rliament and submitted to that legal body a constitution.
Prussia's constitution was made by its ruler together with the
parliament. Its constitutional government is not so good as the
English. As to the Japanese constitutional monarchy, the Emperor
made a constitution and then convened a parliament. The
constitutional power of the Japanese people is still less than that
of the Prussian people. According to the standard of our people we
cannot adopt the English constitution as our model, for it is too
advanced. The best thing for us to do is to adopt part of the
Prussian and part of the Japanese in our constitution-making. As our
people are better educated now than ever before, it is decidedly
unwise entirely to adopt the Japanese method, that is, for the
Emperor to make a constitution without the approval of the
parliament and then to convoke a legislative body. In the
circumstances China should adopt the Prussian method as described
above with some modifications, which will be very suitable to our
conditions. As to the contents of the constitution we can copy such
articles as those providing the right for the issue of urgent orders
and appropriation of special funds, etc., from the Japanese
Constitution, so that the power of the ruler can be increased
without showing the slightest contempt for the legislative organ. I
consider that this is the proper method of procedure for the
formation of a constitutional monarchy for China.

Mr. Ko: Can I know something about the contents of our future
constitution in advance?

Mr. Hu: If you want to know them in detail I recommend you to read
the Constitutions of Prussia and Japan. But I can tell you this
much. Needless to say that such stipulations as articles
guaranteeing the rights of the people and the power of the
parliament will surely be worked into the future constitution. These
are found in almost every constitution in the world. But as the
former Provisional Constitution has so provided that the power of
the parliament is unlimited, while that of the president is very
small, the Chief Executive, besides conferring decorations and
giving Orders of Merit, having almost nothing to do without the
approval of the Senate, it is certain that nothing will be taken
from that instrument for the future constitution. Nor will the
maker