CO129-383 - Public Offices - 1911 — Page 509

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[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]

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AFFAIRS OF CHINA.

RECO

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CONFIDENTIAL.

REGO 16 JUN 11

[May 29.]

SECTION 2.

[20528]

No. 1.

(No. 207.) Sir,

Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.--(Received May 29.)

Peking, May 10, 1911. I HAVE the honour to forward herewith translations of various important Imperial decrees which were issued in the Government Gazette of the eth May.

The first of these decrees creates the office of Prime Minister, and Prince Ching is appointed to the post. At the same time, Na Tung and Hsu Shih-ch'ang are appointed as Assistant Prime Ministers.

The second decree orders the formation of the Cabinet system in accordance with the revised programme submitted by the Commission for the Study of Constitutional Government, while in another decree the Grand Secretariat, the Grand Council, and the Government Council are abolished in order to make way for the Cabinet, and thus centralise the system of government.

The Grand Council, which has been wiped out with a stroke of the pen,

has existed since 1730. This department was the actual Privy Council of the Sovereign, in whose presence its members daily transacted the business of the State, at a meeting held between the hours of 4 A.M. and 6 A.M. The institution derived its origin from the practice instituted by the earlier Emperors of the present dynasty of treating public affairs on the footing of a military council.

The Grand Secretariat, which is also abolished, was, under the preceding dynasty, the Supreme Council of the Empire, but within the last century and a half has become superseded in active importance by the Grand Council.

The change perhaps which will attract most attention is the recall of Liang Tun-yen to the Wai-wu Pu to become Minister of Foreign Affairs. He is a pleasant- spoken official, with an excellent knowledge of English, but his previous experience as President of the Board did not tend to show that he possessed any influence to carry through his schemes. As a Cantonese he found the Manchu clique against him at every turn, and he resigned in July last. He is at present travelling in America, and pending his arrival Tsou Chia-lai is ordered to act in his place. The latter is the only substantive president of any board whose services have not been retained under the new title of Minister of State, but it would seem that the Prince Regent is now alive to a sense of Tsou's incompetence for the substantive post.

That the decrees portend little real change in the composition of the Manchu clique in charge of State affairs is evidenced by the decree ordering Prince Ching to continue to control the Wai-wu Pu.

The presidents of all the boards are, moreover, to be styled in future Ministers of State, with a seat presumably in the Cabinet, but otherwise there is no change in the nomenclature of the boards.

In addition to the creation of the Cabinet a Privy Council has been formed, whose duties are to be purely advisory, and a president and vice-president have been appointed.

The above changes in the governmental system, though based on sound ideas, are, with the single exception perhaps of the appointment of Liang Tun-yen, not likely to give satisfaction to the country generally. The Senate in particular will, I imagine, not view with patience the retention in office under different titles of these same Grand Councillors, against whom they inveighed so bitterly when in session last winter.

I have, &c.

J. N. JORDAN,

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