New-York tribune., 1910-02-04
CHINA'S NEW ERA
Opening Sessions Of Her Pro
riacial Legislatures.
Or. Morrison. in The London Times.
Picking. December =, 10,

Iortant event i'm CHINA during The last
year. As in the ease et OPIUM SupIIeS-
SION. different degrees OF thoiouShhtSS
have characterized the new departure, bnt
The general result has more than iulInieu
eNpectations In the twenty
,ene f,ToKinres preparations differing in de-
gree Ia different provinces had been maue
Tor the election In some, notably I'll olldI'-
Tuny ShanSi and Iunnan, the eiectorateS
were prepared and educated py lecturers
sent throughout the province, ana llils
practice Wiz. before the next election ne
extended TO all the provinces. The mum
bers OF electors who exercised the li-,s' t,
OF voting varied IN different profllitea.
There WAS considerable apathy; thctc NIo a
she mislrust inevitable IN an lmperlcttH
educated country. No trace of anu-S mrs
tan prejudice marked any of the elecuoliS
snd native Christians exercised freeE alae ,.e
CgpioG foIty Gays, from the FIRST of, The
ninth 10 the tenth of the tenth moon-l .,
October = Ia November - BUT IN tile
case Of Chih-lt and one OF Two ot'.a -.
provinces tho Si;tinSs were eNtended 20
ATTY days Rules of procedure fcIio"ea
Western lines. each SunlecJ having 10 pe
submitted II three readings. Debates were
oven 10 the public by The presentation OF
-ickete issued bv members. Tables ana
chairs were set apart for the reporters OF
The local newspapers, and the proceedillnEs
were daily recorded. In Shah-l aIls
tThev sent 10 the Assembly l0s members
The senior member for the capital Chih-
anfu. being the chairman OF the 1hamIer
.af Commerce. The Governor himself SUD
snitted a number OF subjects for discussion
6 s. Local Self-tioyernment; How S;loula S,-
j Se InausIrated7'' o. Education; What
Lines SltouiG N Follow" and similar ques-
tons regarding police trade and industry.
land taxation and Standardization OF
throughout were conducted with excel
lent good sense and any BODY seeing tIte
orderly discussion OF these grave gentry
would think THAI the Assembly hau peeh
sn existence FOR years. -..-o
In Nanchuria I'm Moukden province, 52,ol9
1nen exercised their light o. voting; tI
pIe cd 63
rank Il had literary degrees ana hdd
studied in Japan. Subjects similar TO those
in Shan-Tung were discussed emphasis De
Ing laid UDon Tie prohibition OF opium
the inlpr cVpment Of agricuiture-especlallE
Of wheat and beans-the reorga nization OF
land and other taxes, the deNeiolihenl "L
trade and the reform or currency -,
In Chih-h province. since the new bulio-
ines were not Yet ready, the Assembly held
lis opening meetings in the Memorial Tenn
Jle of Ii HUne-chans. There were preSeiiI
the opening 140 memhers among suo-
lecw discussed w2s The interesting one OF
development of instruction in the easy
writing Of Chinese characters
In ShanSi province the Assembly was a
conspicuous success During q recent jour
nev to Taivuanfu and HSianfu while the
assemblies were in session was much I'M
pressed with the serious spirit with Nilich
1aa= members of the assemblies in these two
cities had entered upon their duties. IN
Shansi % members we're elected. The pres
lden7- Liane Shanchi. is one OF the most
distinguished scholars in the province IN
his opening address the president PAID
graceful compliment 10 England Wteit MS
son Is being educated. speaking OF hef as
The friend of China and the Mother o.
Tarlisments Much of the work OF the
Assembly was given to the SUBJECT O.
rlDiun suppression. Led by the Progressive
Ting Pso-chuaU. the present GoVerncr
Shanzi is foremost among the provinces OF
China in SIS campaign against opium. In
no other province has the cultivation OF
The poppy been so entirely suppressed Ihe
Provincial Assembly unanimously approved
nf this course. ana unanimously IeSo,N eI
to oppose the continued entry OF the drug
from adjoining provinces.
IN Hsianfu. that historic capital of China
10 which the court fed in 1900. the Assem-
bly vas opened with eclat by the Governor.
7n amiable old Nanchu. who submitted a
grave dissertation on constitutional gov
ernmenI subject on which he could
speak with the complete detachment due TO
entire ignorance. While the Provincial As
senbIy of hansuh province was meeting an
Ihe capital the Eicer9y. Shens Ylsl, was
on his way back to Peking. having been
removed from office fo1 opposing me I'M I'M
perial will'' by menoualiZing the throne
Jhar the time had not Vet come for grant
ing tho province z representative assembly
In NanEiDg the foreign cenSuiS were
present at the opening ceremony. and We're
struck with the orderly and Impressive g
manner with which the proceedings were
conducted. The subjects discussed en-
hraced currency reform, the taking of the
census, railway extension. reclamation oi
waste lands. river dredging agriculture
and affoTestation. opium prohibition. stamp
duty. questions Of hkln. of standardization
Of weights and measures and the foTlnauoh
of z society for spreading among the peo-
rIo 4 knowledge Of the principles Of con-
stitut5onal government
of the lo5 members elected in Szechuan
province the greater number were either
holders OF official rank OF graduates under
The old system Of eXamina tion. SIX only
y were elected under the property qualiica-
ltfiOn. 4 large percentage OF the members
were students who had returned from
Japan Ne other Assembly WAS more free
in its criticisms Of The authorities. Early
in its proceedings the Assembly had
constitutional struggle with The Nlceroy
10 its rights The Assembly Won the
day and thereby gained greatly In preSuGe
Chinese spectators admired the independ-
ent manner in which the members dis
,.lfssed questions affecting the interests of
Ihe province. the finest and richest in the
Chinese Empire. Among subjects discussed
were the eradication of superstition, the
lion Of disputes between Christian converts
and mont ChristianS the establishment of
trade banks: and the need OF universal .,I
education The NlCeroy OF Szechuan IS the
well known Bannerman. ChaO Erh-hsun,
who was the first Ni@eroy OF ManchUrIa
after the reorganization.
Space forbidS a reference to each of the
assemblies. bat the dignity and grace
wifirh marked the proceedings in Foo
chow and the excellent repGtef of the
President Of the Canton Assembly must be
noted. ID the latter province there was
friction as 10 the forms Of address be
tween the Assembly and the higher pro
Vincisl authorities. but Il is remarkable
how few have been these differences and
bow easily and amicablY they have been
adjusted. Among other subjects discussed
Sn Canton were the suppression OF gam
bling. the reform OF prisons and the abOli-
ZION OF the Old system Of police and yamen
runners.
To conclude. 4 study Of the reports Of
f3e proceedings SO far available of the first
session OF the provincial assemblies sup
ports the contention that the throne has
hoen justified in granting the subjects Of
the empire z limited right of speech
through their chosen representatives. The
programmes o. debate have been strictly
ia accordance with the imperial ediCt, and
The proceedings have been marked with
ignTy and deco-um- The net result juSti-
fes the declaration made by q high aU-
fhoritv. who has been given special OPP
--meGnhers have fulfilled their appointed
task of working IN harmony with the eX-
ecGIlve authorities in the interests of their
respective provinces
TIE franchise is a limited one. Males of
not less than twen{Y Y-live wears Of age are
qualified TO elect members in their own
provinces = they belong to one OF the fol-
lowing FIVE catesories- I, Those who have
completed three years service ia educa-
1ioilsl or other work conducive 10 the pub
JIG good. = those who have graduated in
China or abroad from schools OF q certain
standing. .. those who have certain de-
creeS under The Old system Of eXamina-
1sorS. (. civil officials Of the seventh ~ nix
and higher. and military officials Of the
Gfth rank and higher: ;. those who have
property 10 the value Of not less than $500.
AIales OF twenty-five years or over are
qualified Ia elect members iu provinces
OTHER than their OT3. provided they have
resided there ten wears and possess prop
cry 10 the value OF $1,000 Opium smok-
efS and turbulent laN-brea king per
sons illiIe.ateS and certain other cate