22 Anglo-Chinese Diplomacy 19o6-1920 Jordan,Yiian and Chinese politics,19o6-I9II 23 constitutional movement a much more potent anti-Manchu force.The Y.C.Wang calls 'the wide discrepancy developed between [the Manchu] constitutional reform movement was launched by the Manchu govern- intention and practice'68 which eventually caused the movement to ment shortly after the Boxer Uprising.The tragic outcome of the Boxer threaten the very existence of the Manchu regime.This'discrepancy' Uprising forced the empress dowager at last to realize that,if the occurred with the emergence of two parties with irreconcilable aims. Manchus were to remain rulers in China,she would have to make The Manchus naturally wanted to control the reforms in order to regain certain political concessions,in form if not in reality.Thus constitutional their prestige and reassert their influence.Conversely,the so-called reforms,with a constitutional government as the ultimate goal,which constitutionalists were eager to promote constitutionalism for reasons had been anathema to the Manchus in 1898,were now granted by the which sharply contradicted the Manchu purpose. Ch'ing government. The constitutionalists fell broadly into two categories.One group The constitutional movement embodied administrative reforms as consisted of reformists under the banner of K'ang Yu-wei and Liang well as political and institutional ones.At the end of 1go6 Jordan noted Ch'i-ch'ao,who were still living in exile abroad after their abortive with pleasure that most of the decrees which had been issued dealt with coup d'etat in 1898 to bring about a constitutional government.Jordan, such matters as the reorganization of the metropolitan and provincial however,attached more significance to the second group of constitu- administration,promotion of education,suppression of opium,and tionalists-moneyed provincial gentry determined to use the constitu- control of railway,telegraph,and postal administration.63 In the middle tional reforms to acquire power and benefit nominally for the provinces, of I9o7 another series of decrees provided for administrative and judicial but in practice for themselves.69 reform at the provincial level.4 Jordan was even more delighted in late Jordan foresaw the conflict between the Manchus and the constitu- 1go7 when the Manchus decided to disband their garrisons and treat tionalists from the start.His experience of the provincial gentry during the Chinese on an equal footing with them.At the same time codification the railway negotiations led him to predict that the Manchus would raise of the laws and improvement of the fiscal system was also decreed.o5 a Frankenstein by their propagation of constitutional theories'.70 In Jordan reacted quite differently to the political aspect of the constitu- saying this Jordan meant that the balance of power between the local tional movement.In September 1go6 the throne announced the gradual government officials and the gentry would be upset;the latter would implementation of a constitutional government on the recommendation dominate the provincial assemblies which would certainly not stop at of the mission which had just returned from a study of various constitu- being merely deliberative in function.1 In the capital,with the calling of tions abroad.By August 19o7 the Commission to Investigate Modern the national assembly,the government would have to face opposition Governments(K'ao-cha cheng-chih kuan)had been reorganized into the from the 'rabid members from Canton and the South'.72 Constitutional Government Commission(Hsien-cheng p'ien-ch'a kuan), Jordan felt no gratification in having his prophecy fulfilled.The a more powerful and permanent agency charged with supervising the gentry in the provinces acted immediately after the court had made necessary reforms.In September a national assembly (Tau-cheng yiian), known in September 1go6 the intention of granting a constitutional meant to be the precursor of the parliament,and in October provincial government.In the same year the Association to Prepare for the assemblies (Tau-i chi)and various local assemblies were promised. Establishment of Constitutional Government(Yii-pei li-hsien kung hui) The legislation for a constitutional government culminated in August was founded in Shanghai by leading gentry members in Chekiang, I9o8 when the court promulgated a programme indicating that constitu- Kiangsu,and Fukien provinces,represented by T'ang Shou-ch'ien, tional reforms would be completed in nine years,that is in I917,by Chang Chien,and Cheng Hsiao-hsui respectively.Similar organizations which time the parliament proper would have replaced the national were founded in Hupei,Hunan,and Kwangtung. assembly.60 Jordan was sceptical about the feasibility of the nine years' Early in 1go8 the Association to Prepare for the Establishment of plan.He realized that China was modelling her reforms on Japan but he Constitutional Government took the lead in petitioning the court for a believed that China,with less political experience and fewer leaders, parliament.The association first contacted the Constitutional Govern- would need more than nine preparatory years.67 ment Association (Hsien-cheng kung hui)in Hunan,the Constitutional However,it was not so much the people's political immaturity as what Government Preparation Association (Hsien-cheng ch'ou-pei hui)in