Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1912-02-02


ceiyed anonymous letters warning
\ them of approaching revolution. The
delegates held meeting and decided
/ that fifteen of their number should
remain in Pekin The remainder.
about a hundred. returned to their
I homes.
In the meantime steps had been ia
ken to call an assembly destined to
succeed where the delegates had fail
ed The nine year program provided
for the Inauguration during the third
year of national assembly to meet
at Pekfn and TO serve as a training
ground for the future parliament Ac-
cordingly. on March IL, 1910. the cleo
ton of members began. and on May
5. 1910, an edict was issued giving a
list of those nominated by the throne.
Further. the assembly was brought
together as an advisory body pure and
simple. This was clearly laid down in
its regulations and was emphasized
by the prince regent when he opened
the assembly Oct 8. the underlying
theory of his speech being that what
ever measure of popular government
the throne had decided to allow was
granted as a gift and not as a right
The entire session. however, was a
fat contradiction of this theory On
Oct % the assembly appointed a com
mite Of six TO draft a memorial de-
handing an earlier convocation OF
parliament
The confidence Of the assembly
knew no bounds. and it proceeded first
to impeach the grand councillors. and
next 10 demand the formation OF a re-
sponsible cabinet. The impeachment
failed. but the demand for a cabinet
succeeded. On Dec. %. few days
before the assembly was dissolved. an
edict ordered a cabinet to be formed.
In May. 1911. the cabinet came into
existence. and article II Of its consti-
tuition stated that laws. imperial
rescripts. and imperial ediets having
reference to state affairs shall be
countersigned by all the ministers Of
state"
The Revolution.
The meeting of the national assem- /
bly, this year has conceded so aptIy /
with the outbreak of revolution that
there is good reason for supposing that /
the two events were planned to take !
place simultaneously Be that as il
may. the immediate occasion of rebel (
lion was the edict of May 9 last ma Z
all the trunk railways. The .
railway question had been an acute
one ever since June. 1909. when three
financial groups. the Deutsch-Asia-
tische bank. the Hongkong and Shan
ghai bank and the Banque de lTndo-
Chine. made a preliminary agreement
with the late grand councillor. Chang
Chih-tung to lend the Chinese gov
eminent s27.5Oo.000 to enable it to
build a railway from Canton to Han
Scw and from Hankow to Ichang Ow.
ing to various difficulties the loan
hung fire till May last year. when II
was finally arranged and signed
The government appeared to be get
ing the rebellion in hand. when on
Oct. II news reached Pekin that WI
hang which is Just opposite Hankow
lad been captured by rebels and that ]
he viceroy had fed. On the follow .
ng day Hanyang was taken. together
With the arsenal in Hankow. and il
became clear that the long expected
nti-Mauchu revolution had at last I
broken out under the military leader
hip OF Brig Gen. Lii Yuan Heng. a ma ,
i've OF Hupeh. educated in Tientsin
nd the civilian leadership OF Huang
ranghauling. president of the Hupeh
PROVINCIAL assembly. and Sunyu. broth (,
r OF Or. Sun Vat Sen. the famous
'antonese revolutionary
With extraordinary ramdity the
orch OF revolution has been handed
rom province to province. and nov
ares from nearly every city of i'm !,
ortance In the midst OF these events
be national assembly met and
trough them. the revolutionaries
ave been able to snatch every yes
&c of power from the throne.