Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1871.djvu/420

 3«4

KUSSIA.

certain number of years. These last privileges have not been granted to the same extent to all subsequent colonists.

A return made several years ago stated the number of colonies in the empire, inhabited by settlers who had not yet become quite nationalised, as follows: —

Besides the foregoing, the Russian empire possesses considerable colonies of the three peoples who seem to be adapted to the migra- tory or pedlar trade — the Jews, the Armenians, and the Tartars, or Bokharians. The Jews, who number about a million and a half, are only found in the western provinces of the Russian empire, in the south, and a few in Siberia. In the former Polish provinces of the west they are more numerous than in any other part of the world, and occupy there a very important position. In the central provinces of the empire the Jews are not tolerated. The second people for the migratory trade are the Armenians. Their numbers are greater than those of the Jews, amounting to about two millions, and they are spread throughout all Asia and a part of Africa, and to be found even frequently in China. The third of these peoples are the Tartars, and especially the Bokharian part of them. The Bokharians are everywhere indefatigable and skilful merchants ; many are settled in the Siberian towns, and by their means Russia has much intercourse with Bokhara and the commercial roads con- nected with it.

An important feature in the social life of Russia is that the right of primogeniture, as such, does not exist. Peter I. desired to intro- duce an inheritance in fee of the oldest son among the nobility by an ukase of March 13, 1713. This, however, was so much opposed to the customs and traditions of the people, that it was abandoned. Peter II. cancelled the former ukase by that of March 17, 1728. Primogeniture has only been established in a few great families by particular family statutes.