Those without marks have passed through the second reading on May
28th, 1917. Articles bearing no number are additions to the
original draft as presented to the Conference by the Drafting
Committee.
THE LOCAL SYSTEM
DRAFT SUBMITTED TO PARLIAMENT
The following Regulations on the Local System have been referred
to the Parliamentary Committee for consideration:--
Article 1. The Local System shall embrace provinces and hsien
districts.
Any change for the existing division of provinces and hsien
districts shall be decided by the Senate. As to Mongolia, Tibet,
Chinghai and other places where no provinces and hsien districts
have been fixed, Parliament shall enforce these regulations there
in future.
Art. 2. A province shall have the following duties and rights: (a)
To fix local laws. (b) To manage provincial properties, (c) To
attend to the affairs in connexion with police organization,
sanitation, conservancy, roads, and public works, (d) To develop
education and industry in accordance with the order and mandates
of the Central Government. (e) To improve its navigation and
telegraphic lines, or to undertake such enterprises with the co-
operation of other provinces, (f) To organize precautionary troops
for the protection of local interests, the method of whose
organization, uniforms and arms shall be similar to those of the
National Army. With the exception of the matter of declaring war
against foreign countries, the President shall have no power to
transfer these troops to other provinces: and unless the province
is unable to suppress its own internal troubles, it shall not ask
the Central Government for the service of the National Army, (g)
The province shall defray its own expenses for the administration
and the maintenance of precautionary troops; but the provinces
which have hitherto received subsidies, shall continue to receive
same from the National Treasury with the approval of Parliament.
Pages:
564
565
566
567
568
569
570
571
572
573
574
575
576
577
578
579
580
581
582
583
584
585
586
587
588