GOVERNING RUSSIA'S PROVINCES 263the Council has no means of implementing its decisions.^1 Though the
autonomy of the Main Administration's executive action is preserved,
the range of its initiative is quite limited. In no case can the Main
Administration cancel or limit existing regulations, it may not intro-
duce any new rules (this was a restriction compared to the power held
by governors in the past), it cannot establish new expenditures or
demand from subordinate agencies any sums not regularly provided
for by ordinances from St. Petersburg. 2 In the final analysis, the inde-
pendent role of this Council of subordinate officials was very limited
indeed, and in practice almost nil. Eventually it deteriorated to the
extent of becoming merely a body dealing with a few specific matters.
It lost almost completely its original function of supervising and advis-
ing the Governor General on questions of general policy (it was even-
tually abolished by Alexander III in 1887).3 As on previous occasions,
Speransky had failed to see clearly the practical difficulties which his
new bureaucratic creations might face and did not provide adequate
institutional safeguards to assure their proper development.
Following the pattern he had set in his previous administrative
plans and reform projects, and in harmony with a basic trait of Russianpolitical organization since Paull's time, Speransky set up the Siberian
administration along hierarchical lines. It was a pyramid, formally
under the Senate, in fact under the Emperor and various ministries.
All lower authorities were strictly subordinated to the higher ones.
While any deviation from the regular procedure by a subordinate body
had first to be sanctioned by superior authorities, the higher institu-
tions could cancel decisions taken by the lower agencies on the flimsiest
of pretexts. 4
The Main Administration sets the pattern for all subordinate bodies.
Each Governor Generalship is to be subdivided into several provinces
(guberniia), each with its provincial administration (gubernskoe uprav-
lenie) consisting of a Civil governor and a provincial council (gubernskii
sovet). This council's functions and its relationship to the Civilian
Governor parallel those of the Main Administration and Governor
General. The Provincial Council, however, is composed exclusively of
the province's chief administrative, judicial, and fiscal officials.^51 PSZ 29,125, pars. 545. 546.
2 PSZ 29,125, pars. 537, 538.
:I V. V. Ivanovskii, "Atlministrativnoe ustroistvo nashikh okrain," Uchenye Zapiski
Kazanskogo Ulli-uersiteta, vol. 58, No.6, (Nov.-Dec. 1891) p. 38.
4 PSZ 29,125, pars. 480, 500.
5 The Council is composed of: Presidents of the Provincial Board (gubernskoe
pra-ulenie - the general police and administrative office), of the Chamber of the
Treasury (kazcll1zaia palata), and of the Provincial Court (gubernskii sud), of the