President of the Ministry of Finance, who would seem to have found his task of balancing Imperial revenue and expenditure no sinecure, hus accorded the demand for the speedy opening of Parliament his wholehearted support on the ground that it was a remedy for the existing chaos in the nation's finances. Viceroys and Governors are also to be found among the supporters of the proposal, although they must' be aware that a popular Parliament is likely to prove even more critical of official acts than Provincial Assemblies as at present constituted. The Prince Regent, therefore, must find it increasingly difficult to remain faithful to the scheme constitutional development laid down by Ile Empress-Dowager, and present indications point to 8
189 compromise; by which the opening of a Parliament will be accelerated by three years, taking plage in 1913 instead of as originally fixed in 1916.
In view of this possible acceleration it is satisfactory to note that the proceedings of the National Assembly are characterized, as our Peking correspondent informs us, with calmness and dignity. A growing independence of spirit, it is stated, is being shown by the elected members, and has caused the Government some uneasiness but concrete instances are not given and we have no opportunity to gauge the extent of this development. The Chinese Government probably finds itself more embarrassed by the novelty of parliamentary procedure than the members themselves. Before the opening of the Assembly it was feared that sufficient material had not been prepared for x whole session, and the rapidity with which subjects appear to be disposed of, first by a special committee and then in the House itself, tax the various Mini Bills for consideration.
In a recent debate the representative of one of the Ministries was taken severely to task for the unsatisfactory method in which he had presented a measure to the Assembly. One member declared that in the five meetings of the Assembly not a single measure had been presented in a proper manner to the House. "No particulars," he complained, "are given to enable the members to deal With the subject in the manner it deserves, and thus valuable time is wasted." He urged that the Bill should be returned to the Ministry to allow it, to be drawn up properly; but eventually it was ceted that it should be sent to a Committee and that the Ministry should also hand to that body the emendations that were shown to be required. If orderly procedure of this nature should lead to ordered ndministration in the widest sense throughout the Empire the independent spirit of the National Assembly will do no barm.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.