THE MENNONITE BROTHERHOOD IN RUSSIA (1789 - 1910), P. M. Friesen, 1911

trative Office: “The Area Administrative Office has transferred your petition for issuance of a visa and deputization by your like-minded cohorts to the Supervisory Commission for Foreign Settlers. The president of the commission verbally ruled that since you have seceded from the church and therefore cannot produce the ministerial certification necessary for the issuance of a visa, you may in no way be issued an annual visa, but only a one-month visa necessary for your return. If you do not return within that time, however, the commission shall be notified and the necessary measures will be taken for your police extradition. “Regarding the certification of your deputization, His Excellency ordered that the law be followed, which states that such deputization must be obtained in the circuit courts, where the issuing parties must personally sign them. The Area Administrative Office herewith sends your one-month visa and advises you, upon receipt of the same, unless you want to be treated as a vagabond, to return immediately because the Area Administrative Office will promptly execute His Excellency’s orders regarding your return. Colony Administrator Friesen Secretary Martens. b) “VII. Claassen’s further moves. “Naturally Claassen could not comply with such a demand without at the same time giving up all hope of a swift consummation of his assignment, all the more because it was evident that only decisive intervention on the part of the higher authorities could bring about an unprejudiced and just settlement of the religious dissension in question. But Claassen still did not neglect to make numerous urgent petitions to the Area Administrative Office in order to achieve a peaceful settlement of the dispute. Meanwhile, on July 24, 1861, he presented a written complaint to the honorable president of the Supervisory Commission in which he requested just protection, at least insofar as was necessary for the land purchase in progress, on the basis of the religious liberties promised to the Mennonites. At the same time, Claassen explained, among other things, how he was forced to distrust the contents of the order of July 18, 1861, received from the Area Administrative Office, because this order, though allegedly issued by the president, was in contradiction to the existing laws, which make no mention of the ministerial certification practiced by the Mennonites, and positively 354 THE MENNONITE BRETHREN CHURCH guarantees the issuance of a passport to persons in similar positions to him, Claassen, at any time. Claassen further explained that he could produce the required ministerial certification, though none other than that issued by his own church, whose authority was not recognized by the Area Administrative Office. And finally, Claassen declared that he was thoroughly f amili ar with deputizations by the district courts, and that he also knew that without the certification of the identity of t