清代观风整俗使设置研究

The Establishment of the Customs Commissioner in the Qing Dynasty

观风整俗使是清世宗为整饬地方风俗而特设的一个官职。雍正四年始设于浙江,七年又分别置于福建、湖南、广东;八年省浙江,至十一年底裁撤净尽。其设置特点为:因事权授、设置范围小、存在时间短、任职人数少、职权大小不一,以临时差遣为实质并兼具地方官特征。其所具有的处理地方事务的职权造成了与地方大员权利上的冲突和彼此之间的矛盾,是其设置效果不佳并最终被裁汰的主要原因。

The Customs Commissioner was an official pest established by Emperor Yongzheng to manage local customs. It began in Zhejiang province in the fourth year of the Yongzheng Reign, and was extended to Fujian, Hunan, and Guangdong provinces. By the eleventh year of the Yongzbeng reign, all of these offices were abolished. The position of customs commissioner was distinguished by several characteristics. Commissioners were only appointed in a limited number of provinces; the duration of their postings was short, and the number of commissioners was few. The powers held by commissioners were different in different jurisdictions, the post was a temporary imperial assignment and the commissioners acted somewhat as local official. The last point caused contradictions between custom commissioners and local high officials, and that was the main reason why the pest was ineffective and ultimately abolished.