Russia

Self-government—Communal System of Land Tenure—Heavy

Taxation—Disruption of Peasant Families—Natural Increase of

Population—Remedies Proposed—Migration—Reclamation of Waste

Land—Land-purchase by Peasantry—Manufacturing Industry—Improvement of

Agricultural Methods—Indications of Progress.

CHAPTER XXXII

CHAPTER XXXII

THE ZEMSTVO AND THE LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT

Necessity of Reorganising the Provincial Administration—Zemstvo Created

in 1864—My First Acquaintance with the Institution—District and

Provincial Assemblies—The Leading Members—Great Expectations Created

by the Institution—These Expectations Not Realised—Suspicions and

Hostility of the Bureaucracy—Zemstvo Brought More Under Control of the

Centralised Administration—What It Has Really Done—Why It Has Not

Done More—-Rapid Increase of the Rates—How Far the Expenditure

Is Judicious—Why the Impoverishment of the Peasantry Was

Neglected—Unpractical, Pedantic Spirit—Evil Consequences—Chinese and

Russian Formalism—Local Self-Government of Russia Contrasted with That

of England—Zemstvo Better than Its Predecessors—Its Future.

CHAPTER XXXIII

CHAPTER XXXIII

THE NEW LAW COURTS

Judicial Procedure in the Olden Times—Defects and Abuses—Radical

Reform—The New System—Justices of the Peace and Monthly Sessions—The

Regular Tribunals—Court of Revision—Modification of the Original

Plan—How Does the System Work?—Rapid Acclimatisation—The Bench—The

Jury—Acquittal of Criminals Who Confess Their Crimes—Peasants,

Merchants, and Nobles as Jurymen—Independence and Political

Significance of the New Courts.

CHAPTER XXXIV

CHAPTER XXXIV

REVOLUTIONARY NIHILISM AND THE REACTION

The Reform-enthusiasm Becomes Unpractical and Culminates in

Nihilism—Nihilism, the Distorted Reflection of Academic Western

Socialism—Russia Well Prepared for Reception of Ultra-Socialist

Virus—Social Reorganisation According to Latest Results of

Science—Positivist Theory—Leniency of Press-censure—Chief

Representatives of New Movement—Government Becomes Alarmed—Repressive

Measures—Reaction in the Public—The Term Nihilist Invented—The

Nihilist and His Theory—Further Repressive Measures—Attitude of Landed

Proprietors—Foundation of a Liberal Party—Liberalism Checked by Polish

Insurrection—Practical Reform Continued—An Attempt at Regicide Forms

a Turning-point of Government's Policy—Change in Educational

System—Decline of Nihilism.

CHAPTER XXXV

CHAPTER XXXV

SOCIALIST PROPAGANDA, REVOLUTIONARY AGITATION, AND TERRORISM

Closer Relations with Western Socialism—Attempts to Influence