In the end the commission brought a plethora of information to the table regarding the needs and wishes of the Russian population for Catherine to act upon.[4].
The commission addressed many issues of each class of Russian citizens. However, although many different groups were able to attend the commission, enslaved serfs, which composed 50% of the population was not allowed to attend, thus leaving their concerns unaddressed. Although those Russians at the commission agreed on many ideas, there was a great deal of conflicting ideas among the citizens, which was an obstacle for the commission in general.
Previously under Peter the Great attaining the rank of nobility had been altered in such a way that it was now possible to achieve it militarily. Of the 14 possible military ranks, any serviceman achieving the 8th ranking or better was granted noble status, and of those men, anyone achieving the 4th rank or better received hereditary noble status.[5] The first speaker, a member of the old nobility, represents their class as disagreeing with this new ranking system Peter the Great had developed. .
Under the Legislative Commission Catherine met with the various classes of the Russian people in order to become familiar with the views of the general population. The "old nobility" represented by Shcherbatov, in one instance, elaborated on how during Peter's rule it was necessary to grant the servicemen achieving the rank of officer noble status. However, this was only necessary to force the nobles to join the military, and now that the nobility were entering the service on their own, because of their love for the father land, that this law should be abolished.[6].
Others claimed that the "old nobility" had villages that were falling into decay because they could not afford to buy a neighboring village, since the new nobility were doubling and tripling their bids.[7] In conclusion, the opinions of the old nobility show their belief that servicemen achieving high rank through military service should not enjoy the same privileges as the previous nobility.
