were, on entering the army or navy, to be free from paying
the exemption money, and in addition to this were to enjoy
the same privileges in every respect as all the other
inhabitants of the country.

"The Israelites are now acting to the very letter of the
Imperial Ukase, for they serve personally in the army and
navy, and are acknowledged to be good, brave, and
faithful. I submit, therefore, that they are now entitled
to the same privileges as are granted to all other
inhabitants, and as a matter of course, to be free from
the payment of exemption money. Considerations of economy
will not, I feel persuaded, be permitted to overrule the
just and humane intentions of His Imperial Majesty.

"I entreat your Excellency distinctly to understand that I
have not written with this comparative brevity on the
subject of the Israelites in Poland, because I think their
position less deserving the attention of the Imperial
Government than that of the Russian brethren. On the
contrary, in Poland affliction and degradation are the
more severe; and what stronger fact can be offered in
support of the urgency of the claim of the Israelites of
the last named country on the justice and humanity of His
Imperial Majesty than this, that these persons constitute
one fourth of the whole population.

"I have written less fully concerning my Polish brethren,
only because I am most unwilling to trespass more than my
absolute duty requires upon the gracious consideration
which I supplicate; and I would further observe, that my
report as to my brethren in Russia has been drawn up with
the intention that those who are resident in Poland should
be included in its general arguments.

"It would be to me a source of the deepest regret, if from
any observations made in this or the preceding letter the
impressions were produced on the mind of His Majesty that
I had responded to his most gracious conduct towards me by
a tone of unsuitable complaint in regard to the state of
my brethren. Such a course, I earnestly assure your
Excellency, I have been most desirous to avoid. I have
given the most anxious care to the investigation of the
facts to which I have adverted, and I have made no
representation of the truth of which I have not received
very strong evidence.

"I have endeavoured to elucidate the causes which tend to
produce the evils to which I have direct