PROCLAMATION
OF
His IMPERIAL MAJESTY the EMPEROR of all the RUSSIAS.
WE, PAUL, the First, by the grace of God, emperor
and autocrator of all the Russias, grand-master of the Order
of St. John of Jerusalem, &c. &c.
It is an undoubted fact, that the Order of St John of Jerusalem
has, from the moment of its foundation, contributed, by
the wisdom and utility of its institutions, not only to
the wellbeing of the Christian world in general, but to
the advantage of the different states of Christendom in
particular. We have always done justice to this illustrious
Order; and we have given a striking proof of our particular
affection to it, on our accession to the imperial throne
of Russia, by establishing a grand-priory in our dominions,
to which we have granted an analogous revenue. Our quality
of grand-master of this Order, which we accepted in compliance
with the general wish of all the well-intentioned members
who compose it, induces us to pay the strictest attention
towards the proper means of restoring the order to its original
lustre, and to the recovery of those possessions of which
it has been unjustly deprived. In consequence of which,
being desirous on one side of giving a fresh proof of our
esteem and attachment for this ancient and respectable institution
; and, on the other, wishing to make partakers in the privileges,
honours, and distinctions, attached to this order, those
nobles among our subjects whose fidelity towards the throne,
and whose personal bravery, together with that of their
ancestors, have not only preserved our empire whole and
entire, but defeated from time immemorial the numerous enemies
of our country, and extended its limits: wishing also that
this institution may be an additional motive to our faithful
nobility, and stimulate them not only to the love of glory
in general, but to acts tending to the advantage of the
nation, and agreeable to the sovereign ; we have therefore
judged it fitting to institute, and we do institute, by
our imperial authority and by these presents, a new foundation
of the order of St. John of Jerusalem in favour of the nobles
of our empire, according to the following regulations, which
shall serve in future for the fundamental basis to the Organisation
of the said foundation.
ARTICLE I. Independently of the sums heretofore
assigned to the grand-priory of Russia, we graciously grant
for the new foundation of the order of St. John of Jerusalem,
and for the other expences attendant thereon, the annual
sum of two hundred and sixteen thousand rubles; which shall
be received, administered, and divided, according to the
mode prescribed in the following articles.
ARTICLE II. The state treasury of the empire
shall annually pay the said sum of two hundred and sixteen
thousand rubles to the new foundation of the order of St.
John of Jerusalem. This payment shall be made at two different
terms, viz. the first, of one hundred and eight thousand
rubles, on the 30th of June, and the second, of the same
sum, on the 31st of December, every year: the said payments
are to be made into the treasury of the order of St. John
of Jerusalem, which shall afterwards make repartition according
to the rules announced and fixed in the different articles
of the present foundation.
ARTICLE III. This sum of two hundred and sixteen
thousand rubles which it has pleased us to grant, shall
be for ever free from all drawbacks, or expences of any
kind whatsoever; so that it shall be wholly and entirely
enjoyed by the said foundation.
ARTICLE IV. This new foundation shall consist
of commanderies of different value, the revenues of which
shall be fixed in the following manner:- There shall be
two commanderies of each six thousand rubles a-year, four
of four thousand rubles, six of three thousand rubles, ten
of two thousand rubles, sixteen of fifteen hundred rubles,
and sixty of one thousand rubles each.
ARTICLE V. All the above-mentioned ninety-eight
commanderies shall annually pay into the treasury of the
order, by way of responsions, twenty per cent of their respective
revenues, according to the repartition in the preceding
article; likewise five per cent as an exemption from a duty
due to the treasury of the order on the effects of each
commander after his decease.
ARTICLE VI. The remaining part of the two hundred
and sixteen thousand rubles shall be distributed every year,
to supply the necessary expences of the order, such as they
have been stated to us, and to which we have given our approbation.
ARTICLE VII. The order of St. John of Jerusalem
shall enter into the enjoyment of the revenues we have assigned
this new foundation from the 1st of January, 1799, till
the 1st of July of the same year; so that the one hundred
and eight thousand rubles, making the half of the said revenue,
shall be all paid into the treasury of the order: in consequence
of which, the knights appointed to these different commanderies
will not enter into the possession of their revenues till
the 1st of July, 1779.
ARTICLE VIII. All institutions, to be useful
and lasting, must be governed by clear and exact regulations:
we therefore think it necessary to establish in the articles
of the present foundation the duties which the knights shall
be indispensably obliged to perform, and that without exception
of persons ; in default of which, no one can either be admitted
as knights, or raised to the dignity of commanders.
ARTICLE IX. These duties consist,
first, - in making their proofs of nobility according to
the mode which shall be established by a commission of an
hundred original commanders, which we shall appoint for
that purpose ; in which shall be included the lieutenant,
who shall represent us in our new quality of grand-master.
The above-mentioned mode shall next be approved and sanctioned
by ourselves. Secondly, - In paying into the treasury the
passage-fees either of majority or minority at the moment
of the reception, in the same manner as other knights in
the order, and in paying all the other necessary duties.
The majority fees for those received after the age of fifteen
years are fixed at twelve hundred rubles; the minority fees
for those received under ten years old at two thousand four
hundred rubles.
Thirdly, - In making, four ordinary caravans, either on
board the squadrons of the order, or in the Russian army
or navy : a campaign of six months shall be counted as one
caravan. To verify the performance of the caravan duties,
the knight must be provided with a certificate signed by
the military chiefs and commandants, proving the time he
served and attesting his good conduct.
Fourthly, - In not being in debt to the treasury of the
order.
ARTICLE X. Every candidate for admission into
this new foundation of the order of St. John of Jerusalem
must previously fulfil the conditions imposed in the first
and second members of the preceding article. In order to
aspire in future to the dignity of commander in case of
a vacancy, it is indispensably necessary he should comply
with all the obligations prescribed in the first, second,
third, and fourth, members of the said article.
ARTICLE XI. The knights who shall belong to
the foundation of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem shall
be obliged punctually to fulfil all the conditions prescribed
by these presents; and in case of a vacant commandery, the
person who succeeds must obtain it from right of seniority:
but this right of seniority ceases to be valid, if the candidate
has not performed all the duties required of him ; far to
succeed to a vacant commandery, a scrupulous observation
of the conditions imposed in the present foundation is equally
necessary with the above-mentioned right of seniority.
ARTICLE XII. When any commanderies shall become
vacant, a commander may quit the one he already enjoys,
to be preferred to a better: but in order io obtain such,
the commander must possess the right of seniority, and not
be indebted to the treasury of the order.
ARTICLE XIII. The ninety-eight commanderies
in this new institution shall be subject, equally with the
other commanderies of the order of St. John of Jerusalem,
to the mortuary and vacancy duties; and these duties shall
be directed by the laws and customs established for this
purpose. The treasury of the order shall enjoy the administration
and revenues of the vacant commandery during the term prescribed
for the receipt of the mortuary and vacancy.
ARTICLE XIV. The rents of every commandery which
shall remain vacant for want of a candidate shall be entirely
paid into the treasury of the order, until such time as
some one shall render himself capable of obtaining it; and
he shall not begin to receive the revenues till the very
day when he shall be legally nominated to the commandery.
ARTICLE XV. We reserve to ourselves the sole
right of nominating the ninety-eight commanders who shall
be put in possession of the commanderies instituted by this
new foundation.
ARTICLE XVI. The first ninety-eight commanders
thus nominated by us shall be the only ones dispensed from
the duties prescribed in the articles of the present foundation,
and shall be only held to the payment of the passage fees
and the established taxes.
ARTICLE XVII In our quality of grand-master
of the order of St. John of Jerusalem, we likewise reserve
to ourselves the exercise of the magisterial prerogative,
by virtue of which we have a right, once in five years,
to confer a commandery by favour, if during this interval
of time one of the ninety-eight commanderies which form
this new institution should become vacant.
ARTICLE XVIII. The commanderies which, as mentioned
in the preceding article, shall be conferred by favour,
shall be subject to the payment of all the duties fixed
in the magisterial collations.
ARTICLE XIX. It being our intention to confer
the magisterial commanderies by favour only as a reward
of merit, we promise to choose those alone who are deserving
the protection and esteem of the sovereign, the state, and
the order.
ARTICLE XX. That the repartition of the revenues
assigned by us for this new foundation of the order of St.
John of Jerusalem may extend to a greater number of persons,
no knight shall be allowed to enjoy more than one commandery
at the same time ; so that when he gives up one, it shall
be only to be promoted to a better. The mutations of commanderies
shall take place according to the tenor of the conditions
and regulations announced in the articles of the present
foundation.
ARTICLE XXI. Those knights who, by their personal
merit and our sovereign good-will, shall have obtained a
commandery by favour, shall not be included in the regulation
mentioned in the preceding article ; the said regulation
relating only to the commanderies obtained by right of seniority.
ARTICLE XXII. To contribute still further to
the well-being of the order of St. John of Jerusalem, and
to enable all the nobility of our empire, and even those
among them who, from particular circumstances, cannot in
all things comply with the obligations prescribed in the
articles of the present foundation, to partake the distinctions,
honours, and prerogatives, granted to the knights received
into this new foundation; we deign to grant, from this present
moment and for ever, our imperial permission to all those
who wish to found commanderies of family or jus patronat
to make such foundations; and in that case they must address
themselves directly to our lieutenant, either to agree on
the reciprocal conditions, or to commit to writing the act
of these foundations, which must afterwards be presented
to us for our approbation and confirmation thereof.
ARTICLE XXIII. The commanderies of family or
jus patronat shall always bear the name of their original
founders. The commanders of family shall enjoy all the honours,
privileges, and prerogatives, attached to their foundations.
ARTICLE XXIV. The commanders of the present
institution shall assemble in the palace of the order of
St. John of Jerusalem in our imperial residence at St. Petersburg,
there to take cognizance of affairs either of administration
or economy, or the observance, interpretation, and execution,
of the regulations and conditions resolved and ordained
in the present foundation; at the same time observing the
rules established for the holding of draw assemblies.
ARTICLE XXV. The lieutenant who shall represent
us in our quality of grand-master of the order of St. John
of Jerusalem shall preside at these assemblies. He shall
be perpetual recorder, by virtue of his office, of all affairs
whatsoever which shall be decided by the majority of votes,
according to the forms and customs observed in the order,
and the regulations prescribed in the present foundation.
A register shall be kept of all the deliberations, for our
inspection.
ARTICLE XXVI. Lastly, we confirm in the most
solemn manner, in our name and in that of our successors
for ever, all and each of the articles of the present foundation;
the said articles to have their full effect, and to be inviolably
executed. Concluded at St. Petersburg, the 29th of November,
in the year of our Lord 1798, and in the third of our reign.
(Signed) PAUL.
(Countersigned) PRINCE BESBORODKO.
