 The most far-reaching among these were the ones concerning Roma slavery.In Moldavia, Romas were liberated, without a period of transition, on December 22, 1855; the change was more gradual in Wallachia, where measures to curb trade had been taken earlier, and where the decision to ban the ownership of slaves was taken by Știrbei on February 20, 1856.Concerned by worsening boyar-peasant relations, Știrbei, who governed without an Assembly (and had instead appointed his own "Divan"), enacted measures to improve the situation in the countryside, and ultimately enforced contract-based work as the rule on estates (whereby peasants who were not indebted after five years in service could leave the land they were working on).