Michael Speransky. Statesman of Imperial Russia, 1772–1839 - Marc Raeff

PLANS OF REFORM 129 and method, Speransky was asked by a member of the Unofficial Committee, possibly Count Kochubei, to write u ...

130 PLANS OF REFORM confusion. What else can be expected from institutions which are the creations Qf imperial whims, sudden out ...

PLANS· OF REFORM 131 been something of an afterthought, for Speransky does not elaborate on this point - as he was to do many ye ...

132 PLANS OF REFORM weakness, his conception was a valuable suggestion for his time, as in 18th century Russia the lack of clear ...

PLANS OF REFORM 133 disorder. And yet the defects arising out of this situation are not as noticeable there as they are in Russi ...

134 PLANS OF REFORM responsibility "assumes a law ratified by the stamp of general recogni- tion [acceptance] and that this law ...

PLANS OF REFORM 135 of the two senates are only two facets of the single absolute sovereign power (i.e. the Emperor) in which th ...

136 PLANS OF REFORM Speransky recommends four principal steps for the implementation of these proposals: 1. publication of the s ...

PLANS OF REFORM 137 formalities." For instance, "the police in the villages must, no doubt, belong to the landowners; but their ...

(^138) PLANS OF REFORM contemporaries, and historians did not read it until almost a century after it had been written. It was p ...

PLANS OF REFORM 139 "absolutist feudalism" (equivalent to absolute monarchy). The latter form of feudalism in turn yielded the p ...

140 PLANS OF REFORM "What a contradiction," exclaims Speransky, "to wish for science, commerce, and industry, and not admit thei ...

PLANS OF REFORM 141 complete harmony with Russia's present level of development. The main purpose of his plan is to enable Russi ...

142 PLANS OF REFORM istration." 1 But to prevent the executive from abusing its power and distorting the meaning of the laws, it ...

PLANS OF REFORM 143 whim of another individual. 1 This definition makes it possible to preserve serfdom, although it implies tha ...

144 PLANS OF REFORM After this we may expect that the citizens of the Russian Empire will not possess equal political rights eit ...

PLANS OF REFORM 145 first class of the realm. Like all other citizens, the nobleman has all civil rights, but is exempt from per ...

146 PLANS OF REFORM termediary and transitional class between the nobility and the people. 1 The third class, the people, is com ...

PLANS OF REFORM 147 The main purpose of Speransky is to provide some means by which responsible public opinion can obtain some h ...

148 PLANS OF REFORM The Chancellor of the Empire is the Duma's President ex officio. The Duma of the Empire receives yearly acco ...