The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-02-03
The Chinese Government.

The government is an absolute mon
archy, though it is despotical only within
certain limits; for while there is no writ.
ten constitution confining the Emperor's
powers within certain bounds, there are
ancient customs and precedents.-the
example and practice Of former Emperors
"a sort of unwritten constitution which
he may not violate without incurring the
remonstrance of the censorate. Aud
while he is man Of such power, being rs
he is the head of, and holding the power
of life and death over, one fourth of the
inhabitants of the globe, he is really q
mere fgure.head. lie is immured within
the walls of the inner or Imperial city of
Pekin, and knows only what his minis
ters and the department of State allow
him to see and know. In years gone by
the Emperor sometimes went into the
provinces and saw and heard for himself
the condition of his children, the people
but now, and for many years, his min.
listers and heads of departments of State,
through whom all business is transacted,
have convinced him that his royal person
should not be thus exposed, and that his
honor is too sacred to come in contact
with the multitude of officials, or even to
receive communications from any, ex-
cept from his high officials, and they
should come through the departments
of State to which the matter pertaincd
to his high ministers. Thus these high
and designing functionaries stand between
the Emperor and the people, for as the
governors of provinces are recommended
and secured by some of these high dig.
nitaries at court, who are richly rewarded
for their influence and good Offices in
securing these appointments to Office, no
complaints of oppression or extortion in
the provinces can reach the Emperor
without their permission. Hence, bri-
berry, corruption and cxtortion of the
most nagrant character abound, even
among the ministers and heads of de-
partments of the State at the fountain
head Of power.
IN THE PROVINCES.
China proper is divided into eighteen
provinces. Each province is divided into
Foos, or departments each department
is divided into 2siens, districts or counties.
The administration in the provinces is
through the governor. and his cabinet,
consisting of Acknowledgements the
military governor, the provincial treasur-
er, and the chief justice of the province
all ofwhom are Imperial officers.
The governor, or in the case Of some
larger provinces, viceroy, who is ap.
pointed for three years, exercises we'll
nigh full powers within the territory over
which he presides, somewhat as teudal
prince. He is thus made the ruler of
from fifteen to thirty.fve millions of
people. He is responsible to the Pekin
government for the good order, the In
perial revenue, and the defence Of his
province. With him the direct admins
tration of the Pekin government ends.
At this point he, by delegated authority,
virtually administers the Imperial gov
ernment over the population of his prov
ince. This is done through the Zoos of
departments, and IsicnS (magistrates) Of
districts or counties.
These are the officers who govern the
people directly. They are appointed by
the Pekin government, upon the recon-.
mendation of the governor. Tho magi.-
trate of Eien is the real ruler of the
people. IT. is with him they have to do.
tits to him they are amenabe, and to no
other. To him they pay their taxes on
land, and it is before him that all cases of
litigation are instituted in the first in
stance. Any case Of appeal from his de-
cison is to the Foo (prefect of depart
ment), who exercises jurisdiction over
the magistrates of eight or ten 1siens.
From the Foo, the appeal is to the prov
ince. In point of fact, however, the peo-
pie very rarely appeal from the judgment
of the magistrate; not that they feel that
justice has been done them, but they have
been so numerically fleeced-"squeezed"'
we call it here-that they have but little
left; besides, they know that the officials
back each other, and they are not inclined
to put themselves in the power of another
hungry pack. The governor delegates
much of bis administrative power to Tao
tais, who have the surveillance of three
or more F0os and the magistrates under
them. and they generally reside in one of
the Foo cities. When new governor
takes up his position at the provincial
city, the Taotais, Foos, magistrates, snd
other civil and military officers of the
prorincc-the whole, with their thou
sands of subordinates, forming the most
stupendous bureaucracy that ever held
firm grasp upon suffering people-are ex-
pected, aud in fact are in duty bound, 10
call at the provincial city, ostensibly to
pay their respects, but really to "grease
the Wheels" and thus smoothe their own
way, for none ofthem come empty-hauded.
They often take with them, ostensibly
"to contribute towards defraying the
heavy expenses of his cxcellency," more
than double the amount of their lesiti-
mate annual salary, and they are expect
ted to call more than once year. ln
this way, the governor of rich province
receives, during his term OF Office, ono or
two millions OF tales Chinese ounces of
silver, 81 to 81 .33). He knows perfectly
we'll that the large amounts Of money he
receives from his subordinates, are
squeezed" out of the very people whom
it is his duty to protect; for he has been
a subordinate, and is familiar with what
is due to one in higher position and
from whence it comes. But this Is his
harvest time, and this is a time-honored
custom. He has paid out large sums of
money in the shape of fees or presents 10
the high officials in Pekin in order to
secure the appointment. And he has
yet "to contribute still larger sums to-
wards the expenses of the bigh function.
aries in Pekin who were kind enough to
assume the responsibility of becoming his
security. (Thc responsibility was great
for the revenue of the whole province
passes through his hands, and l have
never heard of an auditing committee of
expert accountants.) Moreover, it is a
universal custom, from the highest cabi-
net officer to the lowest official in the
provinces, fo- subordinates-if they wish
TO remain quietly in oflice-"to assist in
defraying the expenses oftheir superiors, "
and for such voluntary acts ofkindness to
be accepted, and in time, rewarded. The