the right summarily to amend the Provisional Constitution before the Promulgation of the permanent instrument, should that be necessary.  Provisions of this sort would naturally carry no weight with generals of the type of Chang Hsun, of whom it is said that until recent years he possessed only the most elementary education; but it is a dismal thing to have to record that the Conservative Party in China should have adopted a platform of brute force in the year of grace, 1917.

MANDATE DISSOLVING PARLIAMENT

In the 6th month of last year I promulgated a Mandate stating that in order to make a Constitution it was imperative that Parliament should be convened.  The Republic was inaugurated five years ago and yet there was no Constitution, which should be the fundamental law of a nation, therefore it was ordered that Parliament be re-convened to make the Constitution, etc., at once.

Therefore the main object for the re-convocation of Parliament was to make a formal constitution for the country.  Recently a petition was received from Meng En-yuen, Tu-chun of Kirin, and others, to the effect that “in the articles passed by the Constitution Conference there were several points as follows:  ’when the House of Representatives passes a vote of want of confidence against the Cabinet Ministers, the President may dismiss the Cabinet Ministers, or dissolve the said House, but the dissolution of the House shall have the approval of the Senate.’  Again, ’When the President dismisses his Prime Minister, it is unnecessary for him to secure the counter-signature of the Cabinet Ministers.’  Again ’when a bill is passed by the Two Houses it shall have the force of the law.’  We were surprised to read the above provisions.

“According to the precedents of other nations the Constitution has never been made by Parliament.  If we should desire a good and workable Constitution, we should seek a fundamental solution.  Indeed Parliament is more important than any other organ in the country; but when the national welfare is imperilled, we must take action.  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.