"New and Unusual Political Phenomenon":The Power Game Between the Advisory Parliament and the Grand Council on the Countersignature System in the Late Qing Dynasty
The countersignature system of the Grand Council was officially implemented in November of the thirty-fourth year of Guangxu,while the purpose and meaning for the establishment of the system were left unexplained by the Qing court.This lack of clarity had left considerable room for interpretation regarding the issue of countersignature responsibilities,After the establishment of the Advisory Parliament,a series of competitions unfolded between the Parliament and the Grand Council on the opening time of the parliament,the authority of advisory institutions,and other relevant matters.Although the essence of their game was power struggle,they had to resort to the support of the system when considering from the legal perspective.Therefore,the countersignature responsibilities became primary foundation for their debates.The Advisory Parliament argued that countersignature copied the"Western Method",questioning the Grand Council's behavior of"infringement"and"negligence of its duty",while the Grand Council insisted that countersignature was a restoration of the"old regime",criticizing the Advisory Parliament for"overstepping its authority".The game between the two institutions undoubtedly worsened the political situation of the late Qing dynasty,however,it objectively pushed forward the process of institutional building.
Late Qing DynastyCountersignature SystemGrand CouncilAdvisory Parliament
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