Editor's Note: Earlier, Jews were granted Crown lands for farming in order to settle some of the areas in Kherson gubernia. Later this was expanded to other areas. Jews had to convert to the farmer social class in order to be granted these lands. A desyatin is a measure of land approximately equal to 2.7 acres.
On a count of those well settled Jews, who at conversion to farmer status, have not less than 5 desyatins of land.
The Governing Senate heard the presentation of the Minister of State Property, that the Volhynia Provincial Revenue Department requested authorization to count how many Jews, converted to farmer status, should have land in order to recognize those firmly settled in arable farming. Concerning this submission of the Minister of State Property from the presentation to the Committee of Ministers, and the legal position thereof, the Emperor on this 3rd day of January was pleased to imperially order: count those well settled Jews, converted to farmer status in the Western Gubernias: Vitebsk, Mogilev, Minsk, Grodno, Kiev, Vilna, Podolia, Volhynia and Byelostok oblasts, provided for each male on the revision lists they will have not less than 5 desyatins, this with respect to Crown lands as well as those which they acquire by purchase or rented from private owners by lawful statutes. On such Imperial command, the Minister of State Property is to bear it to the Governing Senate, to give it appropriate instruction. Ordered: (Send, where appropriate for decrees) (V.P.S.Z. Vol. XIV, No. 11,913)
