(Translation.)
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Enclosure in No. 1.
Imperial Decrees of May 8, 1911.
PRINCE CHI'ING, I Kuang, is hereby appointed as Prime Minister of the Cabinet, and Na T'ung and Hsu Shih-ch'ang are appointed Assistant Prime Ministers of the Cabinet.
Last year we issued a decree ordering the framing of regulations for the official system which were to be promulgated and given a trial; at the same time, we ordered that the Cabinet should be organised. Subsequently, the Commission for the Study of Constitutional Government submitted a revised programme of the preparation work, and we decided to promulgate the official system and form the Cabinet for the third year of Hsuan Tung, so as to centralise the administration and determine a line of policy in accordance with the principle of Constitutional Government. Now, the said commission and the Government Council, in accordance with our instructions, have submitted in a joint memorial for our perusal the official system of the Cabinet. We have carefully perused the same, and we find that the nineteen regulations relating to the official system of the Cabinet have been carefully drawn up and are quite satisfactory, and they are made out after consulting the systems of various con- stitutional countries and with due regard to the prevailing circumstances. Further, the Cabinet system, being newly introduced, must progress by degrees, and be carried out as an experimental measure; moreover, the fourteen temporary rules relating to the routine work of the Cabinet are also found to be practicable, and when the Princes and Ministers of the Government Council were personally questioned upon the subject they all spoke unanimously in favour of the regulations.
It is hereby commanded that the Cabinet system be promulgated, that the Cabinet be formed in accordance with the above system decided on by the Throne, and that the temporary regulations be enforced in the first instance. Apart from the official system of the Privy Council which is being promulgated simultaneously with that of the Cabinet, we command that the system dealing with the appointment of subordinate officials of the Cabinet, the provincial official system, and the varions official regulations be speedily framed and successively presented for approval in accordance with the revised programme of the work of preparation, so that we may promulgate the date when such system shall take effect. In this way we attain our desire to make progress in Constitutional Government and in the work of strengthening the Empire.
Now that the Prime Minister and the Assistant Prime Ministers of the Cabinet have been appointed, the high officials administering the various boards, who ought to share equally the burden of national affairs, should be appointed at the same time.
We hereby appoint Liang Tun-yon as Minister of Foreign Affairs; Shan Chi (Prince Su) as Minister of the Interior; Tsai Tse as Minister of Finance; Tang Ching-ch'ung as Minister of Education; Yin Ch'ang as Minister of War as hitherto Tsai Hsun as Minister of Marine as hitherto; Shao Ch'ang as Minister of Justice; Pu Lun as Minister of Agriculture, Industry, and Commerce; Sheng Hsüan-huai as Minister of Posts and Communications; Shou Ch'i as Minister of the Colonies.
The Prime Minister and Assistant Prime Ministers of the Cabinet, as well as the Ministers above mentioned, all become Ministers of State.
We hereby order that the Prime Minister of the Cabinet, Prince Ch'ing, continue to control the Wai-wu Pu.
The Prime Minister and the Assistant Prime Ministers are hereby ordered to act also as Ministers of the Commission for the Study of Constitutional Government.
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Liang Tun-yen, having been appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs, is hereby ordered to come at once to Peking to take up his duties. Pending his arrival Tsou Chia-lai is ordered to act in his place.
As a decree has this day been issued for the formation of a Cabinet, we hereby order that the old-established Grand Secretariat, the Grand Council, and the Govern ment Council be all abolished. Pending the approval of the system relating to subordinate officers of the Cabinet, the secretaries, sub-readers, and others of the above-named Yamens are temporarily to carry out their daily work under the direction of the Prime and Assistant Prime Ministers. The officers of other Yamens which are included among those to be abolished, but which should comply temporarily with the regulations of the Cabinet, are ordered to be dealt with in the same manner. Matters that have not been decided upon are to remain unchanged for the present. The Yamens that have no connection with administrative affairs are to perform their duties as heretofore.
The Grand Secretariat having been abolished by a decree, we hereby order that the Grand Secretaries and the Assistant Grand Secretaries continue to be attached to the Haulin College in order of seniority. Further, the said Yamen, in regulating the official system of the Hanlin College, should draw up satisfactory regulations. Officers from Sub-Chancellors of the Grand Secretariat downwards whose posts have been abolished are granted their former salaries, and ordered to await other employment.
Last year, when the revised programme for constitutional preparation was forwarded to us, it was decided to promulgate the official system of the Privy Council, and to form the Privy Council during the third year of Hsuan Tung. Now, the Commission for the Study of Constitutional Government and the Government Council have presented a joint memorial submitting for our perusal the official system of the Privy Council. We have perused the same, and, with the exception of a few alterations which we have made, the system has been found to be satisfactory. Now that the Cabinet has been established by a decree, the Privy Council, which has important relations with the Cabinet as regards sphere of jurisdiction, should be formed at the same time, so that it may act in an advisory capacity.
It is therefore ordered that this system be promulgated and a Privy Council be formed at once, so as to attach importance to the foundation of a constitutional régime.
Lu Jun-hsiang is hereby appointed president of the Privy Council, and Jung Ch'ing as vice-president.
Two years have passed since the organisation of the Chun Tzu Ch'u in the 5th moon of the 1st year of Hsüan T'ung as the foundation of the General Staff Department, and the arrangements made have proved a success. As the general staff work is of the highest importance, we hereby order the immediate establishment of the General Staff Department, which should be responsible to the Throne and assist in military affairs. The said Yamen is ordered to formulate and submit at once an official system and other necessary regulations for our approval.
Prince Tsai Tao and Prince Yü Lang are hereby appointed Ministers of the General Staff.
Some time ago we ordered Hsi Liang, Ch'en K'uei-lung, Chang Jen-chun, Jui Ch'eng, and Li Ching-hsi to co-operate with the Princes and high officials of the Commission for the Study of Constitutional Government in revising the provincial official system, and to consult carefully by telegram from time to time, Ás Hai Liang has now vacated his office, we hereby appoint Chao Erh-hsün to take part in the consultation.
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