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beginning of a shift of judiciary prerogatives from the Ministry of Justice to the Ministry of the Interior.*

These extraordinary precautions did not inhibit the terrorists. In April 1879, yet another attempt was made on the life of the tsar, whereupon the government instituted in several major cities of the empire 'Temporary Governors General' whom it entrusted with wide discretionary powers over several contiguous provinces. These officials, usually drawn from the army, were authorized to turn over to military courts and to exile by administrative order not only persons suspected of harbouring designs against the government and its officials, but also those deemed prejudicial to 'peace and order' in general. In this manner another bit of authority was transferred from the crown to its subordinates.

Early in 1880, a revolutionary disguised as a carpenter succeeded in smuggling into the Winter Palace quantities of explosives which on 5 February he set off under the imperial dining room. Only the late arrival of the guest of honour saved Alexander 11 from being blown to bits. That terrorists should have been able to penetrate the imperial household demonstrated beyond doubt how inadequate were the existing precautions. Indeed, the Third Section was small, poorly subsidized, and ludicrously inefficient. In August 1880 it had on its payroll only seventy-two employees and even not all of those worked on political counter-intelligence. Much of its limited budget was used for counter-propaganda. There was gross confusion of competence between the Third Section, which functioned as part of the Imperial Chancellery, the Corps of Gendarmes which was under its jurisdiction as far as security operations were concerned but came under the Ministry of War in matters of military competence, and the regular police which served under the Ministry of the Interior.

In August 1880, on the recommendation of General Loris-Melikov, the Third Section was therefore abolished and replaced by a central political police called initially Department of State Police and after 1883, simply Department of Police. Administratively, the new organization formed part of the Ministry of the Interior which now became the chief guardian of state security in Russia. The instructions of the new Department as finally evolved were remarkably comprehensive. The Department was to be in charge of the preservation of public security and order, and the prevention of state crimes. In addition, it was made responsible for the guarding of state frontiers, the issuance of internal passports, supervision of foreigners resident in Russia and all Jews, as well as of taverns, fire-fighting equipment and explosives. It also had broad authority 'to approve the statutes of various associations and clubs and to grant permission for the holding of public lectures, readings, expositions, and conferences'.16 It was organized into several sections, one of

* Already in February 1873 the administration of all civil prisons had been entrusted to this Ministry.