Collected Works of V. I. Lenin - Vol. 26 - From Marx to Mao

258V. I. LENINmust issue. In one of the clauses of this decree is embodiedthe Mandate to the Land Committees, compiled on thebasis of 242 mandates from local Soviets of Peasants’ Deputies.DECREE ON LAND(1) Landed proprietorship is abolished forthwith withoutany compensation.(2) The landed estates, as also all crown, monastery, andchurch lands, with all their livestock, implements, buildingsand everything pertaining thereto, shall be placed atthe disposal of the volost land committees and the uyezdSoviets of Peasants’ Deputies pending the convocationof the Constituent Assembly.(3) All damage to confiscated property, which henceforthbelongs to the whole people, is proclaimed a grave crime tobe punished by the revolutionary courts. The uyezd Sovietsof Peasants’ Deputies shall take all necessary measures toassure the observance of the strictest order during the confiscationof the landed estates, to determine the size ofestates, and the particular estates subject to confiscation, todraw up exact inventories of all property confiscated andto protect in the strictest revolutionary way all agriculturalenterprises transferred to the people, with all buildings,implements, livestock, stocks of produce, etc.(4) The following peasant Mandate, compiled by the newspaperIzvestia Vserossiiskogo Soveta Krestyanskikh Deputatov 107from 242 local peasant mandates and published in No. 88of that paper (Petrograd, No. 88, August 19, 1917), shallserve everywhere to guide the implementation of the greatland reforms until a final decision on the latter is taken bythe Constituent Assembly.P e a s a n t M a n d a t e o n t h e L a n d“The land question in its full scope can be settled only by thepopular Constituent Assembly.“The most equitable settlement of the land question is to be asfollows:“(1) Private ownership of land shall be abolished for ever; land shallnot be sold purchased, leased, mortgaged, or otherwise alienated.“All land, whether state, crown, monastery, church, factory, entailed,private, public, peasant, etc., shall be confiscated without compen-