Provisional Senate

Provisional Senate of the Republic of China, also translated to Advisory Council, was the temporary legislature established in the earlier Beiyang years of the Republic of China, before the National Assembly was formed. The first Provisional Senate lasted from 1912 to 1913, and the second from 1917 to 1918.

History

In Nanking

On New Year's Day 1912, Sun Yat-sen assumed office as the Provisional President of the Republic of China, and thus the Provisional [Government of the Republic of China (1912)|Provisional Government] began. An earlier, which selected Sun, started to act on behalf of the Senate on the next day, followed by choosing the temporary speaker and deputy speaker and amending the Organizational Outline of the Provisional Government of the Republic of China, which governs the establishment of the Provisional Senate. At 11 a.m. on 28 January, the Provisional Senate, with 43 members, was formally opened in Nanking, at the Kiangsu Provincial Assembly Building, thereby dissolving the assembly.
Discussions over enacting the Provisional Constitution of the Republic of China began on 7 February. Five days later Puyi abdicated as emperor of Qing dynasty, sending Yuan Shikai to form a republican government. Yuan was elected as the Provisional President on 15 February, succeeding Sun as part of the negotiated deal. The Provisional Constitution was adopted on 8 March. This was followed by other pieces of legislation such as the Senate Act, and standing order and internal rules of the senate.
The Provisional Government and the Provisional Senate subsequently relocated to Peking, following two motions passed on 2 April, for the government, and on 4 April, for the legislature. The session adjourned on 8 April, and subsequently resumed on 29 April at the opening ceremony in Peking.

In Peking

Apart from Tibetan members, senators across the new nation attended the Peking senate, situated in the former Qing-era Advisory Council Building. One of the amendments to the Organizational Outline passed was to expand the assembly to include Qinghai members. Amongst the other legislations adopted were election laws for senators and representatives, organizational acts of the National Assembly and the. The Senate also established the Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Agency, regulated the executive grades and salaries, unified the national flag, and introduced duty stamp.
Peking senate was succeeded by the National Assembly on 8 April 1913 when they convened the inaugural sitting.

Power

During the Peking era, the powers of the Provisional Senate as dictated by the Provisional Constitution were -

To pass all law bills;
To pass the budgets of the Provisional Government;
To pass laws of taxation, of currency and of weights and measures for the whole country;
To pass measurts for the calling of public loans and to conclude contracts affecting the national treasury;
To give consent to matters in relation to granting amnesty, appointing members of the State Council and ambassadors;
To reply to inquiries from the Provisional Government;
To receive and consider petitions of citizens;
To make suggestions to the government on legal or other matters;
To introduce interpellations to members of the cabinet and to insist on their being present in the Council in making replies thereto;
To insist on the government investigating into any alleged bribery and infringement of laws by officials;
To impeach the Provisional President for high treason, by a majority vote of three-fourths of the quorum consisting of more than four-fifths of the total number of the members;
To impeach members of the cabinet for failure to perform their official duties or for violation of the law, by majority votes of two-thirds of the quorum consisting of over three-fourths of the total number of the members.

The senators also elected the Provisional President and the Provisional Vice-President, and may amend the Provisional Constitution. With the consent of the Provisional Senate, the Provisional President may declare war or ratify a treaty.

Members

The Organizational Outline only provided that each province should send at most three senators. On the date of founding the Provisional Senate had a total of 42 members, including 30 formal members and 12 representatives acting on behalf of the senators that were yet to report duty. The size grew to 45, or 39 as media reports varied, on 1 March.
According to Article 18 of the Provisional Constitution which came into effect on 11 March, each of the 22 provinces, Inner and Outer Mongolia, and Tibet shall elect five members to the Provisional Senate and one for Chinghai. This gives the total number of senators at 126. However, not all members were deputed throughout the session.

Province	Senator		Session
Chihli		Assumed office on 28 Jan	Nanking
Chihli	王振垚	Assumed office by 4 May	Peking
Chihli	籍忠寅	Assumed office by 6 May	Peking
Chihli	李榘	Assumed office by 4 May	Peking
Chihli	谷芝瑞	Assumed office by 4 May	Peking
Fengtien		Assumed office on 28 Jan	Nanking
Fengtien	劉興甲	Assumed office on 29 Apr	Peking
Fengtien	曾有翼	Assumed office by 4 May	Peking
Fengtien	李秉恕	Assumed office by 4 May	Peking
Fengtien	孫孝宗	Assumed office by 4 May	Peking
Kirin	王樹聲	Assumed office by 4 May	Peking
Kirin	金鼎勛	Assumed office by 4 May	Peking
Kirin	楊策	Assumed office by 4 May	Peking
Kirin	何裕康	Assumed office by 4 May	Peking
Kirin	李芳	Assumed office by 4 May	Peking
Heilungkiang	高家驥	Assumed office by 4 May	Peking
Heilungkiang	王赤卿	Assumed office by 4 May	Peking
Heilungkiang	戰雲霽	Assumed office on 17 May	Peking
Heilungkiang	關文鐸	Assumed office on 13 May	Peking
Heilungkiang	薛珠	?	Peking
Heilungkiang	喜山	Assumed office on 12 Jul substituting 薛珠	Peking
Honan	李槃	Assumed office on 28 Jan	Nanking
Honan	陳景南	Assumed office on 25 Mar; assumed office on 29 Apr	Nanking, Peking
Honan	丁廷騫	Assumed office on 25 Mar	Nanking
Honan	張善與	Assumed office on 25 Mar	Nanking
Honan	李載賡	Assumed office on 25 Mar	Nanking
Honan	阮慶瀾	Assumed office by 4 May	Peking
Honan	劉積學	Assumed office by 4 May	Peking
Honan	孫鐘	Assumed office by 4 May	Peking
Honan	杜潛	Assumed office by 4 May	Peking
Shantung		Assumed office on 27 Feb	Nanking
Shantung	劉星楠	Assumed office on 4 Mar	Nanking, Peking
Shantung	史澤咸	Assumed office on 26 Mar after 22 Mar by-election	Nanking
Shantung	于洪起	Assumed office on 26 Mar after 22 Mar by-election	Nanking
Shantung	陳命官	Assumed office on 26 Mar after 22 Mar by-election	Nanking
Shantung	丁世嶧	Assumed office by 4 May	Peking
Shantung	周樹標	Assumed office by 4 May	Peking
Shantung	王丕煦	Disqualified for not assuming office within 20 days after appointment	Peking
Shantung	侯延爽	Assumed office on 10 June succeeding 王丕煦	Peking
Shansi	李素	Assumed office on 28 Jan after appointed by Shanxi Provincial Assembly	Nanking, Peking
Shansi	劉懋賞	Assumed office on 28 Jan after appointed by Shanxi Provincial Assembly; resigned in early Jun	Nanking, Peking
Shansi		Appointed on 31 Jan by Shanxi Provincial Assembly; resigned by early Feb after appointed as executive official	Nanking
Shansi	宋汝梅	Assumed office by 4 May	Peking
Shansi	張聯魁	Assumed office by 4 May	Peking
Shansi	劉盥訓	Assumed office by 4 May	Peking
Shansi	苗雨潤	Assumed office on 4 Jul succeeding 劉懋賞	Peking
Shensi	趙世鈺	Assumed office on 28 Jan	Nanking, Peking
Shensi	张蔚森	Appointed on 31 Jan; absent thereafter	Nanking
Shensi	馬步雲	Appointed on 31 Jan; assumed office on 5 Feb and took leave; absent between 6 and 20 Feb; no records thereafter	Nanking
Shensi	康寶忠	Substituted 张蔚森 on 14 Feb; absent thereafter; apparently delisted by 1 Mar	Nanking
Shensi	李述膺	Assumed office by 4 May	Peking
Shensi	景志傅	Assumed office by 4 May	Peking
Shensi	茹欲立	Assumed office on 8 May	Peking
Shensi	陳同熙	Assumed office on 27 May	Peking
Hunan		Assumed office on 28 Jan; assumed office on 6 May	Nanking, Peking
Hunan		Assumed office on 28 Jan; assumed office on 6 May	Nanking, Peking
Hunan		Assumed office on 28 Jan; assumed office on 29 Apr	Nanking, Peking
Hunan	Qin Zhen	Assumed office on 27 Mar; assumed office by 4 May	Nanking, Peking
Hunan	陳家鼎	Assumed office on 12 Aug	Peking
Hupeh	時功玖	Assumed office on 27 Mar; resigned on 1 Mar; delisted on 2 Mar; assumed office on 29 Apr	Nanking, Peking
Hupeh		Assumed office on 27 Mar; resigned on 1 Mar; delisted on 2 Mar; assumed office on 29 Apr	Nanking, Peking
Hupeh	劉成禺	Assumed office on 27 Mar; resigned on 1 Mar; delisted on 2 Mar; assumed office on 10 May	Nanking, Peking
Hupeh	田桐	Assumed office on 25 Mar	Nanking
Hupeh	劉道仁	Assumed office on 29 Mar	Nanking
Hupeh	胡秉柯	Assumed office on 1 Apr	Nanking
Hupeh	歐陽啟勛	Assumed office on 5 Apr	Nanking
Hupeh		Assumed office on 29 Apr	Peking
Anhwei	常恒芳	Assumed office on 28 Jan	Nanking
Anhwei	凌毅	Appointed on 31 Jan	Nanking
Anhwei	范光啟	Appointed on 28 Jan; no records thereafter	Nanking
Anhwei	胡绍斌	Assumed office on 29 Feb substituting 范光启	Nanking
Anhwei	胡璧城	Assumed office by 4 May	Peking
Anhwei	江辛	Assumed office on 8 May	Peking
Anhwei	俞道暄	Assumed office on 8 May	Peking
Anhwei	曹玉德	Assumed office on 17 May	Peking
Anhwei	王慶雲	Assumed office on 27 May	Peking
Kiangsu	楊廷棟	Appointed on 31 Jan; resigned on 27 Feb but rejected by Senate; delisted on 1 Mar; assumed office on 29 Apr; resigned on 27 Jan 1913	Nanking, Peking
Kiangsu		Assumed office on 31 Jan; resigned on 27 Feb but rejected by Senate; delisted on 1 Mar	Nanking
Kiangsu	凌文淵	Assumed office on 31 Jan; resigned on 27 Feb but rejected by Senate; delisted on 1 Mar	Nanking
Kiangsu	汪榮寶	Assumed office on 29 Apr	Peking
Kiangsu	秦瑞玠	Assumed office by 4 May	Peking
Kiangsu	張鶴第	Assumed office on 6 May	Peking
Kiangsu	王嘉賓	Assumed office on 6 May; resigned in mid Oct	Peking
Kiangsu	王立廷	In office between 16 Oct and 23 Dec succeeding 王嘉賓	Peking
Kiangsu	張家鎮	Assumed office on 3 Mar 1913	Peking
Kiangsi		Assumed office on 28 Jan	Nanking
Kiangsi	王有蘭	Assumed office on 28 Jan	Nanking
Kiangsi		Assumed office on 28 Jan	Nanking
Kiangsi	曾有瀾	Assumed office on 29 Apr	Peking
Kiangsi	李國珍	Assumed office on 29 Apr	Peking
Kiangsi	陳鴻鈞	Assumed office on 29 Apr	Peking
Kiangsi	郭同	Assumed office on 29 Apr	Peking
Kiangsi	盧士模	Assumed office on 29 Apr; died in office in early Dec due to sickness	Peking
Chekiang	Wang Chengting	Appointed on 31 Jan	Nanking
Chekiang		Assumed office on 28 Jan	Nanking
Chekiang	陳毓川	Assumed office on 28 Jan; took leave on 1 Feb; resigned on 7 Feb; delisted on 1 Mar	Nanking
Chekiang	黄群	Assumed office on 25 Mar substituting 陈毓川	Nanking
Chekiang	周珏	Assumed office by 4 May	Peking
Chekiang	王文慶	Assumed office by 4 May	Peking
Chekiang		Assumed office on 17 May	Peking
Chekiang	陳時夏	Assumed office on 17 May	Peking
Fukien	Lin Sen	Assumed office on 28 Jan; resigned in early May	Nanking
Fukien	陳承澤	Assumed office on 28 Jan; resigned in early May	Nanking
Fukien		Assumed office on 28 Jan; resigned on 1 Feb; assumed office on 29 April; resigned in early May	Nanking, Peking
Fukien	Chang Chi	Assumed office on 1 Feb substituting Pan Zuyi; resigned on 29 Feb	Nanking
Fukien	鄭祖蔭	Assumed office on 29 Mar substituting Chang Chi; resigned in early May	Nanking
Fukien	李兆年	Assumed office on 7 Jun	Peking
Fukien	周翰	Assumed office on 17 Jun	Peking
Fukien	連賢基	Assumed office on 17 Jun	Peking
Fukien	林翰	Assumed office on 17 Jun; resigned on 24 Feb 1913	Peking
Fukien	劉崇佑	Assumed office on 19 Jun	Peking
Kwangtung	趙仕北	Assumed office on 28 Jan	Nanking
Kwangtung	錢樹芬	Appointed on 31 Jan	Nanking
Kwangtung	Chiu Feng-chia	Appointed on 31 Jan; absent thereafter; retired in early Feb due to health	Nanking
Kwangtung	金章	Assumed office on 13 Mar substituting	Nanking
Kwangtung	Yang Yung-tai	Assumed office by 4 May	Peking
Kwangtung	梁孝肅	Assumed office by 4 May	Peking
Kwangtung	盧信	Assumed office by 4 May	Peking
Kwangtung	Hsu Fu-lin	Assumed office on 8 May	Peking
Kwangtung	司徒穎	Assumed office on 8 May	Peking
Kwangsi	鄧家彥	Assumed office on 28 Jan; assumed office by 4 May; resigned in mid May	Nanking, Peking
Kwangsi		Appointed on 31 Jan; assumed office on 5 Mar	Nanking
Kwangsi	朱文劭	Appointed on 31 Jan; no record thereafter	Nanking
Kwangsi	劉崛	Assumed office on 8 Mar substituting 朱文劭; assumed office by 4 May; resigned in mid May	Nanking, Peking
Kwangsi	黃宏憲	Assumed office on 26 Sep	Peking
Kwangsi	蒙啟勛	Assumed office on 7 Oct	Peking
Kwangsi	陳太龍	In office between mid Oct and 23 Dec	Peking
Kwangsi	李拔超	In office between 16 Oct and 23 Dec	Peking
Szechwan	張懋隆	Assumed office on 28 Jan; left office on 5 Feb	Nanking
Szechwan	Wu Yung-shan	Assumed office on 28 Jan; left office on 5 Feb	Nanking
Szechwan	周代本	Assumed office on 28 Jan; left office on 5 Feb	Nanking
Szechwan	黄樹中	Assumed office on 5 Feb; assumed office by 4 May; left office in mid July	Nanking, Peking
Szechwan		Assumed office on 5 Feb; assumed office on 29 Apr	Nanking, Peking
Szechwan	熊成章	Assumed office on 5 Feb; assumed office on 29 Apr; resigned on 24 Mar 1913	Nanking, Peking
Szechwan	劉聲元	Assumed office on 7 Aug	Peking
Szechwan	鄧鎔	Assumed office on 20 Aug	Peking
Szechwan	楊芬	Assumed office on 30 Sep	Peking
Yunnan	段宇清	Assumed office on 28 Jan; assumed office by 4 May	Nanking, Peking
Yunnan		Assumed office on 17 Feb	Nanking
Yunnan	席聘臣	Assumed office on 15 Mar; assumed office on 8 May	Nanking, Peking
Yunnan	顧視高	Assumed office by 4 May	Peking
Yunnan	張華瀾	Assumed office on 20 Jun	Peking
Kweichow	文崇高	Assumed office on 28 Jan as representative to Guizhou commandary 楊藎誠; suspected not formally appointed	Nanking
Kweichow	平剛	Assumed office on 28 Jan as representative to Guizhou commandary 楊藎誠; suspected not formally appointed	Nanking
Kweichow	姚華	Assumed office on 28 May	Peking
Kweichow	劉顯治	Assumed office on 10 Jun	Peking
Kweichow	陳國祥	Assumed office on 10 Jun	Peking
Kweichow	陳廷策	Assumed office on 12 Jun	Peking
Gansu	王鑫潤	Assumed office by 4 May	Peking
Gansu	田駿豐	Assumed office by 4 May	Peking
Gansu	宋振聲	Assumed office by 4 May	Peking
Gansu	吳鈞	Assumed office by 4 May	Peking
Gansu	秦望瀾	Assumed office by 4 May; rsigned on 3 Feb 1913	Peking
Gansu	魏承耀	In office between 16 Oct and 23 Dec	Peking
Tsinghai	唐古色	Assumed office on 29 Apr	Peking
Sinkiang	劉熺	Assumed office on 27 Jun	Peking
Sinkiang	蔣舉清	Assumed office on 9 July	Peking
Mongolia	博迪蘇	Assumed office on 29 Apr	Peking
Mongolia	熙凌阿	Assumed office on 29 Apr	Peking
Mongolia	達賚	Assumed office on 29 Apr	Peking
Mongolia	祺誠武	Assumed office by 4 May	Peking
Mongolia	鄂多台	Assumed office by 4 May	Peking
Mongolia		Assumed office by 4 May; resigned on 8 Jul	Peking
Mongolia	Amurlingkui	Assumed office on 29 Apr; resigned on 3 Feb 1913	Peking
Mongolia	德色賚托布	Assumed office on 27 Jun	Peking
Mongolia	葉顯揚	Assumed office on 16 Aug	Peking
Mongolia	Gungsangnorbu	?	Peking
Mongolia		?	Peking
Mongolia	張樹桐	Assumed office after approved by senate on 14 Oct to succeed Gungsangnorbu	Peking
Mongolia	永昌	Assumed office after approved by senate on 14 Oct to succeed Gonchigsuren	Peking

Speaker

The Speaker and the Deputy Speaker were elected amongst the senators. The whole house of Nanking senate also elected the Presiding Officer on 5 February.

Committees

In Nanking various committees were formed.

Foreign Affairs Review Committee, chairman not elected
Petitions Review Committee, chairman not elected
Bills Review Committee, chaired by Wang Chengting
Finance Review Committee, chaired by Pan Zuyi

In Peking six committees were formed.

Whole House Committee, chaired by Ku Chung-hsin
Legal System Committee, chaired by Chang Yao-tseng
Finance Committee, chaired by Yin Ruli
Home Affairs Committee, chaired by Zheng Wanzhan
Petitions Committee, chaired by Tseng Yen
Reprimand Committee, chaired by Peng Zhanyuan

Reincarnation

Another Provisional Senate was set up between 10 November 1917 and 12 August 1918. It was established after the dissolution of the first National Assembly in June 1917 and in the aftermath of the failed Manchu Restoration, with an election held on 14 November. Wang I-tang was the speaker and deputised by. It dissolved as the second National Assembly was founded. There were a total of 113 senators. Some of whom had served in the Nanking or Peking Senate.