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The Russian Empire ‘City Regulations’ approved by the emperor
On June 16 (28), 1870 Emperor Alexander II, while carrying out the reforms regarding the city self-government in the Russian Empire, approved the ‘City Regulations’ which replaced the former class Dumas by all-class city institutions. According to the new Regulations in cities were created a City Duma (legislative body), a town council (executive body) presided by the city head, and the City election assembly. The role of the city election assembly added up to conducting elections to the City Duma. The town council was charged with managing the municipal economy and beautification, hospitals and schools equipment, providing of essential goods to the population.
The efforts to reform the system of local self-government in Russia had been taken back in the 18th century. Thus in 1785 Catherine II issued the Charter for cities (‘Charter of rights and benefits for the cities of the Russian Empire’) which regulated the condition of certain categories of citizens and the duties of the municipal bodies of self-government. According to the ‘City Regulations’ of Alexander II all the subjects of the Russian Empire disposing of a certain property qualification as well as persons paying dues and fees to the municipal budget.
According to the reform of 1870 the elections to the City Duma had been carried out in three election assemblies. All the voters were divided in major, medium and minor taxpayers with equal payment sums of municipal duties. Each assembly elected the same number of representatives for the City Duma. The city head, elected by Duma for 4 years, was approved by the governor and the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The body supervising the activity of the city self-government was the Province Office for municipal affairs presided by the governor along with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The municipal self-government bodies were charged with maintenance duties: city beautification (lightning, heating, water supply, cleaning, arranging of city transport passages), public education, public health, public charity, charge of trade and industry development. The municipal budget was formed at the account of taxes and realty dues, city properties maintenance income, duties and contributions from the state treasury. The municipal self-government bodies were also charged with ‘compulsory running costs’ for police, fire prevention, prisons quarters.
The standards of the City Regulations of 1870 had been in force until new Regulations on city government was approved on June 11 (23), 1892.
Lit.: Городовое положение 16 июня 1870. СПб.; М., 1871; Городовое положение 16 июня 1870 г., дополненное приложением содержания статей Св. Зак., на которые сделаны ссылки, вышедшими по 1 января 1871 года новыми узаконениями и разъяснениями Министерства внутренних дел. СПб., 1871; Городовое положение, выс. утв. 16 июня 1870 г.: [С прил. ст. законов, на которые сделаны ссылки, и разъяснений Министерства внутренних дел]. Тула, 1871; Городское самоуправление (Городовое положение 1870 года) // Г. А. Джаншиев. Эпоха великих реформ. М., 1900 г.; То же [Электронный ресурс] URL: http://www.allpravo.ru/library/doc114p/instrum3116/; Златоустовский Б. В. Городское самоуправление // История Москвы. Т. 4. М., 1954. С. 461-515; Нардова В. А. Городское самоуправление в России в 60-х — начале 90-х гг. XIX в. Л., 1984; Новое городовое положение, выс. утв. 16-го июня 1870 г., с приведением из Свода законов статей, на которые сделаны указания. М., 1871; Пичета В. И. Городская реформа 1870 г. // Три века. Т. 6. М., 1913; Полное собрание законов Российской Империи. Собрание 2-е. СПб., 1874. Т. 45 (1870). Отделение 1-е. № 48498. С. 821-839; Тюрин В. А. Местное самоуправление по Городовому положению 1870 года // Власть и городское самоуправление в Среднем Поволжье: опыт взаимодействия на рубеже XIX—XX веков. Самара, 2007. С. 34-55; Шрейдер Г. И. Город и городовое положение 1870 г. // История России в XIX в. Т. 4. СПб., 1908-09.
From the Presidential library materials:
Высочайше утверждённое 16-го июня 1870 года городовое положение с объяснениями. СПб., 1870;