New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-06-24


murdered before he named his successor. Then
the -A1mpress Dowager, with Prince Chun, had
an arrangement perfected by which the latter's
infant son was made nominal occupant of the
throne He came of age in 1887, and in Febru-
ary 1889, he assumed full control of the gov
eminent, but within few months an edct APP
peared announcing the resignation of the EN-
peror in favor Of the Empress Dowager. Since
that time the crafty widow of the Emperor Hen
Feng has directed the affairs of the country
The Ta-Tsing- Hwei Tien, or collected Reg
ulations of the Using Dynasty" is the law of
the empire. 1t prescribes the government of
the State. The Pryy, or Grand, Council is called
the Chun- Chi Chu, and is vested with the di-
rection of the empire. The administration is
under the direction of the Cabinet, known
Nei-Ko. This consists of two Manchu and
two Chinese members and two assistants from
the Han-Lin, the Great College. The office of
these assistants is to that the Ta-Tsing
Hwei-Tien is strictly observed. and that nothing
is enacted contrary to the teachings Of Coufucius
These members are known Ta-Hsio-Shih, or
Ministers of State. They control the seven
boards of State known as Ch-i-Pu, which are
double headed, a Manchu anu a Chinese being
at the head of each They are the Board of
Civil Appointments, the Board Of Revenues, the
Board of Rites and Ceremonies, TIE Military
Board the Board of Public Works. the Board of
Criminal Jurisdiction and the Admiralty Board,
which was established at Tien-Tsin in 1880
The Tu-Cha-Yuen is board of censors. con-
sisting of forty members under two presidents,
a Manchu and a Chinese
The Tsung- Yamen is the Foreign Office
which was created in 1861. 1t comprises among
its@members all the Council of State and six
other high officials, and it controls all foreign
matters and all the institutions in which for
1Tn inra tod H.
versty, maritime customs etc
There is a Governor for each of the eighteen
provinces, and when two provinces are united
they are called Tau, and the ruler is called
Tautai
Confucianism is the State religion but Buddh-
ism and Taoism are recognized by the au-
thorities. There is ecclesiastical hierarchy
and there are paid priests of the Confucian
religion. The religion is really nothing more
than profound respect paid to the memory of
the great teacher. There is also the worship of
Heaven Called ITEM This is ceremony at
which the Emperor, the sole high priest
worshps and makes sacrifice once every year.
The ceremony took place for centuries at the
great Temple of Heaven, at Pe,ling, which with
its courtyards and approaches, was one of the
architectural masterpieces Of the land The
central edifice, with it's great porcelain dome
was OF bright Olue color. 1t was guarded jeal-
ously by the custOdians. and only favored few
foreigners were permitted to enter the edifce
which was destroyed by fire q few years ago.
Confucianism as practised by the Chinese is
little more than ancestral worship. with little
outward ceremony, while the Chinese Buddhists
have an elaborate and gorgeous ritual The Chi
nese Taoists the philosophers. There are
many Inhabitants Of the empire, especially in
the middle and southern parts, who profess and
practice all three religions.
The Roman Catholic missionaries have worked
with much success in China and it is estimated
that there no less than million of that
faith in the empire
The roads of China are poor. Only a few are
paved and for that reason the greater part of
the trade is carried by means of the numer-
Gus canals and other waterways. The country
is irrigated by great rivers, and ntersected by
a system Of canals which is more than six hun
dred years old. But these canals, like the roads
the army, and everything of a public character
are badly managed and in q state Of decay The
Grand Canal, the longest artificial waterway in
the world. starts from Tien-Tsn and runs south
to Hang Chow. distance Of six hundred miles
Lord Charles Beresford in speaking of it said
that when he saw it in 1898 there was no water
in it, pigs were wallowng in the bed, which was
actually dry, and it was silted up where it
should join the YanS-tse, simply from want of
care