Vilniaus savivaldos organizacija ir struktūra po Ketverių metų seimo miestų reformos (1792, 1794 m.)

Abstract

In 1791 the Sejm of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth adopted three major laws concerning cities which provided for a uniform structure and organisation for self-rule of towns as well as defined functions of municipal officials. The laws in question came into full effect in Vilnius as well as other towns of the GDL and Poland after the elections held on 7-14 April 1792. Municipal officials were elected from all townspeople possessors. As a result of the reforms Vilnius became the centre of the town county, the city of the town appeals court and Vilnius Magistrate was in charge of the towns movement in the county and supervised the course of the urban reform in the county. Pursuant to the laws of 1791 and calculations of towns- People, Vilnius was divided into two districts. According to such administrative division within the town in April 1792 the municipal authorities were elected which consisted of the central institution, namely Vilnius Magistrate (i.e. the president, his deputy, council, other officials of the Magistrate and the town police), and its three subordinate district divisions. The Magistrate was a concentration °f the main executive powers, whereas districts undertook functions of the judicial branch. Vilnius Municipality was led by the nobles who accepted townspeople rights in 1791-1792. The new municipal authorities of Vilnius acted from mid-April to early June 1792. In 1792 the General Confederation of the GDL reinstated the situation which existed prior the Four-Year Sejm. However, the work of the new municipal authorities was revived in the period of the 1794 Insurrect l Q n since the laws adopted in Grodno Sejm did not come into effect on time and were not in the reform spirit of the Four-Year Sejm.[...]