On the 10th instant an Imperial Edict was issued commanding the metropolitan and provincial officials to suppress the Chéwéns' or Political Society; for the Throne has been informed that some of the members are bad-characters and political criminals. The Edict was issued saddenly and public did not know why the Chén-wénsé was supp? As this Edict concerns the promised adoption of constitutional government, it may be interesting to know the history of this so-called political society, and ita trouble with the Manchu Government.
The Chinwénsi was established by prominent native gentry aod merchants in some of the provinces in 1906, after the publication of the Reform Edict promising the establishment of a representative administration in China. its object "was ty assist the Government to investigate the political and administrative systems of constitutional countries, in order to assist the Central Government in Peking in establishing Parliament. This policy was revealed by x recent telegraphic memorial from Mr. Cheng Ching-Jen, third class secretary of the Ministry of Law (who was a member of the Chénwénsé), asking the Throne to establish " Parliament in Peking within the next three years and to degrade Yii Shih-wei, Senior Vice-President of the Ministry of Civil Appointments and special Imperial Commissioner for the study of the German form of the Manchu Government in converting China into a constitutional nation, and expressing disbelief that the Manchus would so quietly and willingly introduce " Constitutional Government without compulsion from the Chinese masses. Then certain writers, who signed themselves members of the unfortunate Chéowénsé, xtrongly exhorted the Chinese not to believe too mach in the promised new constitution. When the paper wax suppressed the employees were all arrested. The Chénwénsé at your Port was only established several months ago by some of the leading Chinese residenta, who are taking an active part in the promotion of raodera education at Shanghai and apparently they harbour no evil' intentions towards the Manchu Government. Their sole object seems to be to hasten the establishment of the Parliament. And there is every reason to believe that the Constitution would benefit both Manchu and Chinese as well as the Mongols, Mohammedans and Tibetans. These are the five races of people forming the Empire and most of the Chénwinré members were in favour of united action by Manchus, Chinese, Mongols, Mohammedans sod Tibetans in all their intercourse with foreign nations, especially the Manchus and the Chinese who are the most present state of help-Jue in no small measure to her disunion during the last five or six years avd the Constitution would draw her people together. The action of the chu Government in degrading Cheng Ching-jen and suppressing the Ohén-wénsé throughout this Empire has great set-back to the introduction of western reforms and now there is not a Chinese official or responsible member of the native gentry who darex to speak about " Constitation. Even the selected representatives of the people of Kinngen, Kiangsi, Anhui, Kuang-tong, Chekiang and some other provinees who have come to Peking especially to urge the establishment instructed the Viceroys and Governors constitutional Gorerament in Berlin. "Pari is ing with folded of provinces to prohibit strictly the export of cereals from their respective provinces to foreign lands.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.