清光绪二十八年七月十二日 (1902年8月15日),直隶总督袁世凯由京到津,率领下属各官,前往“都统衙门”办理接收手续。悬挂在门前的各个侵略国家的旗帜降落了下来,从而结束了都统衙门在天津2年多的军事殖民统治。袁世凯以天津市为基地,积极推行“新政”。其主要内容是:
        编练新军。袁世凯任直隶总督前,即在天津小站练兵,采用日本、德国的军事技术,训练军队。并开办学堂,培养新式军官。新军的步、骑、炮、工程、辎重等兵种,配备外国的新式武器,成为当时装备精良、械饷充实的军队。
        创办中国警察。袁世凯接管天津后,留用原巡捕创建天津警察局,把在保定招募的2000多名巡警调到天津。警察局下分南、北两段,分别管辖金钢桥南北地区;原设在保定的警务学堂与天津巡警堂合并,改为北洋警务学堂,培养了一批警官。以后,又陆续增设了河巡、马巡、暗巡及消防队。光绪三十一年(1905),又在天津四乡设立了巡警。天津开了全国设立警察机构的先河。

        

·北洋新政(国画 作者 王天惠)

        兴办工商企业。袁世凯令天津候补道周学熙,在天津河北开设各类工商企业。周学熙积极操办,首先筹办了北洋银元局。光绪二十九年(1903),在天津东南城角草厂庵,设立了直隶工艺总局。
        在工艺总局的宣传、倡导下,天津很快出现一批“官助商办” 的企业。天津织染缝纫公司、造胰公司、华世啤酒公司、海北(制盐)公司、万益织呢厂、牙粉厂、玻璃厂等,几十户企业,史称“北洋实业” 。这对天津早期民族资本主义的发展,培养技术人才等,起了积极的作用。
        发展教育事业。清代的教育机构,包括府、县所设立的府学、县学和私人设立的 “书院” ,以及 “私塾” 、“义学” 。李鸿章任直隶总督时,曾创办了几所新式学堂,但在中日甲午战争时大多停办。甲午战争后,在天津建立了全国最早的大学北洋西学堂。地方士绅高凌雯等人,在稽古书院旧址设立普通学堂,后迁知府衙门,在此建立官立中学堂,即后来的省一中、今之第三中学,也称铃铛阁中学(俗称“官立中” )。
        袁世凯任直隶总督后,设立直隶学校司(后改称学务处、提学使),负责全省的教育工作。天津县衙门设立了劝学所(即县教育局前身) ,负责管理天津县境内的中小学。又建立天津教育会,负责监督、协调天津的教育事业。在省、府、县各级政府的倡导下,严范孙、林墨卿、高凌雯、温世霖等开明士绅积极活动,由光绪二十七年(1901)到辛亥革命(1911)的10年间,天津掀起了办学高潮。据《天津县新志》载: 1911年天津已有高等学堂4所(北洋大学堂、北洋法政学堂、北洋医学堂、直隶高等工业学堂); 中学9所,小学六七十所,还有被称为实业学堂的电报学堂、商业学堂、艺徒学堂等9所; 专门招收女学生的北洋高等女学堂、北洋女师、长芦女医学堂、女子公学、普育女学堂,5所私立女子小学堂、10所官立女子小学堂和蒙养院(幼儿园)20多所,以及半日学堂、半夜学堂多所。社会文化教育机构也有所发展,陆续建立了天津图书馆、博物馆、宣讲所、阅报处等,使天津的教育事业有了好的开端。
        地方自治。光绪三十二年(1906),袁世凯遵照朝廷关于“预备立宪” 的指令,命天津知府凌福彭设立“天津府自治局” 。先后设立“地方自治研究所” 、“自治学会” 、“天津县自治期成会” ,天津县以投票方式选举议员30名,组成“天津县议事会” 。
        On August 15,1902,Yuan Shikai,Governor-Generalof Zhili,came to Tianjin from Beijing. He led hissubordinates to take over the power of Dutong Yamen.All the flags of the invader countries fell down,whichrepresented the end of Dutong Yamun`s 2-year colonialrule in Tianjin. Yuan Shikai promoted his "New Deal"with Tianjin as its basis.
        Before Yuan Shikai was the Governor-General ofZhili,he practiced his army at Xiaozhan in Tianjin,andadopted the military skills of Japan and Germany. Healso founded military schools to train new-style officers.The Wuwei army was equipped with infantry,cavaly,artillery,engineering,logistics,and modern weapons.The army was the best during that period.
        After the takeover of Tianjin,Yuan Shikaitransfer the former patrol to police bureau. He moved3000 policemen from Baoding to Tianjin. The policebureau was divided into south and north parts,whichwere in charge of the areas to the south and north ofJingang Bridge separately. Baoding and Tianjin policeschool joined together to form the Northern PoliceSchool,which cultivated many police officers. Later,he built teams of river policemen,cavalry policemen,secret policemen and firemen. In 1905,he built patrolpolicemen at outskirt of Tianjin. Tianjin was the firstcity with police bureau.
        Yuan Shikai ordered Tianjin Alternate MagistrateZhou Xuexi to develop trade and business in HebeiDistrict,Tianjin. Zhou Xuxi was active in setting upNorthern Silver Bureau (later enlarged to Mint GeneralBureau). In 1903,he founded Zhili Industrial GeneralBureau at Caochang`an,southeast of Tianjin. It hadaffiliations such as Industrial School,ApprenticeFactory,and Evaluation Factory. To exchange businessinformation,he set up Business Study Association,Industrial and Business Lecture Forum,etc. to promotemodern enterprise. Later,he opened the Northern PaperMill and Quanye Iron Factory.
        Promoted by the Industrial General Bureau,many factories set up by businessmen and assisted bygovernment appeared in Tianjin,such as Tianjin Dyingand Sewing Factory,Soap Factory,Huashi Beer Factory,Haibei Salt Factory,Wanyi Wool Factory,ToothpasteFactory,Glass Factory,and so on. This was the so-called Northern Industry,which played an active role incultivating technicians for the development of nationalcapitalism in early Tianjin.
        During Qing Dynasty,public schools were builtby the city or county governments. There were alsoacademies,family schools and donated school set up bythe private. Li Hongzhang constructed several modernschools,although most stopped operation during theSino-Japanese War from 1894 to 1895. After the war,he established Beiyang Western styled University,thefirst university in China. Gao Lingxiao and several localesquires built a middle school on the previous site ofHuiji Academy. Later,a public middle school was builtthere,as the No. 1 School of the province,now the No 3Middle School,or Lingdanggao Middle School.
        Yuan set up the Department of Schools toadministrate the education of the whole province.Tianjin County Yamen established School PromotionOffice,responsible for the middle and primary schoolsin Tianjin County. He also founded Tianjin EducationAssociation,responsible for the evaluation andcoordination of education in Tianjin. Promoted by thegovernments of county,city and province,Yan Fansun,Lin Moqing,Gao Lingxiao and Wen Shilin participatedin founding schools. According to the Tianjin NewAnnals,Tianjin had four universities in 1911: BeiyangUniversity,Beiyang Law and Politics School,BeiyangMedical School,and Zhili Industrial School. There were9 middle schools and about 60-70 primary schools. Italso had 9 industrial schools such as telegraphy school,business school,apprentice school. There were girlschools such as Beiyang Woman University,ChangluWoman Medical School,Public School for Girls,PuyuWoman School,5 private primary schools for girls,10public schools for girls,20 kindergartens,several half-day schools and evening schools. With the developmentof culture and education institutions,Tianjin built library,museum,lecture hall,newspaper reading sites,and soon.
        In 1906,Yuan followed the court`s decision on"Preparatory Constitutialization" and ordered Tianjinmayor Ling Fupeng to set up the Tianjin AutonomousBureau,and then,Autonomy Academy. The TianjinCouncil was created by voting. of 30 members.