THE Commission for examining the titles of disputed lands, called in Russ Spornie Commissie, seems to have been very unsuccessful in its labours; the boundaries of estates in the Crimea are still very indistinctly known, and many, if not most of them, are involved in a perplexity, which appears to be hopeless from its long continuance. The size of the largest estates in the Crimea, are not to be compared with those of the colonies on the northern shores ofthe Black Sea, and Asoph ; but they greatly exceed our ideas ofa large estate, some few containing twelve thousand desaiteens, or twentyeight thousand English acres*: the smallest ones, from five hundred to one thousand desaiteens. The only tax paid by the proprietor, is that upon income, at the rate of six per cent.
The government of this peninsula, though in most of its forms similar to that of the other provinces of Russia, has yet some peculiarities attaching to it, which make it more independent, and consequently as a residence for a stranger, preferable to many parts of Russia.
It is not absolutely necessary to be naturalized, or become a Russian subject, to be an inhabitant here ; except for the merchants, who are required to enrol themselves in one of three classes, according to theirmeans or their wishes.
In the first of these, they are expected or supposed to possess property in the town to which they belong, to the amount of 20,000 rubles; * The Russian desaiteen is 2f English acres. K2 the second class, to the amount of 10,000 ; > and the burghers, or lower class, 5000 rubles : ofcourse I refer to the towns of the Crimea. In Russia Proper, the capital necessary to become a merchant ofany of the guilds, is considerably greater. This however is evaded, and not so much for the casual expence to which it subjects them, as on account of the fetters it brings with it ; since a person thus naturalized, cannot leave the empire without giving acceptable bond for his return thither.
There are, however, many advantages which the government have the power of giving to those who come under their protection, and he who consults his interestrather than his inclination, will do well to accept it. The first two classes of merchants are exempt from furnishing recruits ; but the burghers find them ; and the price ofa recruit, rises in proportion to thenumber demanded by government from every hundred male souls; varying from 1200 to 2000 rubles. In the late war, five recruits from one hundred males, were levied annually. This fell with great severity on the large as well as the small landed proprietors, and the value of a recruit rose in many places much higher than what I have stated here, notwithstanding the senate had fixed the price of 1260 rubles for one.
The Russian merchants may be considered as forming an intermediate class between the nobles and the peasantry. Those of the first guild or class, are said to rank as Majors in the Civil Service ; while the lowest class includes all the petty shopkeepers of every description, who equally denominate themselves kopetts, or merchants.
The town o Kaffa has a Nachalnek, or Chief, of its own,who is commonly, though improperly, designated Governor. His jurisdiction extends to the town alone. The late Chief, M. Engell, a man highly calculated for this appointment, reformed many abuses which had crept into the quarantine and customs, and exercised a watchful care in behalf of the government, which was felt by many who had before acknowledged, in the words of an officer, the Director-General of the Quarantine, " Ilfaut voter, Monsieur!" The produce of the customs in the year 1818, was 250,000 rubles; but in the administration of this governor, it increased to 700,000 rubles. Suchwas the difference between honesty and corruption !
M. Engell, after his first year's administration, went to St. Petersburgh to give an account of it ; and previous to his departure he declared in public, that if he could not persuade the government to give their consent to the execution ofsome plans he had formed for the advantage of the town, he should never return to it. He did not succeed ; and another was appointed to the office, which he had once avowed it was the extent of his wishes to fill honourably, and for which he had declined the offer ofa more lucrative or honourable post.
This gentleman also endeavoured to effect an alteration in the terms of tenure, which, if it prove successful, will greatly enhance the value of estates, and be a spur to the sluggish spirits of the tenantry. Upon his own estate, he had demanded from the Tatars fifty kopeeks per head, perannum, for every ewe sheep and Iamb, and two rubles per head for each working ox, or cow and calf; smaller cattle to pay from fifty kopeeks to one ruble, according to their age.