一自秦以来,县一直是中国最基本,也是最稳定的行政单元,其上的府、州、道等常有变动,县却屹立不动。可以说,庞大帝国就是由一个个县构成的,在近两千年的时光中县治都是官治,知县(县令、县官、县知事)也常被称为父母官。直到清末地方自治的想法才进入中国。自1906年即清廷颁布预备立宪诏书那年起,不少人上折子要求地方分治,既有南书房翰林、驻外使节,也有地方大吏。出使俄国大臣胡惟德在折子中就提出,每县设议会,由本县人民选举议员。到了1907年,天津试办地方自治已有一年,天津县议事会也已成立,北洋大臣、直隶总督袁世凯上了一道折子,汇报相关情形,其中讲到,“目前教育 Since the Qin Dynasty, the county has always been the most basic and most stable administrative unit in China, and its prefectures, prefectures and roads often change while the county stands still. Can be said that the huge empire is composed of a single county, in nearly two thousand years in the county government is the rule, magistrate (county magistrate, magistrate, magistrate) is often referred to as parents. The idea of ​​local autonomy did not enter China until the end of the Qing dynasty. Since 1906, when the Qing government enacted the preparation for the draft constitutional edict, many people turned their backs on their deeds and demanded that the local government should be divided into two parts, namely, the Southern Shudian Hanlin, the ambassadors abroad, and the local officials. To make Russia’s Minister Hu Weide in the surrender proposed, each county set up a parliament, the county people elected members. By 1907, Tianjin had run a trial for local autonomy for a year, and the Tianjin County Council had also been set up. Yuan Beik, the Northern Minister and governor of Zhili, took a break and reported on the relevant circumstances, in which it was said that ”current education