Editor's Note: This law mandated the creation of the 9th population census, which began in 1850 and continued until, I believe, 1858. The decree specified which Jewish families were to be registered, how, by whom, and how the entries were to be verified. Levanda edited this law, publishing only the excerpts concerning Jews. In this translation, perepis was translated as 'census' and revizski skazki was generally translated as 'revision list', though they are close in meaning. Odnodvorets, or 'smallholders', were small-scale landowners, descendants of the lowest category of service class.
Manifesto. From the time the last population census was accomplished, in 1833 and 1834, there have been changes in the national population count, therefore we recognized it would be good, in accordance with the opinion of the State Council, to order: 1) produce for the whole Empire, excluding the Transcaucasian region, a new ninth population census based on the precise reasons we have ratified, along with regulations for the State and special ones, strictly for Bessarabia Oblast, and 2) remove now from the revisions, citizens and smallholders in the Western gubernias, because of the fact that their census was performed very recently, though provisional.
Ch. I. On the Status of People Entered On, and Removed From the Census
§ 1. .......
§ 3. Entered on the Census for the Purpose of Paying Tax and Other Obligations to the State:
1) .......
6) Free people, living in settlements, share-croppers, Jewish farmers, and bound peasants,
residing on landed estates, as well as other proprietors.
7) .......
26) The following people, obligated by the published manifestos on the censuses, must choose for themselves
a form of living and register it, or if desired, a taxation status: a) ....... n) Jews, muslims and other
adherents of different faiths, who converted to Orthodoxy and were therefore excluded from their former
communities o) adherents of different faiths who converted to Orthodoxy, who were born after completion of the
Eighth Revision, p).....
§ 5. Moreover, this census is performed at the same time, but with separate and special rules for the
Orthodox priests and other people serving in the churches with their wives and children of both sexes,
of Orthodox and all other Christian creeds.
Note 1. .........
Note 4. The Jewish faith doesn't have a special clergy class and therefore its
family lists, except for the Karaites, are subject to census on a community basis.
§ 6. Fully excluded from entry on the census:
1) Persons belonging to these different classes: a) ....... n) Karaites, those occupying religious posts,
who are now working in those positions.
Ch. III. -- On the Order of Carrying Out the Census
Sect. I. -- On the Revision List Form, Order of Compilation and Signatures
§ 13. .......
§ 14. With respect to the form and order of compiling revision lists, the following should be observed:
a) .......
i) Holding to the form's instructions, on revision lists for Jewish merchants and petty townsmen,
write only one genuine first name, patronymic and surname or nickname for each Jew, with individual distinctions
and designations noted; include on the forms all those who were recorded by communities, not formally enumerated
in other Jewish communities, discovered without a passport or holding a passport in some way marked as expired,
who have not reported, or escaped from appearing.
k) Jewish communities should include in full not only all Jews, but those who after the revision are enumerated by
the Provincial Revenue Department, and all those of various cases who, for example, joined the community from other
places by government order, even if they are not formally enumerated. l) .......
§ 15. Revision Lists are compiled: a) for the families of Merchants, petty townsmen, shopworkers, factory
workers, and other professions, registered in cities, -- by themselves, through an
elected elder, under direction of the Duma or magistrates and Town Council, but in St. Petersburg,
by special establishment of City administration, under the supervision of the Social Estates Board and under
observation of the capable City Dumas.
Note: for Jewish merchants and petty townsmen, the lists should be compiled by means of specially
sworn leaders amongst the settled inhabitants, in numbers found to be worthy of trust, among them the
rabbi, who knows in detail the whole community, together with the elders of the community,
under observation of the City Duma or the magistrates and the Town Council.
b)........ z) for Jewish farmers, settled on Crown lands or landed estates, by means of specially chosen and
trusted leaders, with the participation of rabbis and under supervision of the regional administration of State
lands and subject to local courts. i) .......
Sect. II. -- On Preliminary Verification of Revision Lists and Presentation through the Proper Channels for Submission to the Revision Commission
§ 21. .......
§ 22. After this, the revision lists are presented by their compilers:
a) ....... ; for Jewish farmers living on Crown lands, to the regional administration, and
for those residing on rented land, to the nearest authorities; ....... b) .......
Ch. IV. -- On Places to Receive Revision Lists And Their Duties
Sect. I. -- On Places to Receive Revision Lists During The Initial Period
§ 42. .......
Sect. II. -- On Duties of the Revision Commission.
§ 47. .......
§ 48. .......
Note 1. .......
Note 2. The Revision Commission in the Western and other gubernias where Jews are allowed to
reside should inspect the lists compiled in Jewish communities, taking heed
they are compiled and signed according to the rules, the aforesaid points noted in §15, on compilation
of the lists.
§ 49. .......
Ch. V. -- On Measures to Verify and Revise the Census
Sect. I. -- On Verification of the Census by the list-takers themselves
§ 62. ...... ; for Jewish farmers, elected elders should carry out the definitive verification of the revised
population counts against the given lists, from reading them ....... in settlements, at town gatherings.
§ 63. .......
Sect. II. -- On Verification of the Census by the Government
§ 68. .......
§ 80. For verification in cities, shtetls, and settlements where Jews are allowed to reside,
officials should pay particular attention to those Jews who are strangers, not belonging to the city, shtetl,
or settlement, requesting their passports; if they demonstrate that they are from the nearby cities or shtetls
in the same uezd, then register their names this way, with the thought of checking with that place,
or checking in these places by messenger; otherwise corresponding with officials there to do the checking, or, if
unknown, or correspondence is not truly possible, provide to the Provincial Revenue Department,
which is required to be informed in any case.
Note. On the date of birth of Jewish children, if they are not registered with a birth certificate,
accept it, if witnessed by clergy and confirmed by city or local police.
§ 81 ...... (V.P.S.Z. Vol. XXV, No. 23,817, § ...)
