The Peasant Question after 1905 (continued)

The Right on the State Council, just as in the Duma, did not want to reject the draft law—the decree of November 9, 1906—out of hand, although it did suggest some amendments with the aim of slowing down the transition from agrarian collectivism to private property as sought by the legislation. Through one of these amendments, communes were to be given the right of first refusal on the land of peasants who had left. On the one hand, this meant favoring the commune and on the other, more important, in practice considerably reducing the peasant’s chances of selling