Lord of M'i

The Hon. Kjung Mrus, Lord of M′i PC J (Shinasthana: 迷侯, m′i-go; Jan. 2, 1810 – Oct. 30, 1889) was a Themiclesian aristocrat, civil servant, jurist, and Conservative politician, twice Prime Minister of Themiclesia from 1878 to 1880 and 1886 to 1888. M′i is most noted for his attempts to stay the rise of the Lord of Krungh and his New Conservatism; due to disunity in his party and a preference for reaction, his government's achievements in other fields were considerably limited.

Early life

He was born the third son of Kjung Hus-ning (恭好年), the second Lord of M′i. He was first educated privately then at Academia Shinasthana, becoming a master of laws and called to the bar in 1844. Though not expected to inherit the title, the House of Lords convicted his father and elder brother for embezzling money in the Themiclesian Navy in 1851, disinheriting both of them and causing the title to pass to him by default. That his father was alive and a commoner while he a peer was a life-long cause for shame and anxiety for him, and he chose not to take his seat in parliament. He was made sixth justice of the Supreme Court in 1863.

Career

Public Works Secretary

At the behest of the Lord of Nja′-′rjem (女陰侯, nja′-′rjem-go; prime minister 1866 – 69), he entered politics as Secretary of State for Public Works in his short-lived ministry. His opponents were not prepared for his sharp mind and deep involvement in public projects, judging them not for the affiliation of their sponsors but tangible merits, such as expected expenses and opportunistic savings. On the other hand, he believed that a willingness to disregard aristocratic rights also was one for commoners' rights. In court and in parliament, he sought to harmonize Themiclesian legal traditions with Casaterran thought, defending those accepted in both and critically assessing where they disagreed.

Leader of the Opposition

Becoming the leader of the Conservative Party in 1869, his relative youth was sometimes an impediment to leadership. After the Liberal Party, under the Lord of Sng'rja and Lord T'jang-mjen, maintained their majority in the election that year, M′i used his oratory eloquence to critique the govenrment, and the Liberal government responded to M′i's acrid criticism by moving ministers from the upper to lower house and introduced most policies in the House of Commons, where they dominated. M′i then relied on Krungh (who sat as Lord Gwrjang-goi in the Commons) to offer opposition to the government. Yet the death of Krungh's father in 1871 moved him to the upper house, M′i losing his ally in the lower. In the election of 1873, Krungh was convinced that contemporary Conservatives were too skeptical of a larger role for government. Both were cognizant of calls to expand the franchise in various degrees, but M′i believed the time was too early for "franchise for every man", while Krungh though they should be enfranchised at a debt to the Conservatives. As a result, the party appealed both to skepticism of government involvement in industry, under T'jang-mjen's manifesto, being too risky, and to an equitable sharing of profits between capitalists and labourers. The Conservatives lost to Lord T'jang-mjen's Liberals, who convinced the electorate the Conservatives had a contradictory platform without addressing M′i's doubts.

Late in T'jang-mjen's government, Krungh started to make speeches to the unenfranchised public and using his personal money to fund candidates who believed government had a direct role in improving the lot of the working man. Against M′i's injunction, Krungh began politicizing the 95% adult population that up to that point had no political voice, fully confident he could "capture their hearts" even if he could not secure a vote for them. M′i, believing the law that excluded the masses from politics must be obeyed, and their inclusion introduced an unwanted dimension to politics, was exasperated at Krungh's unorthodoxy but did nothing to remove him or prevent him from financially sponsoring candidates for the Commons. While he had his own pocket seats, he was not as wealthy as Krungh and more hesitant to spend competitively on elections, turning them into "bribery-contests". Many believe this is a result of the conviction of his father and brother, and M′i didn't want to be seen using money in public life.

First premiership

Krungh's idea of appealing to non-voters applied sufficient pressure on voters to produce a nominal Conservative majority in 1878; however, since Krungh's faction didn't feel bound by M′i's directives, M′i's first government effectively held a minority instead. Increasingly dissatisfied with Krungh's assertive politics, M′i distanced himself from him but did not oppose making him Secretary of State for Appropriations. [...] M′i's support in the House of Commons thus became suspect. 24 MPs crossed the floor, enabling the Liberals to press for a general election, which M′i conceded on Mar. 2, 1880.

Leader of the Opposition

While Krungh did not sit as a different party, he was far estranged from M′i and encouraged candidates to run as Conservatives, sometimes in conflict with M′i's Conservatives; splitting the Conservative vote, L'ong-mjen's Liberals emerged with a majority in the Commons. L'ong-mjen pressed for urgent investigations of peers for malfeasances and successfully unseated 15 Conservative peers by 1885 for crimes. On the other hand, 13 of them were closer to Krungh than M′i, which strengthened M′i's position relative to Krungh's, at the expense of the overall Conservative position in the upper house. This further alienated the two party leaders during L'ong-mjen's six-year premership, but the two reconciled with each other in 1885, after the election has been called. Krungh continued to provoke the masses into pressuring their employers to change the way they voted, while M′i withdrew candidates where Krungh believed he had superior ones. Krungh survived what may have been an assassination attempt, which he implied was instigated by the Liberals.

Second premiership

The reunified Conservative Party won the election, but L′ong-mjen began to attack Krungh's faction in parliament, contrasting its electoral commitments with its actual parliamentary activity, which damaged Krungh's reputation and cast doubt on Conservative MPs that were not affiliated with Krungh. However, M′i decided to follow a set of policies that benefited the aristocracy as a whole, in order to consolidate Conservative support in the upper house. Due to Krungh's electoral rhetoric, Conservative MPs found this set of policies difficult to accept, since they were against the interest of almost every commons electorate. From the other side of the House, L'ong-mjen called for cross-party support to oppose the "restoration of aristocratic privileges" championed by M′i. That put his government into serious question yet again in the House of Commons. After a series of mismanaged crises, the Conservative parliamentary party again crumbled in the Commons, with progressive Conservatives (favouring regulation) supporting Krungh, and regressive Conservatives supporting M′i and his pro-aristocracy policy goals. Krungh again split from M′i and flirted with co-operation with L'ong-mjen, who was restored to power in 1889.

Reception

The Lord of M′i is generally considered an unsuccessful prime minister, despite his personal brilliance and character. Some scholars state that the Conservative Party of the late 19th century lacked a positive idea unifying its ranks and electorate and was instead based on skepticism of reforms and interests that Liberals have neglected to protect or represent. Such a party, according to C. E. Lawrence, "is good at opposition but not at government". Indeed, in both permierships, M′i faced insurmontable divisions in his own party in ideology and politics. Some such divisions occurred on fault lines in patronage support, others on completely-contradictory views about the outlook of th enation, and still others on differing structural interests between the Commons and Lords. The fact that his most potent ally, the Lord of Krungh, was also his main opponent in the party, suggests that he had very little ability to exert personal influence over either the Conservative Party in the Commons or Lords and motivate them to support him. Both his ministries were disunited internally and quagmired in difficult commitments to the Liberal Party, and co-operation between the chambers was erratic, exposing it to Liberal criticism. While the Krungh attempted to remedy these problems, his apparent lack of principles and aggressive giving of patronage, against other Conservative magnates, made M′i weary and increasingly suspicious over his career.

Ministries

First ministry

Cabinet ministers in bold.

Position			Holder
Tyrannian	Shinasthana	Transliteration
Prime Minister	尚書令	′djang′-st′ja-ringh	The Lord of M′i
Chancellor	相邦	sjangh-prong
Vice Chancellor	丞相	gljing-sjangh
President of Tribunes	御史大夫	ngjah-srje′-dadh-pja
Gallery Marshal	郎中令	rang-trjung-ringh
Gallery Captain	郎中司馬	rang-trjung-slje-mra′
Attendant-Cavalry Captain	郎中從騎司馬	rang-trjung-dzjung-gjar-slje-mra′
Chief Usher	大謁者	dadh-′jat-tja′
Deputy Prime Minister Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs	左僕射主客尚書	dzar′-bok-mljagh-tjo′-k′rak-′djang′-st′ja
Lord Steward of the Palace	殿中監	denh-trjung-kram
Under-Secretary of State for Hemithea and Meridia	左主客郎	dzar′-tjo′-k′rak-rang
Under-Secretary of State for Casaterra	右主客郎	gwrje′-tjo′-k′rak-rang
Under-Secretary of State for Ceremonies	儀曹郎	ngjar-dzaw-rang
Comptroller of States	屬邦	tjo′-prong
Comptroller of Embassies	典客	den′-k′rak
Deputy Prime Minister Secretary of State for Rites	右僕射祠部尚書	gwrje′-bok-mljagh-sl′je-be′-′djang′-st′ja
Under-Secretary of State for Education	祠部郎	sl′je-be′-rang
Chancellor of Academia Shinasthana	大學監	dadh-gruk-kram
Comptroller of the Ancestry	宗正	tsung-tjêngh
Comptroller of Ceremonies	奉常	bjong-djang
Superintendant of Secret Books	秘書監	mbrjik-st′ja-kram
Secretary of State for Appropriations	度支尚書	dagh-kljê-′djang′-st′ja
Under-Secretary of State for Treasury	金部倉部郎	krjem-be′-ts′ang-be′-rang
Under-Secretary of State for Revenues	內郎	nubh-rang
Inner Administrator	內史	nubh-srje′
Great Exchequer	邦大內	prong-dadh-nubh
Minor Exchequer	邦少內	prong-stjawh-nubh
Exchequer of the States	屬邦內	tjo′-prong-nubh
Privy Treasurer	少府	stjawh-pjo′
Comptroller of Waters	水黃令	sl′jur-gwrang-ringh
Marine Prefect	都水使者	ta-sl′jur-srje′-tja
Secretary of State for War	十七兵尚書	gljep-sn′jit-prjang-′djang′-st′ja
Marshal of Hên-lang Guards	顯陽衛尉	nken′-lang-gwrjaih-′judh
Marshal of Middle Guards	中衛尉	trjung-gwrjaih-′judh
Marshal of Gwreng-hljunh Guards	宏訓衛尉	gweng-hljunh-gwrjaih-′judh
Marshal of Gweng-ngjarh Guards	弘義衛尉	gwreng-ngjarh-gwrjaih-′judh
Marshal of Pek Guards	北宮衛尉	pek-kjung-gwrjaih-′judh
Capital Marshal	中尉	trjung-′judh
Master of the Horse	太僕	dadh-bok
Comptroller of Manufactories	將作少府	dzjangh-dzak-st′jawh-pjo′
Under-Secretary of State for Munitions	寺工室郎	lje′-kong-stjit-rang
Under-Secretary of State for Militias	中外兵郎	trjung-ngwadh-prjang-rang
Under-Secretary of State for Territorial Forces	別兵郎	brjat-prjang-rang
Under-Secretary of State for War Departments	諸兵曹郎	tjo-prjang-dzaw-rang
Secretary of State for the Navy	航尚書	gang-′djang′-st′ja
Under-Secretary of State for Shipbuilding	章部郎	tjang-be′-rang
Secretary of State for Home Affairs	民部尚書	mrjing-be′-′djang′-st′ja
Under-Secretary of State for Census	左民曹郎	dzar′-mrjing-dzaw-rang
Under-Secretary of State for Census	右民曹郎	gwrje′-mrjing-dzaw-rang
Under-Secretary of State for Police	良人郎	rjang-njing-rang
Under-Secretary of State for Lakes and Fisheries	水部郎	sl′jur-be′-rang
Under-Secretary of State for Surveys	左田部郎	dzar′-mling-be′-rang
Under-Secretary of State for Surveys	右田部郎	gwrje′-mling-be′-rang
Secretary of State for Administration	吏部尚書	rjegh-be′-′djang′-st′ja
Under-Secretary of State for Local Affairs	二千石曹郎	njidh-sn′jing-djak-dzaw-rang
Under-Secretary of State for Patronage	廕部郎	′rjem-be′-rang
Under-Secretary of State for Strategy	虞曹郎	ngwja-dzaw-rang
Under-Secretary of State for Assessments	比部曹郎	prji′-be′-dzaw-rang
Secretary of State for Public Works	起部尚書	k′rje-be′-′djang′-st′ja
Under-Secretary of State for Poor Relief	平準郎	brjêng-tjun′-rang
Under-Secretary of State for Railways	鐵路郎	l′ik-ragh-rang
Under-Secretary of State for Highways	駕部郎	krarh-be′-rang
Under-Secretary of State for Unions	工會郎	kong-kobh-rang
Under-Secretary of State for Local Works	都官曹郎	ta-kwal-dzaw-rang
Leader of the House of Commons	中書僕射	trjung-st′ja-bok-mljagh
Gentlemen in Waiting	給事中	kjep-dzrje′-trjung
Marshal of Peers	主爵中尉	tjo′-tsjawk-trjung-′judh
Lords in Waiting	侍中	lje′-trjung
President of the Privy Council	中大夫令	trjung-dadh-pja-ringh

Second ministry

Cabinet ministers in bold.

Position		Holder
Tyrannian	Shinasthana
Prime Minister	尚書令	The Lord of M′i
Chancellor	相邦
Vice Chancellor	丞相
President of Tribunes	御史大夫
Marshal of the Gallery	郎中令
Privy Treasurer	少府
Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs	左僕射主客尚書
Lord Steward of the Palace	殿中監
Under-Secretary of State for Hemithea and Meridia	左主客郎
Under-Secretary of State for Casaterra	右主客郎
Under-Secretary of State for Ceremonies	儀曹郎
Comptroller of States	屬邦
Comptroller of Embassies	典客
Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Rites	右僕射祠部尚書
Under-Secretary of State for Education	祠部郎
Chancellor of Academia Shinasthana	大學監
Comptroller of the Ancestry	宗正
Comptroller of Ceremonies	奉常
Superintendant of Secret Books	秘書監
Secretary of State for Appropriations	度支尚書
Under-Secretary of State for Treasury	金部倉部郎
Under-Secretary of State for Revenues	內郎
Inner Administrator	內史
Secretary of State for War	十七兵尚書
Marshal of Hên-lang Guards	顯陽衛尉
Marshal of Middle Guards	中衛尉
Marshal of Gwreng-hljunh Guards	宏訓衛尉
Marshal of Gweng-ngjarh Guards	弘義衛尉
Marshal of Pek Guards	北宮衛尉
Capital Marshal	中尉
Master of the Horse	太僕
Comptroller of Manufactories	將作少府
Under-Secretary of State for Munitions	寺工室郎
Under-Secretary of State for Militias	中外兵郎
Under-Secretary of State for Territorial Forces	別兵郎
Under-Secretary of State for War Departments	諸兵曹郎
Secretary of State for the Navy	航尚書
Under-Secretary of State for Shipbuilding	章部郎
Comptroller of Waters	水黃令
Marine Prefect	都水使者
Secretary of State for Home Affairs	民部尚書
Under-Secretary of State for Census	左民曹郎
Under-Secretary of State for Census	右民曹郎
Under-Secretary of State for Police	良人郎
Under-Secretary of State for Lakes and Fisheries	水部郎
Under-Secretary of State for Surveys	左田部郎
Under-Secretary of State for Surveys	右田部郎
Secretary of State for Administration	吏部尚書
Under-Secretary of State for Local Affairs	二千石曹郎
Under-Secretary of State for Patronage	廕部郎
Under-Secretary of State for Strategy	虞曹郎
Under-Secretary of State for Assessments	比部曹郎
Secretary of State for Public Works	起部尚書
Under-Secretary of State for Poor Relief	平準郎
Under-Secretary of State for Railways	鐵路郎
Under-Secretary of State for Highways	駕部郎
Under-Secretary of State for Unions	工會郎
Under-Secretary of State for Local Works	都官曹郎
Leader of the House of Commons	中書僕射
Gentlemen in Waiting	給事中
Marshal of Peers	主爵中尉
Lords in Waiting	侍中
President of the Privy Council	中大夫令

See also

• Themiclesia