DECLINE OF THE RUSSIAN NO BILITY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 265, 14 November 1885, Page 3

DECLINE OF THE RUSSIAN NO BILITY.

Hopelessly Bankrupt and Steeped In All the Vices and in Petty Crime.

The little battle fought on the AfghanRussian frontier on March 30th, which has marl? c 0 m uch noiso throughout tho world, has opened a series of imposing festivities in tho Czar's country. In all the cities and towns Russians have recently celebrated three jubilees.

AprillSth was the thousandth anniversary of the death ot St. Methody, ore of the two Slavonian Apostles. This religious Slavonian millennial, writes a St. Petersburg correspondent to the New Yoik "Sun, 1' was very opportune. In view of the dangbrous Anglo Russian conflict, which in the end might test the strength of the great Northern Empire, the national prayers to the Slavonian Apostles not only have strengthened, but even sanctitied the patriotiem of Russians. Over a thousand years ago two Slav brothers, missionaries from Byzantium, penetrated the dense primeval forests, thinly inhabited by the nomadic paean tribes, and preached to them the gospel in their owntonsjuo. Thon the two missionaries wont West, where they were wanted by some Slavonian kingdoms ; but they left behind them to the pagan tribes of their own race a procious gift, the Bible in Slavonian characters. Thus they are identified in the Russian imagination with the religious unification of the country, and through that with general patriotism. Such brilliant roligious processions and such crowded public meotings as on this eccasion of the i^reat Slavonian anniversary have never before been witnessed here, and the biographies of St. Cyril and St. Methody have been scattered far and wide through out the country, like the leaves of the fall. Thus the military ardour of the war party is, as it wore, sanctioned by natural and even religious fcolinga. In his present excitement the Russian giant is a dangerous fellow to fight, dangerous even to John Bull.

Another jubilee was the centennial celebration of the imperial charter, by which very important rights and privileges were granted to the Russian nobles, such as the possession of serfs and civil and military ad ministration. In fact, since Catharine 11. until the abolition of serfdom in 1861, the nobility was exclusively a ruling class in Russia. The Czar-Liberator, however, has taken away from the nobles all their special righte, so much so that to-day the peasant boy has as many chances of making a good career as has the heir of the most illustrious princuly family. It ia a general opinion of die beat observers horo that the Russian nobleman ia fast degenerating. He is bound r.n yield hia placo to a new blood. Public schools, collages and universities of to-day are preparing hero a new generation of boys vho boldly push to the front, not the least ashamed that their families are not inscribed in any " velvet book." No matter whether this homo novus is the son of a village priest or a country physician, or of a merchant, or of a tradesman, or of a peasant, or of a Government clerk: ho is bound to get his due by virtue of his education and personal ability and energy. In his rescript issued on the occasion of the nobles' jubilee (May 3), the Czar has virtually admitted that this title class of poople ie in a state of hopeless bankruptcy, and in order to save their lands from the hands ot speculators he has ordered the establishment of a special Nobles' Land Bank, by moans of which the Stato will be the sole creditor of the bankrupted nobles. Recently in a Moscow court there figured a certain Prince Qalitzin. Ho was tried and condemned for a petty crime. PrincoMostchcrpky, in his "Citizen," on that occasion said :

" I remember very well when this Prince Galitzin, a brilliant officer of the Imperial Guard, by marriage cama into relation with such families as Count Kueheloff s and Stroganofi's. And now the same Prince is proved a common swindler. la ho an excoption to the general rule? Not at all. Thero is a direct relation between the criminal and his own titled class. The high life of to-day is not what it used to be a quarter of a century ago. Formerly our nobles valued most noble principles, and now all prostrate themselves before the goldon calf. Honour, honesty, duty, everything is pr1- on tho altar of that deity. They do not.mind borrowing money under worthless pledges. They are ready to dishonour their family name every day provided they will got by so doing money for women, champagne, horses, and similar dissipation." Such aro the Russian nobles of to-day according to tho " Citizen," and yet the Czar urges them to see to it that the children of tho country at largo bo brought up in the rules of honour, honesty, and faith. The third jubilee waa tho centennial celebration of the self-government of Russian cities. Czarina Catherine 11., on having granted certain righes and privileges to the different guilds, found it advisable to intrust to their hands the management of theii own afl'airs. Since then the industrial city has taken lead of the official city in Russia, In this and in other cities Russian tradesmen have arranged industrial exhibitions in aider to show the progress of Russian inlnstries. I visited the exhibition in this city sevoral times, and from that I have seen uiij heurd there I cannot help concluding that Russia still is a world in itself, separated from tho outer world. Her tradesmen work in their own obsolete styles. lam told that nine out of ten Russians eat to-day with wooden spoons from wooden plates and bowls, and drink water from wooden ladles.

" Could not you afford to make these things of galvanized iron ?" I asked a manufacturer of woodenwarc

" Perhaps we could," ho answered, "but ?o far our people think of what to eat, and not of what to eat it from."

Slowly grows tho Russian giant. Poor fellow, though 1,000 years old, no is hardly iblo to foed himself,