270 GOVERNING RUSSIA'S PROVINCES
Speransky also hoped to bind to Siberia the officials who worked inthe administration by allotting them land. It would not only increase
their income, but also give them a greater stake in the future of the
region. A similar provision was made for soldiers serving in Siberian
garrisons (pSZ 29,124). The plan did not work out too well, because
the officials longed to get back to Europe. Anyway, the absence of cheap
- or unfree - labor precluded the formation of regular estates on the
model of the gentry holdings in Russia proper. The idea, though, is
interesting as it illustrates again Speransky's search for an elite and
"public opinion."
Finally, to improve Siberia's economy and give its population more
mobility and security, Speransky did what he could to promote a
money economy. He wished Siberia to outgrow its prevailing natural
and barter econQIllY that made possible the monopolistic domination
of a few merchants. To this end, he proposed that the services and
dues in kind which the Siberian peasant furnished to the government
(and which were particularly onerous) be replaced by money payments.It would free the peasant's labor completely and make him master
of his own time and energy. The peasant could then be assured that
nothing and nobody would tear him from his task or upset his routine.
This in tum would raise his productivity and give him some incentive
to produce a surplus which he could sell to pay his taxes and dues.
The statute on local dues and services (PSZ 29,132) implemented these
considerations; it set an example which was eventually also imitated in
European Russia. As for the services that heretofore had been per-
formed by reluctant and unskilled peasants, they were to be taken over
by a special corps of trained personnel to be paid for through taxation.
The intent of all these measures was quite clear: to raise Siberia to
the economic, social, and cultural level of European Russia. The law's
success would enhance the region's value for the Empire; at the same
time it would secure an orderly administration for good. The govern-
ment would serve as guide towards this goal. The aim was certainly
laudable, the task set for the new administrative system a challenging
one. And while it is true that in many cases the officials did not live
up to the situation and that several decades were to pass before his
plans bore full fruition, it must be said in all fairness that Speransky
had planted a seed that could not be cast out. He had helped Siberia
onto an entirely new path of development.
Naturally, before progress could be made along this new road, theSiberian natives had to be given a proper administration too. It was
an essential part of Speransky's reform, and it was accomplished by the