On the basis of pre-revolutionary legislation, the article comprehensively considers features of general-governor’s power. The article also analyzes the system of Siberian administration in the first half of XIX century. The growing interest the local government demonstrates in the history of local government is connected not only with the aspiration of historians to look more deeply into the past but also with practical needs. While researching the forgotten traditions of public administration, one should take a greater account of historical experience that has been accumulated over the centuries. It is also necessary to take a look at familiar facts and events in the light of today's realities. This approach may overcome the old myths and misconceptions as well as prevent new ones. The theoretical and methodological basis of the research are such principles of historical knowledge as objectivity, historicism, determinism, alternativeness and social approach, which imply an unbiased approach to the analysis of the issues under analysis, as well as a critical attitude to historical sources. The author comes to the following conclusions. The characteristic differences between governance in Central Russia and in Siberia were independence of government machinery and huge significance of the personal factor in the past. The reorganization of the system of territorial and administrative management of the region, aimed, on the one hand, at strengthening the independence of local authorities in decision-making, and on the other, at strengthening governance and increasing control from the center, met certain difficulties. Often it turned out that all measures aimed at decentralization of the Siberian administration led to an increase in police arbitrariness and a decrease in the level of controllability of the region. Strengthening of the general-governor’s power went on increasing in the XIX century, during which the general-governors opposed themselves to the ministries in St. Petersburg and the activities of collegial bodies.