Untitled

"24 CHINA MISSION YEAR BOOK.then very fresh before her, to go forward. Hence manydecrees and some changes.A broad survey of these decrees and changes showsthat they fall into three classes (a) those relating to:administrative reform ; () those relating to constitutional changes ; (c) those relating to moral and intellectual progress and to special issues. The two former itis difficult to keep separate, as they naturally act andreact on each other very closely. The beginning ofchange in these directions dates from shortly after thereturn of the Mission of Five, when an Imperial decreewas issued commanding the high officials in Peking toprepare for a constitutional Government,"* and ordering Duke Tsai Tse and others to compile administrativereforms Prince ;Ching and others being appointed tosupervise the two undertakings. This decree was followed in November, 1906, by another, which effectedconsiderable changes, though leaving some Governmentdepartments untouched. The Grand Council remainedunchanged, "the centre of all departments of the administration," as did the Waiwu Pu (Board of ForeignAffairs) and the Board of Civil Appointments. TheBoard of Constabulary was magnified into the Board ofCivil Administration and the Board of Revenue becamethe Board of Finance, in which was incorporated the oldCouncil of Finance. Several more or less ornamentalBoards, the Board of Rites, the Courts of SacrificialWorship and of State Ceremonial, with that of ImperialEntertainment, were amalgamated as the Board ofRites. In similar fashion the Board of War, (Ping Pu),the Board of Army Reorganization and the Court of theImperial Stud were amalgamated as the Board of War(Lucliun Pu). Naval affairs were at the same timebrought under the control of the Board of War, but thatwas a temporary arrangement, only intended to holduntil such time as an independent Admiralty should be* All quotations of Decrees are from The Shanghai Mercurytranslations.