The police, it has been contended, is an indispensable wheel in the organisation of absolute monarchy. That power pretends to be paternal as well as repressive, and as long as it forbids the people to share in government, or express opinions on current events, it must be aided by some organ that replaces the public voice, speaking either in elective assemblies or in the Press. The police, acting for the central power, is supposed to control everything, to criticise conduct, to protect as well as correct, and it thus becomes possessed of very considerable power. In Russia, under Nicholas I., the police was well styled the mainspring of the State machinery; and although under Alexander II. more liberal principles obtained, the growth of Nihilism led to reaction, and the police recovered all its old authority. Great pains have been taken to perfect its processes, to give it increased strength and enlarge its action. With this in view an organisation was planned which lasted for some years, and which consisted mainly in the separation of all police into two principal and distinct branches-- 1. The ordinary, everyday, regular police. 2. The political, or State, and for the most part secret police. Let us consider these in turn. 1. The regular police is on the whole organised as in many other European countries, with the difference that the police officer often predominates in Russia over other local functionaries. For purposes of illustration it may be noted that where in France a _sous-prèfet_ would act under the prefect of a department, the official in Russia next to the Governor is the _ispravnik_, with whom lesser members of the police hierarchy are in direct relations.