THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE

than  of  old.  In  the  old  days,  too,  communication  was  slow,
and  two  or  three  months  might  elapse  before  the  authorities
at  Canton  could  receive  a  reply  to  their  request  for  instructions, ­
  with  the  result  that  much  must  be  left  to  the
man  on  the  spot.  The  introduction  of  steamers  brought
Canton,  Nanking,  and  Hankow,  the  seats  of  the  most  important ­
  Viceroyalties,  within  a  week  of  the  capital  ;  and
the  extension  of  the  telegraphs,  which  directly  resulted  from
the  Russian  difficulty  of  1880,  brought  the  most  remote
of  the  high  provincial  authorities  into  immediate  touch  with
the  central  administration,  and  furthered  the  centralisation
which  had  already  become  established  ;  and  now  the  Empire
is  ruled  from  Peking  to  an  extent  unknown  while  China
still  played  the  hermit.
The  powers  of  the  central  administration  are  distributed
among  several  Ministries  and  numerous  minor  departments  ;
but  here,  only  those  having  a  direct  influence  in  shaping  the
policy  of  the  Empire  will  be  described.  Moreover,  as  this
book  is  a  record  of  the  past  and  present,  and  does  not  forecast
the  future,  it  is  right,  in  these  days  of  rapid  transformation
of  a  hitherto  immovable  Empire,  to  state  that  this  chapter
was  written  in  October  1906.  In  the  Imperial  administration ­
  there  are  two  superior  Councils.
The  Nui-Ko,  Inner  Cabinet,  commonly  called  Grand
Secretariat,  was  the  Supreme  Council  of  the  Empire  under
the  Ming  Dynasty,  but  since  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth
century  has  degenerated  into  a  Court  of  Archives.  Active
membership  is  limited  to  six,  and  confers  the  highest  distinction ­
  attainable  by  Chinese  officials.  The  Grand  Secretaries ­
  have  the  title  of  Chung-tang,  “  Central  Hall  ”  (of
the  Palace),  the  best  known  in  recent  years  being  Li  Hungchang
  ;  under  the  Ming  Dynasty  they  were  designated
Ko-lao,  “  Elders  of  the  Cabinet  "  (the  Colao  of  the  old
Jesuit  narratives).  Six  honorary  titles  were  once  attached
to  the  Grand  Secretariat—Grand  and  Junior  Preceptor,
Tutor,  and  Guardian  ;  but  of  these  the  last  only  is  now
conferred  as  Junior  Guardian  of  the  Heir  Apparent,  and
that  not  limited  to  one  incumbent  or  to  Grand  Secretaries.