This very system, however, having subsisted throughout every part of the empire of Russia from the remotest antiquity, it was not to be expected that any other, or better plan of colonizing their fertile deserts, could have been adopted. Bigotted as the boors are universally allowed to be to their ancient customs in every country, here the whole power of government would have been utterly unavailing, to bring about so great an improvement as that of settling each family immediately on the land intended for cultivation. The advantages claimed in favour of the Russian plan of colonization, over that now alluded to, flows from the principles of despotic government. The cultivators of the soil are slaves, and as beasts of burden, their prosperity is no otherwise considered of consequence by the government or nobles, than as they contribute to pay poll-tax, and furnish recruits to the former, and labour the landed property of the latter. It is obvious that these services are much more easily exacted from the inhabitants of a village, whose houses are built contiguous to each other, than when they are remote, and dispersed over a wide extent of country. Added to which, is the superior facility ofgoverning such villages ; ofcalling them out to labour ; of watching their motions ; of receiving the orders of the government or their masters, and especially of calling out the recruits ; very few of which would be procured, if each family did not watch his neighbours' actions, in this, as in many other of the above cases, and report their observations to the officers of government: all of which are objects of the very first magnitude*. It is, however, equally clear, that agriculture cannot flourish under such conditions; and the extraordinary fertility of the soil, while liable to these and other objections flowing from the same source, has alone contributed to the support of this barbarous system.
The earliest establishment ofthe colonization ofRussia may be dated from the beginning of Catherine the Second's reign. The revision of their numbers is taken every third year ; and all who are registered on the day of the revision, (which is ascertained over the whole empire at the same time), are liable till the new revision, to apoll-tax offive rubles per male head, includ- * It is essential to remember, that in all the demands of the government on the peasant, whether for personal service poll-tax, or recruits, &c. for the sum to be paid, the service to be demanded, or the recruit to be furnished, government calls, not on the individual, but the village, so that ifany be wanting, the rest are liable.
ing all ages, whether any ofthem die or not in the intermediate time ; but, on the other hand, all the new-born are exempt during the same period.
The boors are subject to many vexations, from the abuse ofpower by the officers of the government belonging to theLanded Tribunal. Armed with the most absolute authority, they are chiefly men oflowrankandhumble estate, and receiving salaries offrom two to three, or four guineas per annum, they have recourse to all the abundant means within their power of extending that income. Apparently to deliver the orders of the police, though often to live in free quarters, these men are seen at all times, and in all places, putting into requisition the boors and their horses, and galloping over the district, to the annoyance of the peasant, who is frequently called from the harvest field, or other important occupations, to furnish the required duty. They eat and drink wherever they go ; and every pretext is laid hold of to oblige the boor to furnish contributions ofwhatever he possesses, for them to carryhome to their families.
i2 The advantages of their situation seem however to overcome all the impediments in their way ; and that the boors are increasing in wealth and population, is at once evident, from the immense supplies of wheat which (independently of Poland) are annually sent from the Russian colonies to the ports of the Black Sea ; and so superior are the Russians in number to the remainder of the colonists, that when compared with all the othersettlements put together, theymay be estimated in the proportion of thirty to one.
The villages of the Crimea are much smaller in general than those ofthe district north of Perekop, but the regulation of them is the same.
The proportion of colonists to that offree settlers in the peninsula, is much smaller than in any other part ofthis great colony.