NO BRIBES. 159 



uniforms. The pictures, enclosed in a handsome port- 

 folio, made the heart of every admirer and connoisseur 

 of uniforms beat quicker. Armed with this portfolio, 

 brother Charles repaired to Count Kleinmichel, explained 

 to him our difficulty, and begged permission for the 

 wearing of a uniform by our officials. The sight of 

 the fine pictures conquered the resistance offered at 

 first by the count; he retained the portfolio to show 

 it to the Emperor, who immediately granted the per- 

 mission for the proposed uniform. 



I consider it my duty to meet in this place the 

 often expressed opinion, that we could only have con- 

 cluded these great and generally speaking profitable 

 undertakings in Russia by the help of bribes. I can 

 asseverate that this was never the case. The expla- 

 nation may perhaps be that the negotiations were 

 always conducted and concluded directly with the 

 supreme government authorities, and that the state 

 of political affairs urgently demanded the speedy con- 

 struction of the needed telegraphic communications. 

 This however does not imply that we have never 

 recompensed the lower officials in the customary 

 fashion of the country for services rendered during 

 the construction the lines. 



