REFORM OF RUSSIA'S FINANCES AND CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION 113in 1811-1812, gave neither a full nor a satisfactory answer to these
questions.
Speransky proposed the establishment of a Governing Senate whose
function would be to give unity to the administration of the realm.
But this proposal was never implemented and in the absence of any
specific institution, the unifying function devolved on the Committee
of Ministers. However, as in 1802, this body received neither legal
status nor a formal definition of its powers, functions, and jurisdictIon.It remained an ad hoc affair, growing out of Alexander's practice to
consult with several ministers 'at a time on questions which transcendedthe competence of anyone of them. True enough, the Committee's
prestige and status rose in consequence of the Emperor's frequent
absences from the capital (particularly after 1813) during which it was
empowered to act on such matters as did not require specific imperial
·approval. But the Committee's "informal" and non-essential character
became quite evident after 1815, especially in the 1820's, when all its
functions were in fact taken over by Count Arakcheev. In short, the
central administration was still not effectively unified as to policy
and purpose.
Speransky gave an answer to the second question through the legisla-
tion he helped to enact. The sole and real source of legislative power
in Russia was the Emperor. Of course, the Emperor could not take
care of all legislative problems alone; he had to be advised and assisted
by a special institution or group of men. In the great reform plan of
1809, to be discussed subsequently, the function of advising on new
legislation was given to the State Duma and, in a limited way, to the
Council of State. Of the two, only the Council of State ever came into
existence and took over the role of legislative advisor to the Emperor. 1
In recommending a new Council of State, Speransky subjected to
detailed and searching criticism all the existing institutions of the
central government and pointed out that 'above all there lacked a body
that would give coordination and unity to the legislative aspect of
administration. But let Speransky state the case in his own words:
"Order and uniformity in government affairs require that there
be one central place where they would be subjected to general
consideration. In the present system of government in Russia
there is no such institution. The Senate cannot fill its place, since
1 It might be noted, that a Council of State had existed in Russia since the
reign of Catherine II. But its functions were not very clearly defined and varied
from reign to reign. The immediate predecessor of Speransky's creation had been
the so-called Nepremennyi Sovet (the "constant" -sic- council) established in 1801
as a consultative body to young Alexander I (PSZ 19,806, dated March 30, 1801) -
Cf. also Chapter 5 infra.