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however much the Central Government may affect to disregard them, and the account received of the above assembly confirms the general impression that the strong local patriotism of these representative bodies will tend to weaken the authority of the Peking Government over the provinces. This authority is none to strong at present, and might well find itself in difficulties should it conflict with, for example, the assembly at Changsha, which, through its leading member, has declared its determination to secure the fullest advantage for Hunan," regardless apparently of the interests of the other provinces or of the Empire. By means of a body called the Political Asso- ciation, the Hunan parliament has made it clear to the provincial authorities that it intends to be consulted on every question, whether political or municipal, and the Customs Taotai has informed Ilis Majesty's consul that he dare not take any action which might promote foreign interests without the permission of this body, even if the foreigu demand be strictly in accordance with treaty provisions. The association has already prevented the settlement of two cases, while the president of the parlia- ment is taking the foremost place in the agitation against the foreign railway loan. There seems therefore reason to fear that, however distasteful in some respects the attitude of the provincial assemblies may prove to the Central Government, the latter may in future find themselves in the happy position of being enabled to produce parliamentary resolutions proving invincible local opposition to claims, however justified by treaty or equity, presented by foreign Governments.
It should be noted in this connection that the assembly at Nanking is providing for unceasing watchfulness over the action of the executive authorities by the permanent residence in the capital of a committee of twenty-five deputies who
The legation will act as a supervisory council when the assemby is not in session. has as yet received no information as to whether any other assemblies have adopted this measure.
Educational.
The following particulars concerning Tsingtao University may be of interest, as this institution is generally regarded as a successful effort on the part of the Germans towards meeting the wishes of the Chinese Government, and is often quoted with approval as against the scheme of Lord William Cecil to found a university for Chinese on what is described as Oxford and Carubridge lines.
The great feature of the university, and one on which the Chinese Government particularly insisted, is that religious instruction, of any kind whatever, is strictly prohibited. Chinese influence is further safeguarded by the stipulation which provides for the appointment by the Chinese authorities themselves not only of all Chinese teachers, but also of a Chinese Director of Studies, who is to be independent of the Head of the University. Both the Central Board of Education and the Shantung authorities will inspect the college from time to time, while the former will send a deputy to assist in holding the examinations. Students who, after com- pleting their course, enter a Chinese university, are to receive official rank on the same terms as other students in China, but the degrees conferred by the Tsing University do not of themselves entitle the holders to official recognition.
On the whole it appears that the arrangement is by no means so favourable to the Germans as was at first supposed. The dual control involved by the appointment of an independent Chinese director is an awkward point; but more troublesome still will probably prove to be the stipulation that students who wish to enter official life must undergo the delay and expense of a second university course in China. The German press has raised vigorous protests against this clause, which certainly promises to hamper the institution. In spite, however, of the above concessions to Chinese pride, native opinion is very largely one of suspicion as to the German motives, and the wrong-headed ingenuity of the native press critics finds no difficulty in criticising the best-meant efforts to consider Chinese susceptibilities. Though, for example, native educational establishments have never been remarkable for studying the physical welfare of their pupils, one of the accusations hurled against the Germans is that they have of set purpose given bodily training no very prominent place in the curriculum, with the object of lowering the Chinese national physique.
Apart from the efforts of the Germans at Tsingtao, Shangtung has for some time past been a scene of enthusiastic educational activity, but the province has lately suffered a keenly felt humiliation in that out of seventy students sent to Peking for examination not a single one qualified. This province therefore may probably not be allowed to send the four students to America, for which purpose a
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sum of 600,000 taels had been earmarked on behalf of Shantung out of the portjan 10 of the Boxer indemnity returned by the United States.
As regards the students who return to China after finishing their course of study in America, a native newspaper has recently published an attack on this class of young men, who, it states with some justice, are, on the whole, far from fulfilling expectations. They are accused of returning to China either notoriously idle and dissipated or imbued with an unscrupulous greed for dollars. The journal does not add, as well it might, that these students are in many cases characterised by that fatal conceit which proceeds from semi-education.
Judicial.
The question has been raised both at Newchwang and Tien-tsin as to the rights of foreign consulates to he represented, by an assessor in all mixed cases dealt with by the new tribunals known as Shen Pan Ting. This is no new question as far as the Tien-tsin court is concerned, where it had to all appearance been satisfactorily settled early in the current year, the British assessor being given a seat on the bench and exercising the right to intervene in the proceedings, The Taotai has recently, however, circularised the Tien-tsin consular body to the effect that the assessors must in future occupy scats behind the magistrate, and refrain from putting questions to, or receiving statements from, plaintiffs or defendants. In short, the procedure is to revert to what the Taotai, in words which recall the terms employed in Chinese documents when the foreigners were still officially "barbarians," declares to have been the practice at the time of the Shen Pan Ting was established, namely, that "the Chinese magistrate alone carried out the examination and delivered judgment, after which the foreign assessor humbly took his departure." This statement can be proved incorrect by the records of His Majesty's consulate-general.
Pending settlement of this question cases will have to stand over at the Tien-tsin court even as in Newchwang, where the consular body have taken the matter up, and where His Majesty's consul still adheres to his attitude, reported in my last summary, of ignoring the Shen Pan Ting, and referring all cases to the Taotai himself for settle. ment. Judging from all accounts received, the Shen Pan Ting would appear to be, except for a few isolated instances of recovery of debts owing to foreigners by Chinese, a complete failure, according to the European standard of justice. Those tribunals are, however, in some respects a considerable improvement on the old Chinese system. The facts that the public are admitted into the courts and that reports of the decisions are inserted in the press act as a wholesome deterrent against injustice, while press criticisms not infrequently elicit from the magistrates letters of excuse or explana- tion similar to those whichi a certain well-known London periodical extorts from the victims of its "Legal Pillory."
Amongst the many improvements which the Government of Shautung are endeavouring to introduce, judicial reform is by no means the least important. It has often been said that the great obstacle to improvements in Chinese administra- tion lies in the fact that in most cases reforms have to be carried into practice by unreformed officials; but in Shantung, at any rate, the governor seems to have realised that the establishment of new law courts ought to be conditional on the existence of a body of officials competent to administer the law and, if possible, uninfluenced by the corrupt traditions of the past. With this principle in view, the work of reorganising the provincial school of jurisprudence has been taken in hand in a manner which, if persisted in, may lead to good results, the axion-not often considered in Chinese educational establishments-being laid down that only good salaries will attract good professors. It is to be hoped that the influence of the students passed out of this regenerated school will be strong enough to overcome the traditions of Chinese officialdom, and that the new Shantang courts will not share the fate of the Shen Pan Ting at Newchwang, which has already fallen from its original clean standard, and is now becoming notorious for the rapacity of its subordinate officials.
Frontier Affairs.
Reports from Batang show that considerable military preparations are being pushed forward in that district, presumably with a view towards the subjection of some of the unruly tribes in the Thibetan marches of Szechuan. Great secrecy is observed by the local officials in regard to the Viceroy's plans, but the Batang