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Local Self-Government.---How should it be inaugurated? How are the funds to be provided?
Education. How general education is to be provided and paid for? On what lines are industrial schools to be introduced ?
Police. The present police force is insufficient. What steps should be taken to provide a proper force, and how are the funds to be provided?
Trade and Industry.--How should methods of agriculture be improved, with special reference to the use of chemical fertilisers and modern systems of irrigation ? How is trade to be encouraged? What new industries to be developed, new markets opened up? How are banking methods to be reorganised, and reforms introduced into the salt monopoly? Should the statutory interest charged by pawnbrokers be revised? How are the instructions of the central Government in regard to the issue of paper money to be carried out ?
Land Tax-An improved scheme is put before the members for the collection of the land tax and a discussion of its merits requested.
Weights and Measures.-How to introduce a uniform system?
The assembly in November was engaged in digesting this wide programme, but no report of the debates had appeared in the papers, although accommodation was provided for newspaper reporters.
MANCHURIA.
Feng-tion (Mukden) Province.
Electorate. There is little detailed information. The province was divided into forty-five electoral districts for the first election of delegates, and eight centres for the second election of the members of the assembly.
First Election.--The election of delegates took place on the 7th May, 1909, and it is stated that 52,679 qualified voters registered their votes. Assuming the popula- tion of the province to be about 8,000,000, there was approximately one qualified voter to every 150 inhabitants, or double the proportion in Shantung.
Second Election. Composition of Assembly.--The election of members occurred on the 1st June. Of the 50 elected 26 have official rank, 42 have literary degrees, and 4 have studied in Japan. They vary in age from 30 to 74.
Opening Ceremony.-The opening of the assembly took place on the fixed date, the 14th October, in the presence of the Viceroy and governor, a special building costing 60,000 taels (7,0007) having been erected for the purpose.
Business.---According to the press reports the following questions have been placed before the Makden assembly for discussion :-----
1. Funds for local government purposes.
2. Prohibition of opium.
3. Organisation of police.
4. Funds for education.
5. Organisation of agricultural associations.
6. Extension of wheat and bean crops.
7. Improvement of sericulture and wool.
S. Currency, trade, waterways, mines, and fisheries questions.
9. Reorganisation of the land and other taxes.
KIRIN PROVINCE.
Opposition to Governor.-No information except a general statement that the assembly has manifested a strong opposition to the policy of the governor, who is reported to have written to the Viceroy stating that the province is not yet ripe for the adoption of parliamentary institutions. (These reports have since been denied in the press).
HEILUNGCHIANG PROVINCE.
Opening-Beyond a bare announcement that the assembly was opened at Tsitsihar at the due date by the governor, there is little information in the press.
CHIBLI.
Opening Ceremony. The provincial assembly of Chihli held its opening meeting on the 14th October in Li Hung-chang's Memorial Temple at Hopei, Tien-tsin.
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Special assembly buildings are at present being erected on an extensive scale, but will not be completed before May next.
Viceroy's Speech-His Excellency Tuan Fang, Viceroy of Chibli, opened the proceedings, in the presence of a full attendance of members, by reading the Imperial edict of the 13th October. In the subsequent speech the Viceroy dwelt particularly on two points:
1. In considering local interests, the assembly should always keep steadily in mind the larger national interests.
2. The assembly must beware of overstepping the limited rights conferred
upon it.
A president and two vice-presidents were then elected. Salaries are fixed as follows: president, 150 taels per month; vice-president, 120 taels; and members, 70 taels per month, with travelling expenses.
Government Programme of Business.--The subjects submitted by Viceroy Tuan and discussed by the assembly were:-
1. A proposal to substitute cash for grain tribute from certain districts.
2. Institution of a census.
3. The development of instruction in easy writing.
4. The reform of the police regulations.
5. Enquiry into the system of official ruuners.
To these has to be added-
6. Plan for carrying out local autonomy in Chihli, a subject suggested by the Constitutional Government Committee.
Debates. Owing to the number and variety of subjects for discussion the original session of forty days was extended ten days. The debates were open to the public, but it appears that few took advantage of this privilege. They were not reported in the native press, which is apparently waiting for the presentation of the assembly's reports and the Viceroy's comments thereou before dealing with the subject. The session was concluded on the 3rd December, when nine members were elected to represent the assembly in the Senate.
Relations of Assembly to Senate and Central Government.-The regulations which govern the constitution of the assembly provide that the opinions it forms should be submitted direct to the Senate in Peking. In the meantime, as the Senate is not yet in being, the assembly reports to the Viceroy, who, at the conclusion of the session, explains the official attitude on the subjects of the reports. It has been suggested by a censor that this viceregal superintendence detracts to a great extent from the usefulness of the assembly, the object of whose existence is the discussion of public affairs by persons independent of the Government. That the central Government is exceedingly anxious as to the behaviour of the newly-constituted hody is evidenced by the fact that they have several times by telegram urged the Viceroy to keep a strict watch that the assembly does not exceed its rights, and that this nervousness is to some extent justified may be realised from the reports that twelve representatives of the assembly requested the Wai-wu Pu in a memorial to cancel the agreement lately concluded between China and Japan concerning the Manchurian question. Interference of this sort in matters which lie between the central Government and foreign States was of course frowned upon, and the memorial promply pigeon-boled. The incident serves to draw one's attention to what will be a certain source of trouble in the future.
The above is taken from a memorandum by Mr. G. A. Combe, of His Britannic Majesty's consulate-general at Tien-tsin.
HONAN.
Preliminary Steps,-We learn from a published memorial of the Governor of Honan that in November 1908 an organisation office was established, and preliminary steps after the Shantung model were taken.
Voting Lists-Voting lists were completed by March 1909 and the elections commenced in June.
Opening. The opening of the assembly at K'ai-feng-fu at 10 A.M. on the 14th October was mentioned in the native press. The day was kept as a holiday by
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