Decree of H. I: M. the Emperor, in compliance with the Command of the Empress Dowager, acknowledging the receipt of a code of Constitutional Laws drafted by the Hsien-chen Pien-ch'a-kuan (Department for the Investigation of the principles of Constitutional Government). The Laws are very complete and are in accordance with the requirements of the subject. The lines of duty incumbent on all, high and low, are clearly laid down in these Laws. the Throne constitutional reform schemes The ment has also submitted to that should be cartied into effect before the opening of s Parliament. It is certain that before constitutional government can satisfy, or have any effect She H-€. herald and %. ¢. XC. Garette. upon the nation, drastic measures must be taken to reform the Empire We, therefore, hereby order the Department to promulgate the said constitutional reform schemes among the Heads of the various Yaméns in the Capital, the Viceroys and Governors of provinces and their subordinates. The officials are to carry these schemes into effect within respective jurisdicti six months upon what. they have done in the preceding months. The said Department is to see that all officials, whether within the Capital or without, carry out these schemes properly. Should any officials be found disobeying Our Commands they will be punished severely and without leniency. Let it be understood that We will not tolerate for s moment any delinquency on the part of the officials. Under the difficalt crisis through which the country is passing it should be the clear duty of every official to exert himself to assist Us in reforming the Empire. Let it be made known that nine years are given as the limit of time for carrying out these reform schemes. The Constitutional Laws sill then be definitely decided upon by Us and the date for the opening of the Parliament will also be announced by that time.
The metropolitan and provincial officials are also commanded to lose no time in diffusing the knowledge of local self-government among the people, so as to enable them to govern the country in futare, Proper care must be taken to prevent the evil work and insidious ramours which bad characters are constantly seeking to spread about, in order to disturb the peace and to cause trouble. We look to the of of the! Empire to put forth their whole hearts in carrying' through these reforms, 80 that the State may become stronger and stronger. Let these Our Commands be made known to every one in the Empire.
August 28, (1) Hsii Chien is appointed Director of the High Court of Investigation in the Capital.
(2) Hsti Hot is appointed Judge of the Peking Common Law Court. August 29.
(1) Wuang Ta-hsi (who is at present in England studying the Government and Constitution of that country) is appointed Senior Vice-President of the Ministry of Posts and Communications. Pending Woang's arrival in Peking, Wu Ya-shing (one of the two Directors of the Peking Granaries) is to act for him ad interim in addition to his (Wu's)
(2) Lin' Shao-nien (Governor of Honan) is appointed a Director of the Peking Granaries and Wu Ch'ung-hsi is appointed Governor of Honan. Pending Wu's arrival in Kaifeng (capital of Honan) Cha Shou-yung is to act in his stead for the time (3) Shen Tseng-chih is appointed Acting Governor of Anhui.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.