58

THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE
6.  Rung  Pu,  Board  of  Works,  controlling  the
construction  and  repair  of  official  residences  throughout ­
  the  Empire,  but  having  no  concern  with  canals
or  conservancy,  roads  or  bridges.
The  new  Ministries  additional  to  the  old  “  Six  Boards  "
are  the  following  :
7.  Wai-wu  Pu,  Board  of  Foreign  Affairs,  instituted
in  1901  in  succession  to  the  Tsungli  Yâmen.
8.  Shang  Pu,  Board  of  Commerce,  instituted  in
1903.
9.  Hioh  Pu,  Board  of  Education,  instituted  in
1903.
These  Boards  are  organised  on  the  same  plan.  Each
has  two  Presidents—Shang-shu,  addressed  as  Pu-tang,  “  Hall
of  the  Board  ”—of  whom  one  is  by  law  Manchu  and  one
Chinese.  (An  edict  issued  in  1906  directed  that  this  limitation ­
  should  no  longer  be  observed.)  Viceroys  have,  &amp;
officio,  the  honorary  title  of  President  of  a  Board,  usually
of  the  Board  of  War.  Each  Board  has  also  four  Vice-Presidents—Shih-lang,
  addressed  as  Pu-yuan,  “  Court-yard
of  the  Board  "—two  being  Manchu  and  two  Chinese  (subject
to  the  edict).  Governors  of  provinces  have,  ex  officio,  the
honorary  title  of  Vice-President  of  a  Board,  usually  of  the
Board  of  War.  They  all  have  an  equipment  of  Secretaries,
Overseers,  Assistants,  etc.,  quant,  suff.,  and  are  divided  into
sub-departments  according  to  their  needs.
Other  departments  of  the  Government  exist  at  Peking,
with  functions  not  limited  to  any  one  Board  or  one  branch
of  the  affairs  of  State  ;  but  only  the  more  important  need
be  mentioned.
Tu-cha  Yuan,“  Court  of  Investigation,”  commonly
called  the  Court  of  Censors.  Viceroys  have  the
honorary  title  of  President,  and  Governors  of  Vice-President,
  of  the  Censorate.  The  “  Censors  ”  remind
one  somewhat  of  the  Censors  and  somewhat  of  the
Tribunes  of  Ancient  Rome  ;  their  duty  is  to  criticise,
and  this  duty  they  exercise  without  fear,  though  not
always  without  favor,