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CHAPTERIIICONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT, 1915F. L. PrattThe deliberate and orderly advance of the Chinesenation towards real constitutionalism which was begun inKM 4, was rudely checked in ]!)lf), arid, at the moment ofwriting, political affairs in China are in a lamentable stateof chaos. Four provinces are in more or Jess active revolt ;a fifth has declared independence, bu1 in a hesitatingand uncertain minor key, and the remainder professvarying degrees of loyalty to the Central Government.The legality of the continuance in office of His ExcellencyYuan Shih-kai has been openly questioned, and a MilitaryGovernment that has been organized in Canton haseven gone so far as to proclaim General Li Yuan-hungPresident of the Republic.n >SU( 1 circumstances there isDiffi oltiein seemingMet With something of irony in the words "Constitutional Development, 1915" that head thisarticle. Most of the development that has taken place inthe period under review, May.li>15May, 1916, hasbeen unconstitutional rather than constitutional. Yet itmight be argued that, just as juvenile life is attended byailments which are apparently abnormal, but which, inreality, are designed to prepare the system to resist theattacks of disease in maturer years, a new state system mustneeds encounter obstacles at the beginning if it is to makerapid and confident progress in after days. The theory ofconstitutionalism is understandable to every man of intelligence, but the practice is dependent upon a number of factorsthat the theorist in his enthusiasm is likely to overlook. InChina, in the opinion of the writer, a mistake was madeafter the Maiiclms had been dethroned in adopting a speciesof constitutionalism that could only have been successful ifthe national electorate had attained a high level of politicalintelligence. The political medicine forced upon an emaciated patient in a very low condition as a result of prolonged

CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT, 1915 23faulty treatment by the Manchus, was altogether too strong.The corrective that was afterwards administered was chosenwithout allowance for the tact that the elimination of thepolitical medicine which had produced such bad resultscould only, if the safety of the patient were valued, beaccomplished by slow degrees. The internal complicationswitnessed to-day are the result.When Professor Bevan last year closed hisArticle upon the subject now under discus-Constttution sion, the appearances, as he indicated, werethat constitutional government was well insight. A Commission to frame a Permanent Constitutionwas sitting, and as it included men holding differing politicalviews, there was a probability that it would avoid boththe Scylla of radicalism and the Gharybdis of conservatism.With the object of securing Constitution a, really acceptableto the bulk of the people provision was inade for the electionin October, 1915, of a Kuoming Hui-I. or Citizens Convention, for the express purpose of considering the DraftConstitution prepared by tiie Commission above mentioned.This body was to be elected under the election law for theelection of members of the la Fa Yuan, which was to comeinto existence after the Permanent Constitution was promulgated. The election law of the Li Fa Yuan was expounded at some length in last year s article, and it is notnecessary, therefore, to enter into details on this occasion.^ieProgrammeP1>0^ramme that had been arrangedPlanned provided for the election of the members ofthe Citizens Convention in October ;theirconvocation to consider the Draft Constitution in January,191.6 ;the election of the members of the National Assembly in May, and the meeting of the latter body in September.This programme was not carried out owing to the movement to restore the monarchical system of government, whichcame into prominence in August, 1915.Monarchical Although the Republic was brought intoMovement existence without any protest being raised bybelievers in the monarchical form of government, this by no means indicated that the latter lackednumbers or influence. The republican system was adopted

CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT, 1915 23faulty treatment by the Manchus, was altogether too strong.The corrective that was afterwards administered was chosenwithout allowance for the tact that the elimination of thepolitical medicine which had produced such bad resultscould only, if the safety of the patient were valued, beaccomplished by slow degrees. The internal complicationswitnessed to-day are the result.When Professor Bevan last year closed hisArticle upon the subject now under discus-Constttution sion, the appearances, as he indicated, werethat constitutional government was well insight. A Commission to frame a Permanent Constitutionwas sitting, and as it included men holding differing politicalviews, there was a probability that it would avoid boththe Scylla of radicalism and the Gharybdis of conservatism.With the object of securing Constitution a, really acceptableto the bulk of the people provision was inade for the electionin October, 1915, of a Kuoming Hui-I. or Citizens Convention, for the express purpose of considering the DraftConstitution prepared by tiie Commission above mentioned.This body was to be elected under the election law for theelection of members of the la Fa Yuan, which was to comeinto existence after the Permanent Constitution was promulgated. The election law of the Li Fa Yuan was expounded at some length in last year s article, and it is notnecessary, therefore, to enter into details on this occasion.^ieProgrammeP1>0^ramme that had been arrangedPlanned provided for the election of the members ofthe Citizens Convention in October ;theirconvocation to consider the Draft Constitution in January,191.6 ;the election of the members of the National Assembly in May, and the meeting of the latter body in September.This programme was not carried out owing to the movement to restore the monarchical system of government, whichcame into prominence in August, 1915.Monarchical Although the Republic was brought intoMovement existence without any protest being raised bybelievers in the monarchical form of government, this by no means indicated that the latter lackednumbers or influence. The republican system was adopted

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