PLANS OF REFORM 141complete harmony with Russia's present level of development. The
main purpose of his plan is to enable Russia to progress regularly and
steadily on to the next "level," to prepare the people and the govern-
ment for this new stage, without subverting the existing system or
creating serious disruptions. The principal task is to found the absolute
government, heretofore arbitrary and tyrannical in its manifestations,
on stable and clearly defined laws. 1
The primary function of sovereign power is to establish laws and
execute them. But one person, that is the Emperor - who, in Speran-
sky's mind, is identical with sovereign power - cannot supervise and
unify all the institutions and laws of the realm. The difficulty can
be met by dividing the actions of the sovereign power according to its
three major functions. However, he hastens to add, this division is
one of pure convenience. For the entire political system of the Empire
forms an organic whole no part of which can be changed or destroyed
without imperiling the entire structure. Certainly, Speransky is far
from advocating anything that might even remotely resemble the
system of checks and 1!alances we usually associate with a division of
functions and powers. Properly speaking, his plan calls only for a
division of administrative functions for the sake of efficiency and
greater convenience. 2 Such a result can be obtained in either of two
ways. The first method would consist in giving a new legal form to
the existing system, while in fact preserving arbitrary absolutism. Of
course such an approach is not very desir-able and could, under certain
circumstances, lead to even greater confusion. But as a clever bureau-
cratic technician and cautious courtier, he does not rule out the
solution completely. Such a mixed system could be of use during a
transitional period, until people and institutions have become adjusted
to the new forms and their true spirit. In the long run, however, this
purely formal approach cannot provide a satisfactory permanent
solution of Russia's difficulties. The other method is preferable by
far. It involves the following: "1. a legislative institution must be
established on such a basis that it cannot bring its legislative proposals
to completion without the participation of the sovereign power, but
yet have its own free opinions and express the nation's sentiment; 2.
the judiciary must be organized in such a fashion that its composition
depends on the free choice [0£ citizens] and that the government retain
only the supervision of procedure and the safeguard of public security;
- the executive power must be completely in the hands of the admin-
1 ibid., pp. 30-31.
2 ibid., p. 31.