The Mings were displaced by the Mancha Ching House in 16H. The: first Munchu Emperor borrowed the form: of government adopted by the two preceding dynasties, Yuan any Ming, with several minor touches that were made with the sole object of giving the Manchus predominate ing power, reserving again to hi self supreme authority. In the years of the Manchu rule, highest executive powers, alter the emperor, had been ves Grand Council consisting of twe Manchu and two Chinese Councillors and one SManchu and one Chinese:
Assistant Councillor. The six Grand Councillors were each named after six audience halls where in the emperor had his daily audiences with his ministers of state and other officials, which meant that each Grand Councillor was to take charge of a'! affairs discussed and submittto the Throne in that day particular hall. Only a Prince of the bond or a minister of recogniz~ ed relent and of best records could aspire to that post, and a candidate must also be a scholar of the highest attainment, a Aanlin, a ouceéesful competition after passing. the third Imperial Rxamt also must be a The Grant Counefl was more oF ters vu advisory hoard to the Throne, but ae a matter of exercised great powers, and its ere only subject to the rev of the emperor even the latter would he owen initiative wi Daring the reign of the third manchu Emperor, Yung Tseng. VEM85, this avpust body supersoied by one Created and keawn them. Three new ministries eovering education, commerce and foreign affairs came into existence after the Boxer year of 1900, when the conservative Manchu Court by the pressure of circumstance: made a halishearted attempt to reform.
The Law Courts Following the six ministries were the Board) of Censorate ani the ipreme Court, which, conjunction with the Ponishments, was known as Judicial Triumvirate and constituted the highest court of appeal in Chi cognizance of wolving death banishments, This tribunal held its annual session in the autumn this known as the Autumn Assize, the express purpose of revising and confirming capital sentences which had been passed by all Provincial Courts in the whole coun-
No capital sentence could be: it had been confirmed by that tribunal. Though it rarely eases were known in which an injured party, when all other' legal remedies had been exhausted, appealed direct to the Emperor for justice. It was however, a desperate measure for 8 slight error made onthe part of the petitioner on a question of fact of nw or both, would constitute 2 capital offence of "misrepresentation to the Emperor" for which law rescribed summary decapitation, There was still another remarkable feature in the administration of justice in China unknown to the West. Any judge or official, direct ly of even indirsetly responsible for error in judgment whereby innocent person had been convicted ne, would be hela for which he could either cashiered, or not infer: quently made ta pay the full penalty fof lave, and the absence fitontion woul not fv a mit cireanstance, This fact explained was so difficult in the old have a death sentence fobs and often the life of a large number of officials and judges.
The Perilous Duty of ial functions, Tong ax the Throne capable and exper Hike himself but it ult amic a source of weaken: long the western borders, th organized cornell had mitral of all Alopwnitent of the Roard of Cenmorate. the pre: ranked in the the other six mi vested with duly Oynasty, fae this 8 turned out to be weaklings. result of this change a peror hid only about junior rank, and was thus depri ed advice of sult would have hoon Wkely to comanand the respect and confidence of the The Rule of the Eunuelt Nearly all the ALing emperors cepting the founer hineelé were aid ard prefered to pass their time in the palace among their wives and eunuchs. One em: peror whose reign lasted 22 years, was so negligent of his duties that Ihe save his This total absence contact between the empe chief executive and his ministers of state gave rise to all kinds abuses, and produced most dis astrous results to the country. the latter which ne former glory, Nevertheless, to he rvarded with the title a? a Gram ouneillor continued to be rewarded a6 the highest honour that he conferred upon a state of Chinese birth the Manche rulers, notwithst nct that it had lors sine becom= a otice of sinecure nature without official duties. Such well known personages as Taeng Kuo-tang, Li Iders of verecs were promulgated after de-Tiberation and upon ree of the Military" Cou in the case of its Grand Council, was usually presided, over by a Prince of blood, A Mancha Cotneillor at one time held the seniority in his offic his grade being one degree higher, than that of his Chinese colleagues, \ceused, The eve wu eamiuct was not immune or protected from his serutizing ether powerful ministers of question lo char: Instances had been ery common in hi which censors lust their thole indiscretion, but suck censor: ave been held in honour as national heroes, and quite a few were deified for their self sacrifice.
(To bs Cantianesy Tie Chiantungpu Waters: Readjustment Commission is roported by the Chinese press ty have draw up a nese dotated map of the This is G9 fect in Court underlines and eunuchs wore usually illiterates, taking advantage of the unsatisfactory state of altairs, began to assume great powers and influence and were con: tinucusty engaged in all kinds of intrigues and conspiracies emt mining thes: Houze, a they wore lo The Six Ministries n seniority and importance he six. ministries, namely,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.