Russian local government during the war and the Union of Zemstvos

Bibliographic data

Monograph

Identifikator:: 1794855874

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-179223

Document type:: Monograph

Author:: Polner, Tichon I. http://d-nb.info/gnd/172311195

Title:: Russian local government during the war and the Union of Zemstvos

Place of publication:: New Haven

Publisher:: Yale Univ. Press

Year of publication:: 1930

Scope:: XXV, 317 S.

Digitisation:: 2022

Collection:: Economics Books

Usage license:: Get license information via the feedback formular.

Chapter

Document type:: Monograph

Structure type:: Chapter

Title:: Chapter I. Origin and organization of zemstvo institutions

Collection:: Economics Books

20 THE ZEMSTVOS DURING THE WAR district zemstvo assemblies, the largest number of seats was held by the deputies of the first curia, it was only natural that the dominant influence in the institutions of the zemstvos should be in the hands of the local nobles. The budgets of the zemstvos were built largely on the principle of self-assessment. The chief source of zemstvo revenues was fur- nished by taxation of real estate (mainly land and forests). The rates of this taxation were not fixed by law, but were prescribed afresh by the zemstvo assemblies every year, in accordance with the expenditure contemplated. Compared with this basic source of reve- nue, others, derived from a special addition to the government taxes on commerce and industry, from real estate and capital owned by the zemstvos, and from other such sources, were only negligible quantities in most of the zemstvos. Consequently, every increase of the zemstvo budget resulted in an automatic increase of taxes on the land. Within the limits of the jurisdiction granted them by law the zemstvos were absolutely independent. All that the representatives of the central government—the provincial governors—were sup- posed to do was to watch that the decisions adopted by the zemstvo assemblies should not violate any law. If they found them to be con- trary to law, the governors could prevent the execution of such deci- sions. The disputes that arose in this connection were settled by the Senate (the supreme court of the Empire), whose verdict was final. Such, in broad outline, was the organization of the zemstvo under the law of 1864. “Questions concerning the essence and jurisdiction of the zemstvo institutions, of the composition of the zemstvo mem- bership, and of relations between zemstvo and the organs of the Crown,” says Professor Kisevetter,® “were ultimately settled in a spirit of compromise between the new principles and the legacies of a past that had obviously lost all reason to exist after the Emancipa- tion Act of February 19, 1861.” Nature of the Work of the Zemstoos. The newly established zemstvo institutions attracted keen public attention and interest from the outset. The most progressive and educated members of the landlord class took a very prominent part ¢ Kisevetter, op. cit.

Access restriction

Copyright

fullscreen: Russian local government during the war and the Union of Zemstvos

Monograph

Chapter

Table of contents

Download

Monograph

Chapter

This page

Image fragment

Citation links

Citation recommendation