26 THE ZEMSTVOS DURING THE WAR

of the change made by the law of 1890 in the relationship between
landed property qualifications and zemstvo representation:

Area of Land per Member of District Zemstvos.

1877 1905
Curia of Curia of Curia of Curia of
large owners peasants nobility peasants

In the thirty-four zemstvo
provinces
Including:
Moscow
Samara

9.200 16,200

4.700

80.400

5,300 9,300 2,100 14,700
17,700 86,400 7.600 100.200

From an institution representing all classes of the population, the
zemstvo was thus transformed into a body representing the nobility.
The law of 1890 abridged the rights of the zemstvos considerably,
and the Government was enabled more than ever to meddle in their
affairs. We note here the following two innovations which exerted
an especially harmful influence upon the further activities of the
zemstvo institutions: (1) The provincial governors and the Minister
 of the Interior were now authorized not only to refuse their approval
 to undesirable presiding officers and members of executive
organs elected by the zemstvos, thus preventing them from assuming
 office, but to appoint their own nominees to such posts, after
having twice refused to confirm those proposed in their offices; (2)
governors were authorized to prohibit the execution of resolutions
of zemstvo assemblies, not only if they failed to conform to the law,
but likewise when they did “not harmonize with the general interests
and needs of the state, or clearly violated the interests of the local
population.” These two provisions of the new law made the zemstvos
in a very large measure dependent upon the arbitrary will of the
officials of the central administration.
And yet the changes in the law failed to justify the hopes of the
Government. The composition of the assemblies changed but little,
while the increasing intervention of the government authorities in
the affairs of the zemstvos merely tended to accentuate their hostility
 to the Government.
Upon the accession of Nicholas II, nine provincial zemstvo assemblies
 presented to the Emperor an address in which they expressed,
 among other things, a desire that he should govern the