Since the occupation of Niuzhuang by the Russian troops, the Russian government plans to establish a Chief Commissioner, who will be appointed by the Russian army general to request the Tsar to send someone for the position. In addition to the Chief Commissioner, a Sanitation Bureau will also be established to assist him.
When necessary, the following personnel will be summoned for meetings: the military governor of Niuzhuang, representatives from various consulates, representatives from foreign merchants, representatives from Chinese merchants, the customs tax officer, the Sanitation Bureau, the supervising patrol officer, and the Public Works department, all of whom will be coordinated by the Chief Commissioner. If the Chief Commissioner is on leave or ill, the military governor of Niuzhuang will serve as his deputy. A Public Works Bureau will also be set up on the Chinese side to provide assistance.
Any situation involving Chinese merchants and citizens in Niuzhuang can be communicated to the Chief Commissioner through the Chinese Public Works Bureau, which will then be addressed appropriately. The Chief Commissioner will also have one staff officer, one patrol officer, three city inspectors, one treasury officer, one tax inspector, and one supervising patrol officer from the Sanitation Bureau. Many translators will also be needed, arranged by the Chief Commissioner. The military governor of Niuzhuang will be appointed by the Russian general. All soldiers in Niuzhuang, except for the patrol officers, will be under the command of the military governor; their responsibilities and tasks will be determined by the general.
The Chief Commissioner has the following powers: 1. Formulating laws; 2. Collecting taxes; 3. Managing all state-owned industries in China; 4. Overseeing all incoming and outgoing funds; 5. Discussing matters with consuls from various countries.
There will be one chief and one deputy patrol officer specifically responsible for dispatching patrols on land and on boats along the rivers. The patrol officers will be responsible for investigating and reporting on household registrations, population numbers, and the number of houses; river patrol officers must strictly prohibit Chinese soldiers from wearing military uniforms and entering the ports.
The tax officials and financial officers have the authority to collect taxes from the common people. The tax officials are also responsible for managing accounting and reimbursements, with accounts to be submitted to the Russian general for inspection every three months. Chinese customs operations will still be managed by the Russian government, with regulations remaining unchanged. Additionally, a Chinese Civilian Vessel Office will be set up in the customs specifically to collect taxes from Chinese civilian vessels. This money will not go into the customs but will be handed over to the Chief Commissioner. Those managing the Chinese Civilian Vessel Office will receive a higher salary than their counterparts.
When common people file lawsuits, they are tried according to the regulations of the yamen court. If it involves Russians, Chinese, or people from other countries without consulates, they will also be tried by the yamen. If people from other countries sue each other, their own consulates will oversee the proceedings; if Chinese sue foreigners, the case will be handled by the defendant's consulate; if foreigners sue Chinese, it can be handled by the yamen. Cases of robbery, treason, and unauthorized possession of military arms during wartime are all handled by officials appointed by the military governor.
The duties of the supervisors of the Qingdao Bureau include ensuring clean streets, well-ventilated homes, and the health of the populace. This bureau should employ several doctors to conduct regular inspections.
The aforementioned officials are all appointed by the Russian military governor. If they do not perform well, the governor has the authority to remove them from their positions. The chief administrative officer has the authority to assign tasks and set salaries. The detailed regulations for each department are formulated by the chief administrative officer in consultation with the officials, and then submitted to the Russian governor for approval. All expenses are covered by the Russian government through various taxes collected in Niu Zhuang.
