers required in the prosecution 

 of the case, and pay him say 20,000 roubles if he gain the 

 case, but only 5000 roubles if he happen to fail to do so. 

 This being securely arranged, one half of the 20,000 

 roubles is by the practitioner given to the judge. He then 

 enters the court, assured that the case is prejudged in his 

 favour ; and he finds that such a charge is given to the jury 

 that it is morally impossible that they can give a veidict 

 other than that for which he has paid. 



As with the Jury Court, so with the village Court. One of 

 my informants in regard to forest operations on the Urals, 

 referring to what had been the experience of another in 

 regard to punishments which were sometimes inflicted, 

 said to me : ' I have no doubt of the correctness of what is 

 stated, in so far as it relates to what was witnessed and 

 heard by your friend at that time ; but it is not in accord- 

 ance with my experience. The rod employed is composed 

 of birch twigs, bound firmly together in a bundle some- 

 times three inches thick. The knout has been abolished : 



