The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-09-25
Constitutional Reform in China.

Constitutional reform has begun in
/ earnest in China as a consequence of
the activity Of the more progressive Chi
nese. who have evidently converted the
! Dowager Empress to their way Of think
ing The cable brings the important news
from Pekin that an imperial edict, just
issued. authorizes the establishment OF q
council Of deIiberatiOn 10 aid the gov
eminent, so that the foundation may be
laid for a parliament" II viii be com
posed Of the viceroys and representatives
chosen by cities and towns, and its func-
ton appears to be that Of carrying into
effect the various constitutional reforms
already sanctioned by the throne. among
them being the ultimate establishment OF
governing parliamentary body. The
plan in view is TO introduce modern
methods Of local self-government through
lpopularly chosen officials. and then to
have delegates chosen to a provisional
body which viii In due course evolve into
fully qualified legislative chamber. The
| imperial ediCt confesses inability. for the
/ present, to introduce the bi-cameraI sys-
TEN as it prevails in all modern coun-
tries
Considerable progress has been made in
the reorganization Of the provincial gov
ernments- Two councils, one deliberative
and the other executive have been au-
thorized in every department. district.
and prefecture. The system Of election.
as put in force in one district. which is
| likely 10 be model for the others. Is
rather cumbersome. Householders having
/ certain property qualifications are given
the right Of suffrage The voters choose a
| large body Of electors who, in turn, elect
| a deliberative council of thirty members.
This council elects an executive Of eight
members. Viceroys and governors are
/ also provided with councils. consisting Of
| high provincial authorities, together with
| representatives Of the gentry and the
| scholastic class. The viceroyss are d.
! rectly responsible for the execution OF
the imperial policy. The judiciary has
] been made independent Of the executive
/ power and co-ordinated with the high
court Of justice at Pekin. Lower courts
/ OF justice, independent OF the local magis-
tTatcs. have been set up in the provincial
! subdivisions. Fifteen years have been
granted, however. for the introduction OF
| representative government in the prov
inces. so that it viii be some time before
the whole of China feels the influence OF
| the reforms
The measures above described indicate
that the Dowager Empress is fully com
mitted TO a thoroughgoing. though grad
ual programme Of constitutional reform,
| beginning with the callgovernments and
proceeding upward TO the throne. When
| the representative system has been estab-
| lished in the provinces il will be extended
| to the imperial government A process of
! political education viii prepare the people
for a complete frultion of the constitu-
tional regime. thus avoiding the error of
setting up representative institutions be-
fore the masses are acquainted with the
modus operandi of the political mechan-
/ ism. That the ancient Chinese Empire.
which until recently has been thought
impervious 10 modern ideas, should be go