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The Council of Ministers of the Russian Empire reformed
19 October (1 November), 1905 in accordance with a decree of Nicholas II “On measures for consolidation of unity in activities of ministries and chief departments” the work of the Council of Ministers was resumed.
Creation of the Council of Ministers in 1857-1861 had not led to a government body able to eliminate differences and unconformity in work of ministers and ensure at least a certain unity in activities of the central governmental institutions. Since the entire power was in the hands of the emperor, the matters were solved by submitting reports to the emperor for consideration, which was actually incompatible with the principle of collective nature of management.
In 1905, due to the establishment of the State Duma, the Council of Ministers was reformed. The reformed Council was charged with “direction and unification of activities of heads of departments regarding both legislation and the supreme state management”.
The Council included ministers of internal affairs, finance, justice, commerce and industry, communication lines, public education, military minister, naval minister, minister of the imperial court and appanages, foreign affairs, chief manager of land management and agriculture, state controller and attorney general of the Synod. Heads of other departments attended the Council’s session only then when were considered the issues which concerned their departments directly. The president of the Council of Ministers was not the emperor himself, as it had been before, but one of the ministers assigned by him.
Among the presidents of the Council of Ministers from 1905 to 1917 were: S. Yu. Witte (1905-1906); I. L. Goremykin (April-June 1906); P. A. Stolypin (1906-1911); V. N. Kokovtsov (1911-1914); I. L. Goremykin (1914-1916); B. V. Shtumer (January-November 1916); A. F. Trepov (November-December 1916); N. D. Golytsin (1916-1917).
The records management of the Council of Ministers was effectuated by its regular office (in the 19th century its records management was taken care of by the Office of the Committee of Ministers) headed by the administrator of the Council. The Council started to hold its meetings regularly, few times a week and registered in special minute books.
The Council of Ministers was charged with: direction of legislative work and preliminary consideration of proposals made by ministries, departments, special meetings, committees and commissions for legislative issues, which were submitted to the State Duma and the State Council; discussion of proposals of ministers regarding the general ministerial system and filling of positions of the supreme and local administration; consideration of issues related to the state defence and foreign policy on special requests of the emperor, as well as the matters concerning the Ministry of the Imperial court and appanages. Besides, the Council of Ministers had important rights in the field of the state budget and credit.
Not a single governing measure of general significance could be taken by heads of departments bypassing the Council of Ministers. However, the Council was no more responsible for the issues of the state defense and foreign policy, and the matters of the Ministry of the Imperial court and appanages – they were submitted to the Council for consideration only by special command of the emperor or by the heads of these departments. Inspections made by the State Control, His Imperial Majesty’s Office and Her Imperial Majesty’s Office for institutions of Empress Maria also were out of terms of reference of the Council.
Due to abolishment of the Committee of Ministers in 1906, the Council of Ministers took upon itself the largest part of the Committee’s responsibilities (implementation, prolongation and cessation of the emergency defense state; setting of areas for exile; strengthening of the gendarmes and police personnel; supervision of municipal and local authorities; establishment of companies, etc.). Later, in 1909, in order to consider these “Committee’s issues” was formed a so-called Small Council of Ministers.
The Council of Ministers ceased to exist February 27 (March 12), 1917 during the February Revolution. The duties of the Council of Ministers as the supreme government body were handed over to the Provisional Government established 2 (15) March 1917.
Lit.: Витте С. Ю. Воспоминания. Т. 2—3, М., 1960; Высшие и центральные государственные учреждения России. 1801-1917 гг. Т. 1. СПб., 1998; Ерошкин Н. П. История государственных учреждений дореволюционной России. М., 1968; Законодательные акты переходного времени... [1904-1908 гг.]. СПб., 1909; Макаров С. В. Особое Совещание 17 января 1905 г. (К проблеме объединения министерского управления в Российской империи) // Правоведение. 1993. № 3; Макаров С. В. Преобразование Совета министров Российской империи в 1905 г.: Государственно-правовые проблемы // Правоведение. 1996. № 1; Совет министров // Большая советская энциклопедия. Т. 24. Кн. 1. М., 1977.
Based on the Presidential Library’s materials:
Полное собрание законов Российской империи: Собрание 3-е. СПб., 1908. Т. 25. № 26820. С. 759.