247 2. Organization and Personnel The question of reforming the Russian local administration was raised by Heinrich Pick in a memorandum presented to the tsar on May 9, 1718. Pick explained that: all colleges deal with the gubcrnii and therefore it is necessary, at Your Majesty’s pleasure, to put the government of the gubertiii in a certain order; however, it is not possible to bring about an adaptation all at once, but rather, after having considered everything for the best, one should begin first with one and thereafter with the rest of them, as well, so that nothing is done, which is contrary to the advantage, the nature, and the conditions of this country. Pick’s point was that there was a functional relationship between the local and central administrations which could not be ignored if the colleges were to function according to plan, and it is clear from his memorandum that a reorganization of the local administration was only considered after preparations for the establishment of the central administrative colleges had gotten past the initial stage. As mentioned earlier, the preliminary personnel budget for the kamer-kollegiia was approved on April 29, 1718 126 Peter jotted the following resolution on Pick’s memorandum: someone is to prepare a presentation concerning the local administration {zemskoe Hpravlenie), its organization and service ranks—first an uezd from the peasant (muzhik) to the head of the uezd, and then to the lants”evding” (Swedish landshövding, English provincial governor, translator’s note) (then) put together the Swedish (local administration) with the Russian and give his opinions. We learn from a notation made on the memorandum by the head secretary of the Senate, Anisim Shchukin, that the tsar first heard Pick’s proposal on June 11, 1718.^-^ It is probable, however, that there was a connection between the ukaz of May 9 mentioned in the introduction to this chapter and Pick’s memorandum, which was presented on the same day. That Peter did not study the memorandum or comment on it thoroughly until over a month later does not mean that he knew nothing of its contents on May 9. Por the most part, the content of the ukaz is compatible with Pick’s proposal. The materials for the reform of the local administration were gathered 127 ZA (no. 269), 222. '■-* See above, p. 153. ZA (no. 269), 222. Ibid., 225. Shchukin’s comment reads as follows in the original; "slushano i podpisano protiv punktov Ts(arskogo) V(elichestva) sobstvennoiu rukoiu iiunia v 11 de. 1718 godu.” See above, p. 91. See above, p. 223. 120
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