The Tsungli Yamen department only came into existence in January 1861, for the transaction of business with the foreign ministers resident in the capital, whose sovereigns possessed by treaty the then novel position of admitted equality with the Chinese emperor. But from an early period a department called the Li Fan Yuen has transacted all business with the tributaries and other external states which held intercourse with China on a footing of distinct inferiority. This department is now usually termed the Colonial Office, the privilege of membership being reserved for Manchus and Mongols. This office superintends the whole of the arrangements for the manage ment of the four divisions of Mongolia, as well as those with regard to the dual government main tained in Tibet.
The Hanlin Yuen is the Chinese academy. Po be a member of the Hanlin is in itself the highest distinction, and alone qualifies a man for the highest posts in the state. The Hanlin doctors are employed in drawing up all important state papers, in the most elegant language and according to the most approved form. They also collect daily the records of the reign, which are duly placed in the historiographer's department, but which never see the light until the dynasty has ceased to reign, and has been superseded by another. The Pekin Gazette is brought out by officials answerable for its accuracy to the police authorities of the capital. There are sixteen for warding stations at Pekin for the :purpose of sending copies of the Gazette immediately on publication into the provinces.
It is computed that in Pekin alone there are not fewer than 20,000 officials employed in the public offices and departments. For the pro vincial service in the higher grades there are not more than 2000 persons employed in it above the rank of assistant district, magistrate. Of these there are eight viceroys, or Tsung-tuhs or Chetais, who govern fifteen out of the eighteen provinces of China proper. Peh-chi-li and Sze-chuen are the only single provinces having viceroys. Thesix others are Kwang-tung and Kwang-si (the Liang or Two Kwang); Kiang-si, Kiang-su, and Anhwui (the Liang or Two Kiang) ; Foh-kien and Che kiang (Min Cheh) ; Yun-nan and Kwei-chu ; Kan-su and Shensi ; and, lastly, Hu-peh and Ho-nan (Hou-kwang). In each of these provinces, with three exceptions, there is also a governor or Futai, while the three provinces Shan-si, Ho nan, and Shantung are administered by officials of that grade. There were, therefore, fifteen governors serving either under viceroys or in independent command ; but in 1877 Formosa was, after much deliberation, converted into a governorship, and placed under the 16th Futai.
By usage the official entrusted with the control of the Yellow River is styled governor-general or viceroy, and although he has no territorial author ity, it is clear that he holds an office of greater difficulty than even the administration of a pro vince. A recent change in the form of govern ment in Manchuria has also resulted in the addition of one to the ranks of the viceroys. When the Manchus established themselves in China they left the form of government in their own province practically undisturbed, and as it was formed on a military basis it was very much simpler than that in force among the Chinese. But at the same time, in order to sustain the national spirit, or gratify their own vanity, or possibly only to do honour to their ancestors, they declared Moukden or Sheng-king to be the twin capital of the empire, and that the great administrative boards of Pekin should have offices there as as well as in the capital. The chief military officer was of the rank of Tsiang-kun, but it naturally followed that he and the civilians of the boards soon came into collision, and gradually his author ity was enfeebled, if not absolutely superseded. This state of things led to a formal investigation, and in 1875 it was proposed that for the Tsiang-kun a Tsung-tuh or viceroy, having supreme direction of all questions within the three divisions of Manchuria, should be substituted, and the president of the commission of inquiry became the first viceroy of Sheng-king.
The city of Pekin has a government of its own, and is in no way dependent upon the viceroy of Peh-chi-li, in which province it is situated. It has a mayor or Furgin, who is, however, subordinate to a minister from the Board of Works duly appointed for the purpose. There are two distinct magistrates to assist in the regulation of a city, which, with what is believed to be a declining population, still contains a million human beings. The military officials are divided not less strictly than the civilian. The Ti-tuh is the highest, and of this rank there are only sixteen ; but the Tsiang-kun, who commands the 3fanchu garrison in each of the larger cities, is perhaps the most powerful of them all. He is quite independent of all the civil Chinese authorities, and only reports to the captain-general of his banner at Pekin. In the same way the general-in-chief of the Pekin field force, who is usually a Tartar of high birth and position, is only answerable to the throne itself.