The unfavorable tariff and customs policy of Petersburg’s government as well as general economic difficulties, led to circumstances when foreign trade of Kingdom of Poland of Paskievich epoch (which covered only a small part of partitioned, former Polish Commonwealth), ie. after 1831, generally was carried out with tremendous and multiple difficulties. In order to show the problem one should analyze: tightness of customs border of Kingdom of Poland; mercantile relationship with Prussia, Austria, the Free City of Kraków, and China, and - finally - balance of trade of the Polish Kingdom at the beginning of the Paskievich era.
In November 1831, the Interim Government found some “leaks” in temporary customs border; further negative consequences for the collection of customs were associated with providing by many Russian military commanders to diverse individuals permits to enter Polish Kingdom with various goods without paying any duty. New solutions were introduced in order to improve the situation, including these specifying how the tax authorities should recover customs provisions. Subsequently, it was decided by the government to check the status of the customs authorities and staff operating on the very borders of the country; the Interim Government decided additionally to approve the adoption of the former Polish Army military men to customs administration. In March of 1832, new regulations on the operation of the customs guard were imposed, then officials tried to introduce in Warsaw customs chamber surveillance system existing in the major cities of Russia.
Generally, trade relations with the Kingdom of Prussia "remained in the same old state." In the post-insurrectional period there was, however, signed by Warsaw authorities new trade agreement with the Free City of Cracow, what actually took place on the 1st of July 1834. The agreement was signed for eight years. It contained only minor differences compared with its original pre-insurrectional text. As far as the post-insurrectional trade relations of Polish Kingdom with Austrian Empire were concerned, the Polish highest administrative authorities drew attention to the problem of customs chambers through which the goods of colonial character were imported into the Kingdom. Finally, in December 1833 the governing Administrative Council enabled carrying of Polish-Austrian colonial goods trade not as it was before war of 1830/1831 in two, but in three places, situated on the border between two countries. On the other side, since 1835 transit of Polish goods to China (via Kyakhta) was completely prohibited by Russians. Additionally, transit of Polish goods (especially of cloths) via Odessa on the Black Sea shore was also suddenly interrupted by Russian authorities.
General trends in foreign trade (and the balance of payments) of Kingdom of Poland in the early Paskievich epoch were particularly bad with respect to two neighboring countries, such as Austria and Russia. Especially difficult and dangeruous situation occurred after signed by tsar Nicholas the Ist new Customs Act in November of 1831, what became the direct cause of a significant financial shortfall in Polish foreign trade in the East.
It can finally be concluded that after the fall of Polish November Uprising these directions of Kingdom of Poland’s business contacts, which could by their potential somehow interfere with the development of activities of Russian merchants were strictly supervised, or even liquidated. Trade policies of the Kingdom implemented for third countries, ie. not in relation with the Russian Empire, were characterized by significant fluctuations, where representing inviding power “national government” had - as the rule - practically small influence on terms of trade and flow of goods itself.
@copyright Marek Rutkowski
