As the present Parliament does not care about the national welfare, it is requested that in view of the critical condition of the country, drastic measures be taken and both the House of Representatives and the Senate be dissolved so that they may be reorganized and the Constitution may be made without any further delay.  Thus the form of the Republican Government be preserved, etc.”

Of late petitions and telegrams have been received from the military and civil officials, merchants, scholars, etc., containing similar demands.  The Senate and the House of Representatives have held the Constitution Conference for about one year, and the Constitution has not yet been completed.  Moreover at this critical time most of the M.P.’s of both Houses have tendered their resignation.  Hence it is impossible to secure quorums to discuss business.  There is therefore no chance to revise the articles already passed.  Unless means be devised to hasten the making of the Constitution, the heart of the people will never be satisfied.

I, the President, who desire to comply with the will of the populace and to consolidate the foundation of the nation, grant the request of the Tuchuns and the people.  It is hereby ordered that the Senate and the House of Representatives be dissolved, and that another election be held immediately.  Thus a Constitutional Government can be maintained.  It must be pointed out that the object for the reorganization of Parliament is to hasten the making of the Constitution, and not to abolish the Legislative Organ of the Republic.  I hope all the citizens of the Republic will understand my motives.

A great agitation and much public uneasiness followed the publication of this document; and the parliamentarians, who had already been leaving Peking in small numbers, now evacuated the capital en masse for the South.  The reasonable and wholly logical attitude of the Constitutionalists is well-exhibited in the last Memorandum they submitted to the President some days prior to his decision to issue the Mandate above-quoted; and a perusal of this document will show what may be expected in the future.  It will be noted that the revolting Military Governors are boldly termed rebels and that the constitutional view of everything they may contrive as from the 13th June, 1917, is that it will be bereft of all legality and simply mark a fresh interregnum.  Furthermore, it is important to note that the situation is brought back by the Mandate of the 13th June to where it was on the 6th June, 1916, with the death of Yuan Shih-kai, and that a period of civil commotion seems inevitable.

    MEMORANDUM