Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1871.djvu/666

 CHINA.



Constitution and Government.

The government of the Chinese empire, as far as known, is a semi-military, semi- patriarchal despotism. The sovereign, called 'Ta-hwang-ti,' or the Great Emperor, is regarded as the father of his people, and has unlimited power over all his subjects. The fundamental laws of the empire are laid down in the Ta-tsing-hwei-tien, or 'Collected Regulations of the Great Pure dynasty,' which prescribe the government of the state to be based upon the government of the family.

Reigning Emperor.—T'oung-che, formerly called Ki-tsiang, 'High Prosperity,' born April 5, 1855, the eldest son of the Emperor Hien-fung, 'Perfect Bliss;' succeeded to the throne at the death of his father, August 22, 1861.

The present sovereign is the 8th Emperor of China of the Tartar dynasty of Ta-tsing, 'The Sublimely Pure,' which succeeded the native dynasty of Ming in the year 16-44. There exists no law of hereditary succession to the throne, but it is left to each sovereign to appoint his successor from among the members of his family. The late Emperor, on designating his son, a minor, as his successor, ordered that he should be kept, till the time of his majority, under the guardianship of eight high officials, who were to carry on the government in his name. But in consequence of a palace revolution, occurring soon after the accession of the young ruler, Nov. 2, 1861, three out of the eight appointed imperial guardians were killed, and the rest banished, while the supreme power was taken possession of by two of the wives of the deceased sovereign, Tzi-an, the 'first consort,' and Tzi-ssi, the mother of the new Emperor. They associated themselves with Jih-su, Prince of Kong, uncle of the young Emperor, who was nominated head of the Council of ministers, and became virtually Regent of the empire.

The Emperor is spiritual as well as temporal sovereign, and, as high priest of the empire, can alone, with his immediate representatives and ministers, perform the great religious ceremonies. No ecclesiastical hierarchy is maintained at the public expense, nor any priesthood attached to the Confucian or State religion.

The administration of the empire is under the supreme direction of the 'Interior Council Chamber,' comprising four members, two of Tartar and two of Chinese origin, besides two assistants from the Han-lin, or Great College, who have to see that nothing