After cessation the of the Polish - Russian war of 1830 - 1831 and in the beginning of thirties of XIXth century, diverse controls - done on the territory of Polish government agriculture lands - informed the authorities of the Polish Kingdom that the number of deserted country farms (with and without possessors’ buildings) reached then about 600 thousand. For that reason, after the fall of November uprising the Russian Governor in the Kingdom of Poland Iwan count Paskiewicz “thought” of inviting to Poland some amount of foreign agricultural settlers. They were to possess "places deserted in time of revolt”. It is worth adding that In the same period of time “inquiry” conducted on terrain of state forests showed the possibility ofstubbing of up to 700 so-called “forest lodgings”.
Formally, the duty of peopling of abandoned territories and places fell on tenants of given state terrain. Above mentioned legal circumstances did not change in anything the way of way proceedings of Voivodeship (Province) Committees, which "had looked after the necessity of proper using these kinds of grounds ”. Russian tzar's governor in Poland Iwan Paskiewicz finally however came to conclusion that more certain profit will bring embedment on deserted places foreign colonists.
In order to fulfill Paskiewicz’s “desire” partially new (or rather to some extend changed) settlement law was introduced. Differences between aw issued in the period ending by November uprising and the new immigration mechanisms, introduced after 1831, were to some extend considerable.
In the period before the uprising of 1830 -1831 in the Kingdom of Poland there were often accepted new settlers that had no their own property, or even these having no means of self maintenance. As the (Second) Polish State Council stressed in its report dated in the early Paskiewicz era, “before 1831 the government supported the settlement of foreigners (especially: farmers) having by no means certainty of paying back loaned sums. Often after ending of period of exempt from taxation foreign colonists emigrated from Poland to another countries”.
As a result, in accordance with Paskiewicz’s wishes, the new project worked out together byGovernment Committee of Domestic Spiritual and Public Educational Affairs as well as by Government Committee of Treasury and Finances, most of all had to prevent these - occurring previously - “inconveniences”. Now settlers could not arrive in Poland having no presented so-called "the proof of eligibility”.
What more, these formal documents were to be most of all verified by tsarist imperial consuls and their supporting staff, residing in almost all different parts and countries of Europe. Also, after 1831 foreigners - colonists could no longer prove their level of possession (wealth) using one and the same capital "trippant from hand to hand”. In order to avoid these embezzlements, in the newly introduced law recorded that new colonists were obliged to personally delivery (by sending) to Bank of Poland some capital, in sum however no smaller than 1200 zloties. For persons willing to emigrate to Poland it was also possible as well necessary to present to Russian consul the certificate of occupation and skills.
To much surprise, in spite of introduction of these difficult to fulfillment requirements, relating to conditions of taking part in colonization in Kingdom of Poland, in a very short time (i. e. until the end of 1833) about sixty German families arrived in Poland, administering altogether the fund of approximately 177 thousand zloties. It is worth adding that in the next year of 1834 another 913 families colonists emigrated to Poland; part of these settled in government agriculture lands, another part directed themselves to private areas. In forthcoming years this process was kept on approximate - not too high - level
@Copyright Marek Rutkowski
