Evening star., 1900-07-24
THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT
HOW THE CENTRAL ADMINISTRA-
TION Is CONSTITUTED.
An Oligarchy That Overrides the Tit
ular DespOt Origin of the
Chinese Constitution.
From the saturday Review.

The constitution of the Chinese govern
ment can perhaps best be understood by
short reference to its origin. Two hundred
and sixty years ago the Manchu dynasty
came to the throne at the head of a con-
quering army. composed mainly of Manchu
troops, but including also corps of Chinese
and Mongoiian origin. The victorious army
divided into eight banners was permanently
quartered in and around Pekin and con-
verted into hereditary force for the sup
port of the throne minor detachments being
settled at Canton Nankin and other large
cities as permanent garrisons to overawe
the native population. The chiefs of the
army We're created princes, dukes and so
on, and their commands were made heredi-
tary in their respective families.
The machinery of government left by the
outgoing Ming dynasty was, speaking gen.
orally, taken en- bloc The six boards be-
tween which the administrative business of
the nation was divided were retained, but
the higher offices. such as president and
vice president. were duplicated by the addi-
ton of Manchu colleague to each Chinese
official. and so it has continued to this day
The principal change made was In the con-
stitution OF the advisory council of the SOW
ereiSn- Under the Mings this had been
purely a civilian body, termed the grand
secretarfat. The latter was not formally
aooiished but all business was transferred
to much smaller body, termed the Chun
Chi Gnu. or military council. This body
which was originally. as its name implies
the war council of the Manchu army is
still the grand council of the emperor and
though no longer exclusively military it
keeps in touch with the Manchu force and
can set the troops in motion. The Manchu
soldier is not what he was two hundred and
NIFTY years ago. nevertheless an armed force
OF iotsD men. the estimated number of the
Manchu troops. counts for something and
IS ready weapon in the hands of the
council 'o
As are all eastern monarchies the Chinese
government is essentially despotic In
theory everything hinges on the personality
Of the emperor. His will is absolute not
merely IN affairs OF state, but in the small
est details of private life. The highest form
OF legislation IS an imperial decree whether
promulgated in general terms or conveying
orders on particular point. in all matters
1udlcial. administrative or executive
| ne persons and property of all his sub
lects are at his disposal. and he can be-
mead imprison or coniiscate without form
or trial or reason assigned In ord,nart,
circumstances the rule is lenient enough
ana conducted according to recognized
dolms. ~ ou. when occasion arises the gov
ernment does not scruple to use its des-
potlc power to the utmost. But although
the constitution provides no checks on the
arbitrary VIII Of the emperor his power is
clrcumscribed in practice by the necessity
| or hnding capable and willing agents to
! carry out his DEGREES. The part that the
emperor personally plays in the matter de-
] pends on his character. strong emperor
/ can be in fact well as in theory abso-
4 Iutely despotic. A weak emperor is simnlv
tool In the hands of those who are strong
| enough and united enough to seize his
i power and WELD 1t. The power of the
| sword is in either the instrument by
! which DEGREES and orders are enforced and
the Limitation of authority is the extent to
which 1t may be used without provoking q
successful rebellion.
| The Grand Council.
| After the emperor himself the functions
| of government rest in the grand council, of
which We have already spoken. The num-
Der of this council is undetermined but
usually does not exceed five or six They
I are nominated by the sovereign and can be
/ changed at his pleasure, or. if the emperor
| Is a nonentity they nominate one another
The members are selected from among the
nlsheSt ofncerS OF state, and include both
| ManchuS and Chinese. In recent years one
or more of the princes of the blood have
| always been included. who are at the same
time commanders-in-chiefo of some of the
banner forces 1t is this small group which
! wtelds the read authority of government.
! All business is transacted in secret and in
| ordinary circumstances In the presence of
! the sovereign. DEGREES and orders are is
sued in his name and directed either to the
| executive boards in Pekin or direct TO the
! provincial authorities The emperor Is not
| constitutionally bound to consult his coun-
! ell. but in practice he cannot dispense with
| their assistance or act in contravention to
their wishes
| the latter event We may refer to the coup
! detat in 1895 The emperor. as he was en-
| titled to do. called into his counsel othIr
| than the members OF his advisory board
| notably the reformers, kang Yu Wei ani
| Chang Yin Hwan. then a member of the
| tsung-li-yamen- On their advice he began
| to issue a series of reform decrees which
We're not approved of by the grand council
i and probably had never been submitted to
| them. Constitutionally the DEGREES were
| valid and became law. and there was no
| way of stopping them except by physical
force. Had the empress dowager not been
| there, assassination would probably have
| been the only remedy. but her presence
| enabled d middle course to be steered and
| the emperor was required to invite her to
| assist i'll carrying on the government. AS
| the council had 10000 troops on whom
they could rely, while the emperor had
| none, discussion was not possible. By d
| fiction he continued to govern, but TIE
| despotic power of the crown passed into
I the hanos Of the empress dowager and her
! clique.
| The TsunE-Li-Yamen.
| Next to the grand council the department
| with which We are most concerned Is the
tsung-li-yamen. which many people take to
| be synonymous with the Chinese govern
ment. 1t Is. however. q bodr of quite re-
| cent creation Prior to the war Of 1850
there was no foreign department at Pekin
! Foreign affairs were transacted by the
| viceroy Of Canton, and only reached Pekin
| as filtered through his dispatches. After
| the war and the establishment of the for
| eign legations, something more was needed
| and a board was then created to deal with
| foreign questions. At first the men ap-
pointed to 1t were of no great standing ex-
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