Paskievich era - extradition in Poland

Extradition from Poland after the November Uprising fall

Just before outbreak of the revolution, on 17^th / 29^th of March of 1830 there was finally resigned previous international arrangement between Russia and Prussia, signed for the purpose of confirming mutual extradition of both military and criminal fugitives. This agreement has been approved by monarch Nikolaj the 1^st in April of that year. The signed convention has been in practice, however, entered into force only in 1832, i.e. after the fall of the November Uprising. However, with Austria there was signed a similar agreement much ealier, on 5^th / 17^th of June of 1815, which was then reiterated in Vienna on 14th / 26th of July of 1822. In the early Paskievich era it was still in force without any changes.

Beginning with September 16^th of 1831 the extradition activities were in the hands of Russian officers as well as (what it is celarly worth mentioning ) officers from the newly defunct Polish Army. They presented reports on their activities on a periodic basis, while holding fugitives delivered on diverse occasions to the Russian military authorities.

After the perturbations associated with the march of bigger part of defeated Polish Army outside the borders of Kingdom after final collapse of November Uprising, even in the mid-thirties of 19^th century (1834), the tsarist authorities of Kingdom of Poland spent total sum of 8 185 Polish zloties for the purpose of extradition exchange actions and maintaining of so-called “interchange points”, held on basis of the necessity of fulfilling articles of previuosly mentioned conventions on extradition of fugitives. However, in the ministerial reports (these of Ministry of Internal Affairs) there was none direct mentioning determining the actual number of military fugitives/deserters given away or received back in this way.

The very fact of participation in ongoing extradition activities underteken by Russian authorities of some former representatives of dissolved Polish Army leads us to the conclusion of a certain ironic ambiguity conduc of their tsarist patrons here. Secondly is shows us that in the ranks of already liquidated under the supervision of Polish Lieutenant-General Joseph Rautenstrauch army of the Kingdom there were quite many people so openly standing on the side of monarch Nikolai the 1^st.^.

At the beginning of the second half of thirties of 19^th century, extradition of fugitives and criminals from and into Poland and Prussia was still held within frames of convention concluded in Berlin in 1830. There were specific border points chosen for implementation of such a convention, located in Dobrzyń on Drwęca river, Wierzbołów (Wierzbołowo), Szczuczyn and Kalisz. The extradition relations between Kingdom of Poland and Austrian Empire also remained in 1836, as previuosly, under the conditions prepared by treaty of 1815, then confirmed again in Vienna in April 1822. The mutual exchange of fugitives and refugees was marked on the Polish-Austrian border in two following locations: Tomaszów Lubelski and Wilczkowice. All the above mentioned exchange sites were administered by officers delegated from so-called “Commands for the (Military) Disabled”.

During the following 1837 year the extradition of criminals, deserters, and other individuals prosecuted by law was carried out as in previous years. These activities took place on the basis of compliance with so-called cartel agreements concluded by the Government of Kingdom with neighboring countries. Some exception was observed here in relations with Prussia only, because - as was stated by Polish ministry - "an experience has taught us that many persons protecting themselves from conscription often found refuge there [i. e. in Prussia]”. Then, after obtaining a Prussian passports, these would-be conscripts often returned to Kingdom of Poland, already possessing Prussian cinizenship. Therefore, attempting to prevent any future similar behavior of inhabitants of Kingdom of Poland - refugees, fleeing from Poland to Prussia, and after helding intergovernmental consultations it was decided that, in case of capturing of such fugitives, it was necessary to write down the relevant protocol testimony. These protocols were then sent to the authorities of a higher level "to undersdtake final decicionreferring to these refugees”.

At the end of the thirties of 19^th century (i. e. in 1838 ) there were still carried in Kingdom of Poland extradition procedures concerning fugitives and criminals. This “service” was at he time carried out mostly within the “friendly line” of relations with Prussia. The proper extradition was carried out on the Prussian border by the means of acting of established “extradition posts”. These posts were at work in 1838 in Dobrzyń on Drwęca river, Wieruszów (not in Wierzbołów, as previuosly), Szczuczyn and Kalisz. Additionally, any Polish-Austrian extradition relations were still in 1838 practiced on the basis of the implementation of an agreement dated as of 1815. Polish-Austrian extraditionposts acted in Tomaszów Lubelski, and Wilczkowice. What is worth mentioning, the were none extration posts of Polish-Russian border.

Even if for the better part of the period of the thirties of 19^th century the border of Kingdom of Poland wasn’t eventually stabilized, the (pro)Russian administrative authorities, minimizing the possibility of obtaining a standard passport, showed however some understanding of “economic sense”. What is more important is the fact that the limitation of issuing of passports for citizens of Kingdom of Poland after the fall of November Uprising seems to be, however, the very outcome of full implementation of these general tsar’s principles, where Nikolaj the 1^st planned - at least temporarily - to prevent the public conduct of foreign trips from this Kingdom. The initial strict control of internal travel and an extensive system of extradition completed the image of border surveillance.