e step followed in
1908 when a decree (dated the 27th of August) announced the convocation
of a parliament in the ninth year from that date.

The control of the Maritime Customs.

One of the changes made in the public offices brought China into
conflict with Great Britain. On the 9th of May 1906 a decree appointed
Chinese commissioners to control the Imperial Maritime Customs.[63] This
was the only department of the government under European (British)
control, and the only department also against which no charge of
inefficiency or corruption could be brought. The change decreed by China
was in accord with the new national sentiment, but by all the foreign
powers interested it was felt that it would be a retrograde step if the
customs were taken out of the control of Sir Robert Hart (q.v.), who had
been since 1863 inspector-general of the customs. The British secretary
of state for foreign affairs (Sir Edward Grey) at once protested against
the decree of the 6th of May, pointing out that the continuation of the
established system had been stipulated for in the loan agreements of
1896 and 1898. As a result of this and other representations the Board
of Control of the Customs was late in 1906 made a department of the
Board of Finance. The Chinese controllers-general continued in office,
and despite the assurances given to Great Britain by China (in a note of
the 6th of June 1906) that the appointment of the controllers-general
was not intended to interfere with the established system of
administration, the absolute authority of Sir Robert Hart was
weakened.[64] Sir Robert Hart returned to England in 1908 "on leave of
absence," Sir Robert Bredon, the deputy inspector-general, being placed
in charge of the service under the authority of the Board of Control, of
which on the 5th of April 1910 it was announced that he had been
appointed a member. This step was viewed with disfavour by the British
government, for, unless Sir Robert Bredon's post was to be merely a
sinecure, it imposed two masters on the maritime customs. On the 20th of
April Sir Robert Bredon severed his connexion with the Board of Control.
At the same time Mr F.A. Aglen (the Commissioner of Customs at Hankow)
became acting Inspector General (Sir Robert Hart being still nominally
head of the service). The attempt on the part of the Chinese to control
the customs was evidence of the strength of the "young China" or
Recovery of Rights party--the party which