The Independence Club held large mass meetings. The shops were closed, the whole population was stirred, and even women held meetings, incredible as it may seem. As a result of which a written petition was sent to the government, asking for seven reforms, abolishing torture and other objectionable customs, and granting more liberties. The cabinet approved the request, the king added six more new rules for reform, and Yun Chee Ho was made vice-president of the Privy Council. At once another general meeting of the public was held, and a committee appointed by them printed tens of thousands of copies of the new laws, and distributed them everywhere. Among the thirteen new rules, it was suggested and consented to that there should be established a sort of popular congress, a law-making body, with powers advisory (certainly very limited), composed of one hundred people, fifty of whom were to be elected by the popular vote, and fifty to be appointed by the king. But now the government began to take the alarm and to realize that they had opened the sluice gates of a flood which threatened to overwhelm them. The night before the first election to this body was to have taken place at Independence Hall, seventeen leading members of the club were arrested. It was the intention of the minister of law to put these people to death, but the populace rose _en masse_, crowded and excited meetings were held everywhere, and so much feeling shown, that the decision was changed, and they were sentenced to banishment instead. But the populace continued to rage. Large masses of people, who, while they did not arm themselves or resort to violence, were angry and threatening, gathered in front of the government offices in all public places, demanding the release of the seventeen or that they themselves should be arrested. At length, after five days’ of threatening demonstrations and angry mobs, the seventeen were released. Now, indeed, the Independents felt they had gained a victory, the government had been defeated, and the people henceforth could accomplish anything. The demand for the fulfilment of the king’s still unfulfilled promises of thirteen reforms was again renewed. On this the officials in person presented themselves before the crowds, commanding them to disperse and promising everything that was asked if they would do so, as a result of which the people quietly dispersed.