563
Further the prepared opium excise is common to the three provinces as foreigners all know and although likin be abolished on increase of duty this excise will go on; so it is easy to get credit on. But as there are actual assets to meet the loan, the security is merely nominal and not only has no effect at all on the general collection of the eight provinces opium excise but does not even slightly prejudice the shares thereof due to the three provinces. For the three provinces' need for revenue is alike very pressing and they certainly would not refuse to provide separately special funds for the railway resumption and so passively lose the opium excise. The censor in rating me for not encouraging the provinces to provide funds shows a failure to realise how great a sum 7 or 8 million taels is and the financial difficulties of China today.
That he is also unaware of the difficulties of Hunan's popular resources is a puzzle indeed.
The memorialist would point out that already two years have passed since the annulling of the concession was mooted. Apart from Hupei's rice excise earmarked for railway work, which was initiated by him, and Hunan's similar excise due to his telegraphic counsel to the Governor of Hunan, the thousands and tens of thousands of words of discussion in letters and telegrams between the three Provinces have not produced one case of actual funds - which shows how very easy the provision of funds is!
2.
The original memorial also states:-
"Sheng Hsuan-huai's return of expenses at gold dollars 6,000,000