According to the law for the organization of the Lifayuan the Chamber will consist of 275 members with a term of membership of four years, and there will be but one session each year, commencing on September 1 and ending on December 31, unless the President exercises the power granted him to extend the session not more than two months, or call a special session, The President, too, is provided with checks which give him practically complete control over legislation, and it is in this connexion that agitators will most loudly cry against the efficacy of the organization.
Elections will be conducted by if] Electoral Colleges, the single system being used' for the Special Central District and for Mongolia, Tibet, and Chinghai, while for the provinces the double system will be utilized, qualified electors electing the Electoral College which will subsequently elect the members of the Lifayuan. The special Central Electoral College will elect elected by the electoral colleges of the various provinces, ten each by the provinces of Chibli, Fengtien, Shantung, Honan, Kiangsu, Kiongsi, Chekiang, Hupeh, Szech.o, and Kuangtung, nine each by the provinces of Kirin, Shansi, Anhui, Fukien, Hunan and Shansi, and eight each by Heilungkiang, Kansu, Sinkiang, Kuangsi, Yunnan and Kueichow; nine members will be elected by special administrative districts, four by Chingchso (Metropolitan District) two by Jehol, one by Shuiyuan, one by Chahar, and one by the Szechuan frontier; twenty-four members will be elected by the electoral colleges of Mongolia (16), Tibet (6) and Chinghai The Electoral Colleges.
The qualifications of electors vary. In the central electoral college, as in all others they must be at least thirty years of age, must be residents of Peking when the investigation of qualification takes piaes, must either Have rendered meritorious services to the Government, or have been s high official, or be learned scholar, or be a graduate of a high technical or higher school either in China or abroad, or poe sees equal qualifications of such
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.