THE  GOVERNMENT  57
One  of  the  latest  to  receive  the  distinction  is  Sir  Robert
Hart,  who  is  thereby  entitled  to  be  addressed  as  Kung-pao,
“  Guardian  of  the  Palace.”  ,,
The  Kün-Ki-chu,  “  Committee  of  National  Defence
or  “  Board  of  Strategy,”  commonly  called  the  Grand
Council,  is  the  actual  Privy  Council  of  the  sovereign,  in
whose  presence  its  members,  not  usually  exceeding  five  in
number,  daily  discuss  and  decide  questions  of  Imperial
policy.  Its  members  usually  hold  other  high  offices,  generally ­
  that  of  President  of  a  Board.
The  Tsungli  Yâmen,  described  before,  was  organised
in  1861  and  abolished  in  1901.  The  posts  of  Imperial
Superintendents  of  Trade  for  the  Northern  Seas  (the  Viceroy
at  Tientsin),  and  for  the  Southern  Seas  (the  Viceroy  at
Nanking),  created  also  in  1861,  have  continued  to  be  held
and  their  functions  exercised  by  those  officials.
The  actual  administration  of  Imperial  affairs  is  in
the  hands  of  the  “  Six  Boards,”  now  nine  in  number  *—
viz.  :
i.  Li  Pu,  Board  of  Civil  Office,  the  dispenser  of
patronage,  controlling  appointments  to  all  posts  in
the  regular  hierarchy  from  District  Magistrate  (Hsien)
up.
K  2.  Hu  Pu,  Board  of  Revenue,  controls  the  receipt
and  expenditure  of  that  portion  of  the  revenue  and
tribute  which  comes  to  Peking,  or  is  under  the  control
of  the  central  administration.
!  3.  Lee  Pu,  Board  of  Ceremonies,  an  important
Ministry  at  an  Asiatic  Court.
4.  Ping  Pu,  Board  of  War,  controls  the  provincial
\  forces  only.  The  Manchu  military  forces  are  controlled ­
  by  their  own  organisation  attached  to  the
Palace.  This  Board  also  controls  the  courier  service.
:  5.  Hing  Pu,  Board  of  Punishments,  a  department
of  Justice  for  the  criminal  law  only,  and  dealing
especially  with  the  punishment  of  officials  guilty
of  malpractices.
*  See  Appendix  A.