清代州县的“主奴集团”统治——透视“秦制”的根本特征

Prefecture-&-County Status in "Master-Servant" Institution of Qing Dynasty:The Essential Nature of "Qin System"

对于中国秦以后政治制度的本质与特征,国内外理论界迄今还没有一种确切的把握。由于清代政治制度是"秦制"发展的完备形态,因此,通过剖析清代的州县制度可以对这一问题进行更深入的探讨。清代州县官府是一个宗法性"主奴集团",内部充满各种依附关系、尊卑关系,州县官、幕友、长随、书吏、差役都不是有法律保障的自由人。"官府"作为与社会对立的统治者,又是一个统一的自利集团,上下尊卑相互依存,共同营私,对来自社会的反抗实行控制、镇压。州县官府的行政机制,以服从私人意志而不是以贯彻法律、制度为纽带。清代的州县财政是一种"家产制",表面上具有公共性质,而实际上却为州县官私人所支配;表面上国家定制严密,而实际上却遵循各种潜规则运作,有时甚至全无规则。所有这些,都反映了"秦制"的特征。

The nature and characteristic of the political systems after Qin Dynasty （221--206 BC） in China has so far seen no precise command in the theoretical circle. The present paper provides a solution to the problem by analyzing the prefecture-＆-county institution under the general notion that the political system of the Qing Dynasty （ 1616--1911 AD） is the prefection form of the ＂Qin Government＂. In fact, the prefectures and counties are part of the ＂master servant government＂ in the Qing Dynasty with patriarchal nature. The organization is filled with various types of dependency and precedence relations; and the heads of prefectures and counties, assistants, servants, copy clerks, and bailiffs are all non free individuals who receive no legal protection. The authorities as rulers stand in the opposite of the society as a unified self-beneflt group, in which mutual dependency under rank priority gives rise to seeking private gain, and which control and suppress revolts from the society. The administrative system of the prefecture and county government is characterized with personal will obedience rather than law and rule practice; and the financial system is that of a ＂family property＂, which appears to be public but is actually dominated by the local governors. There are strict national laws, which are, however, operated by hidden or dinations of all kinds. Sometimes even no such regulation works at all. All of those reveal the characteristics of the ＂Qin System＂.