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remains. Now that His late Majesty has departed this life, we decrce that all Tartar- Generals, Governors-General, Governors, Manchu Lieutenant-Generals and Deputy Lieutenant-Generals, Commanders-in-chief, Brigade-Generals, and Military Commandants, the Military Governors of the Western and Northern Provinces, Provincial Treasurers, Directors of Education, Salt Commissioners, Superintendents of Customs and of Imperial Manufactories, and other officers shall not apply for permission to come to the capital for the purpose of paying their respects to the Imperial remains, as their posts would It is incumbent on these officers to show the utmost zeal in the thereby be left vacant, performance of their duties, and thereby, rather than by empty phrases, prove themselves worthy of the responsibilities intrusted to them.
Let general instructions to this effect be issued.
November 15, 1908.
Princes Su and No-lo-ho, Duke Po-ti-su, Military Lieutenant-Governor of the Khor-ch'in tribe, the Assistant Grand Secretaries Jung-ching and Lu-ch'uan-lin, Lu Jun-hsiang, President of the Board of Civil Office, the Comptroller of the Household, Kuei-chun, the Senior Vice-President of the Board of Rites, and Ching-hou are directed to make all arrangements in connection with the mourning rites of Her late Majesty the August Empress Dowager.
Decrees issued on November 16, 1908.
In addition to the Princes and officers already nominated, Prince Kung and P'u-t'ing, President of the Board of Agriculture, Industry, and Commerce, are directed to assist in carrying out the mourning rites for Her late Majesty the August Empress Dowager.
On the occasion of the death of Her late Majesty the August Empress Dowager, the Governors-General, Governors, and other high provincial officers, baving all their respective duties to attend to, should not apply for permission to come to the capital for the purpose of paying their respects to the Imperial remains, but should display their zeal by exerting themselves to the utmost in the transaction of the affairs of the State rather than by means of mere ceremonies and phrases.
It is fitting that the gates of the Forbidden City should be guarded with the utmost care and reverence, and repeated instructions have been issued to the high officer responsible to probibit the entrance of unauthorized persons, and to have a close watch kept on all entering or leaving the forbidden precincts. In spite, however, of these reiterated commands there has recently been some laxity in the enforcement of the prohibition, and it is therefore necessary to issue a further injunction on the subject. The Commandants of the Vanguard, the Captain-General of the Guards, and the Comptroller of the Household are directed to instruct the troops on duty that they nuust display the utmost vigilance and prevent the entrance or exit of unauthorized persons falsely claiming to be on official business. Should there continue to be any remissness after the issue of the present Decree, the high officer responsible will be severely punished.
Decree of the Empress Dowager.
Officers ou daily duty in the Imperial Palace are directed, in accordance with precedent, to reside and sleep within the Palace; no other officers of any description are permitted to do so.
Decree of the Emperor.
Members of Her late Majesty the August Empress Dowager's own family are directed to wear full mourning during a period of 100 days.
Decrees of the Emperor, November 17, 1908.
Eulogizes His late Majesty, and commands that a suitable posthumous title for his reign shall be composed, in accordance with custom.
The chief points noted in regard to the deceased Emperor and his reign are that throughout thirty-four years His late Majesty devoted all his care and attention to State affairs, under the guidance of the late Empress Dowager; that he kept a check over the officials, from whom he exacted conscientious labour; that he always showed solicitude for the welfare of the people; and that he inaugurated many reforms in education, the army, finance, currency, the pacification of frontier tribes, the cultivation of waste lands, the encouragement of trade and industry, the introduction of new weights and measures, the development of posts, shipping, railways, mines, &c. By honouring the memory of Confucius His Majesty paid respect for the past. By making Commercial Treaties foreign relations were cemented. With due regard for national customs and beliefs the Penal Code was revised. The differences between Manchus and Chinese were composed. All these steps led towards the establishment of constitutional government after nine years.
location of a site.
Decree.
His late Majesty having selected no place of burial, let P'n Lun and Ch'en Pi proceed with diviners to the Eastern and Western Tombs and reverently investigate the
Let them prepare plans and a Report for submission to the Throne.
Decree.
Ch'en Pin Chun and other physicians to His late Majesty are degraded two steps in rank.
Decree.
Chang Chung Yuan and others, officials of the Imperial College of Physicians, are degraded but allowed to remain in office.
Decree received by the Grand Secretariat, November 18, 1908. The Princes and Ministers have represented to us the difficulties involved in three years' mourning, and have begged that the old rule may be followed.
In perusing the Memorial our grief has been increased. We have inherited His late Majesty's high estate, and even if we bore mourning throughout our whole life it would still be an insufficient recognition of the favour which has been bestowed upon us. How can it be said that three years' mourning suffices to demonstrate our affliction or to discharge the ceremonial observance of our loss? Moreover, three years' mourning is the right of every parent, from the lowliest to the Son of Heaven. It is so written in the Book of Rites, and how should we dare to disobey? If we dispensed with mourning after twenty-seven days our conscience would verily rebel!
Let officials and people mourn in accordance with the old rule (ie., twenty-seven days]. We will verily follow the ancient rule and mourn for three years.
[Note. The significance of this Decree is shaken by the discovery that it is textually the same as one issued in 1875 by the late Emperor under similar cireum- stances. TRANSLATOR.]
Decree.
Promotes various concubines of the late Emperor, and grants them each an allow- ance of 500 taels per mensem.
Decree.
Tang Shao Yi memorializes by telegraph, asking whether his Imperial letter for the American President should be changed, and suggesting the alteration of the last character in his name. [“Yi," which is the same as the last character in the new Emperor's name, “P'u-Yi.”—TRANSLATOR.]
Let the Board take note.
Decree handed to the Grand Secretariat, November 18, 1908.
To-day the Grand Council received the mark of the Vermilion Pencil selecting the two characters Hsun-Tung" [the Proclaimed Succession] as the title of the new reign.
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