Already at fourth session of so-called Interim Government of Kingdom of Poland, established in Warsaw after the fall of the November Uprising of 1830/1831 (and functionning under the leadership of Russian Fedor Engel) on 1st of November 1831 “Polish authorities” discussed the matter of “tightness” of the border and sealing it.
Detailed examination of the phenomenon revealed bringing into Kingdom - during the Uprising and soon after the fall of it - substantial amounts of " variety of goods." These were in most cases either dutiable or completely prohibited items.
In this situation, Interim Government issued at above-mentioned date (1st of November 1831) provision specifying how the tax authorities (Government Commission of Revenue and Treasury – continued: KRPiS) should behave in order to recover custom duties owed to State Treasury for bringintg to country any consignment items. Simultaneously, “operating rules” postulating removal from trade of any goods prohibited out of their ownership or origin were established.
In order to avoind any father disturbances or malfuntionningof customs staff service as a whole, it was decided to check the status of customs servicemen, operating on the very borders of the country. Following suggestions of “active director” of ministry - KRPiS - Roman Fuhrmann, on 4th of November 1831 Interim Government undertook several actions "/... /in the intention of finding out which service duty at the borders of the Polish Kingdom is entirety in a complete order restored /.../".
On occasion attempts were also made to verify to what extent the customs revenues have suffered damage at the time. Head of treasury ministry – Fuhrmann - recommended (and national central authorities agreed with his proposal) not to use for any possible control any local officials, but rather to pass such a activity to the very hands of representatives of customs service of Warsaw itself.
Therefore, chief director presiding in KRPiS was authorized by the government to entrust the supervision of the customs service:
a) in provinces of. Plock and Augustów: to customs officer in Warsaw - Bobrowski,
b) in provinces of Mayowsze, Kalisz and Cracow: to Warsaw’s customs administration section refendarty Cześniewicz,
c) in provinces of Lublin, Podlasie and Sandomierz: to Warsaw’s customs administration section legal refendarty - Sokołowski.
Each of these officials received from President of Interim Government - Engel - . "an open order", addressed to any Russian military command and Polish administrative authorities.
Then, to check status of customs service in provinces of Sandomierz, Lublin and Podlasie was finally sent to the borders of Kingdom subinspector of consumer and storage camera in Warsaw - Żarnowski. No need to sat that there were later also sent “officers of the treasury” into other provinces.
Considerable efforts was made to give full gratification for “deserving it in this business” persons. Due to relatively wide range of their duties, on 12th of June 1832, Administrative Council ordered (at the request of ministry - Government Commission of Revenue and Treasury) payment for these supervisors at the level of 12 zlotys (currency) diet daily.
In early beginnings of Paskievich epoch serious problems or doubts concernig filling any vacancies among border customs chambers officials occured. These doubts aroused mostly and primarily when former officers and soldiers of disbanded Polish Army reported to the customs service. To get clear message from the government, on 4th of February 1832 KRPiS applied with relevant question to Interim Government. The central authorities of Kingdom have decided to agree to accept former Polish Army military as new staff members of customs administration.
On the other hand, doubts raised as taking again to customs service civil staff - mostly comptrollers - previously accused (and eliminated from any public activity) by government reaviled. Administrative Council adopted unprecedented decision on 31st of August 1832, when a positive decision was taken in such a case.
In the beginning of the Paskievich era it turned out to be a problem to restore full customs control on the main watercourse of Kingdom of Poland – Vistula river. It was only on 10th of April 1832, when Government Commission of Internal, Spiritual and Public Education Affairs applied to Administrative Council with a request for "/…/establishing by former old custom gunner's launch on the Vistula River - near border town of Nieszawa - in order to secure collection of customs duties on the river /... / ". The other reason for such a request was to restore control of people illegally crossing the border here.
Finally field marshal Ivan Paskevich decided that this “water section” of the border would remain entirely under sole supervision of Russian army, and destined to use in supervising service here military gunner’s boat/launch. The respective instruction (developed only after consultation with Government Commission of Internal, Spiritual and Public Education Affairs) was to be transferred by Chief of Staff of Russian 1st Active Army to general Russian military commissariat in the Kingdom of Poland.
@copyright Marek Rutkowski
