Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, Transmitted to Congress, With the Annual Message of the President, December 9, 1891

Mr. Wurts to Mr. Blaine.

Legation of the United States,
St. Petersburg, April 27, 1891. (Received May 13.)

No. 92.]

Sir: Referring to Mr. Smith’s dispatch No. 89, of the 20th instant, I have the honor to transmit to you herewith inclosed a translation of an imperial ukase prohibiting the emigration of certain categories of Israelites from the zone assigned for Israelites, as well as their immigration into the city and province of Moscow, and at the same time directing the expulsion of these classes of Israelites from that place into the zone assigned for their settlement.

It will be remarked that this order applies only to Moscow, no mention being made of the city and province of St. Petersburg, perhaps for the reason that, the number of Jews in this city being estimated at live times less than at the ancient capital of the Empire, no special urgency is felt for a measure to arrest the increase of the Hebrew population in this place.

It is premature to report on how this order, made public only a few days ago, is being executed, but I regret to say that rumors are heard of undue severity in its application.

I am, etc.,

George W. Wurts.

[Inclosure in No. 92.—Translation.—From the Official Messenger.]

Imperial ukase concerning the domicile of Jews.

On the proposition of the minister of the interior, His Majesty the Emperor has deigned to order, on the 28th of March, 1891, as follows:

(1) To forbid, until revision by legislative channel of the arrangements of article 157, note 3, of the regulation concerning passports, Israelites engaged in the lousiness of machinist, brewer, distiller, and in general Israelite master workmen and artisans, to emigrate from the zone assigned for the fixed settlement of Israelites; as also to immigrate from other parts of the Empire to Moscow or to the province of Moscow.

(2) To charge the minister of the interior to take, in concert with the governor-general of Moscow, the necessary measures in order that the Israelites above mentioned may gradually he sent away from Moscow and from the province of Moscow into the zone assigned for their settlement.