Communism -- Soviet Union; Soviet Union -- History -- Revolution, 1917-1921
(3.) Any damage whatever done to the confiscated property which from
now on belongs to the whole People, is regarded as a serious crime,
punishable by the revolutionary tribunals. The district Soviets of
Peasants’ Deputies shall take all necessary measures for the observance
of the strictest order during the taking over of the land-owners’
estates, for the determination of the dimensions of the plots of land
and which of them are subject to confiscation, for the drawing up of an
inventory of the entire confiscated property, and for the strictest
revolutionary protection of all the farming property on the land, with
all buildings, implements, cattle, supplies of products, etc., passing
into the hands of the People.
(4.) For guidance during the realisation of the great land reforms
until their final resolution by the Constituent Assembly, shall serve
the following peasant _nakaz_ (See App. V, Sect. 3) (instructions),
drawn up on the basis of 242 local peasant _nakazi_ by the editorial
board of the “_Izviestia_ of the All-Russian Soviet of Peasants’
Deputies,” and published in No.88 of said _“Izviestia”_ (Petrograd,
No.88, August 19th, 1917).
The lands of peasants and of Cossacks serving in the Army shall not be
confiscated.
“This is not,” explained Lenin, “the project of former Minister
Tchernov, who spoke of ‘erecting a frame-work’ and tried to realise
reforms from above. From below, on the spot, will be decided the
questions of division of the land. The amount of land received by each
peasant will vary according to the locality….
“Under the Provisional Government, the _pomieshtchiki_ flatly refused
to obey the orders of the Land Committees—those Land Committees
projected by Lvov, brought into existence by Shingariov, and
administered by Kerensky!”
Before the debates could begin a man forced his way violently through
the crowd in the aisle and climbed upon the platform. It was Pianikh,
member of the Executive Committee of the Peasants’ Soviets, and he was
mad clean through.
“The Executive Committee of the All-Russian Soviets of Peasants’
Deputies protests against the arrest of our comrades, the Ministers
Salazkin and Mazlov!” he flung harshly in the faces of the crowd, “We
demand their instant release! They are now in Peter-Paul fortress. We
must have immediate action! There is not a moment to lose!”
Another followed him, a soldier with disordered beard and flaming eyes.
“You sit here and talk about giving the land to the peasants, and you
commit an act of tyrants and usurpers against the peasants’ chosen
representatives! I tell you—” he raised his fist, “If one hair of their
heads is harmed, you’ll have a revolt on your hands!” The crowd stirred
confusedly.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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