368
CHINA.
administration of the army; (5) The board of public works; and (6) The high tribunal of criminal jurisdiction. To these must be added the Tsung-li Yamên, or board of foreign affairs. Independent of the Government and theoretically above the central administration, is the Tu-cha Yuan, or board of public censors. It consists of frora 40 to 50 members, under two presidents, the one of Tartar and the other of Chinese birth. By the ancient custom of the empire, all the members of this board are privileged to present any remonstrance to the sovereign. One censor must be pre- sent at the meetings of each of the six government boards.
The estimates of the public revenue of China vary greatly, and, while they se stated by some to exceed 100 millions sterling, are held by others not to come up to half that amount. Official returns of the Chinese Government, published in 1844, stated the annual revenue at that time at Tls. 191,803,139, or £63,934,713. Accord- ing to the memorials, from officials published in the Peking Gazette, it would appear that there are almost constant deficits, which the governors and high officials of pro- vinces must cover by extraordinary taxation. Occasionally the Treasury is replenished by a liberal sale to their relatives of posthumous honours to the departed and of decorations to the living. The public revenue is mainly derived from three sources, namely, customs duties, licences, and a tax upon land, but the receipts from the foreign customs are alone made known. According to the returns published by the Government, the total receipts from foreign customs were as follow in each of the sixteen years from 1869 to 1884:-
1869. 1870..
1871
1872..
1873..
1874....
1875... 1876.
YEAR.
REVENUE.
Haikwan Tls.
9,878,848
1877.
9,543,977
1878...
11,216,146
1879.
11,678,636
1880.
10,977,082
188!
11,497,272
1882.
11,968,109
1883.
12,152,921
1884...
YEAR.
REVENUE,
Haikwan Tls.
12,067,078
12,483,988
13,531,670
14,258,583
14,685,162
14,085,672
13,286,757
13,510,712
China had no foreign debt till the end of 1874. It was announced on December 30th, 1874, that the Government had contracted a loan of £627,675, bearing 8 per cent. interest. The loan was issued at 95 per cent. through the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank, under Imperial authority and secured by the customs' revenue. Other loans were contracted in 1875, 1877, and 1879, but these have all been paid off in full. Since then a number of loans have been raised, most of them through the agency of the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank. The following statement shows the present indebtedness of the Chinese Government:-
In 1881, 4,384,000 Shanghai taols, at 8 per cent., say Of this loan 2,740,030 taels still remains due, say
J
G
£1,096,000
635,000
In 1983, 2,000,000 taels, at 9 per cent., say
500,000
Salt revenue pledged as security, and loan repayable within three years.
In 1884, 1,140,000 taels, at 9 per cent., say
285,000
Security not mentioned in Imperial Decree approving loan.
In 1984, at 10 per cent.
P
1,500,000
Security, Maritime Customs.
In 1885, 2,000,000 taels, at 10 per cent., say
Security, Maritime Customs. Loan repayable in ten years. In 1885, 1,000,000 taels, at 10 per cent., say
Security, Maritime Customs.
In 1895, at 9 per cent.
+
Security, Maritime Customs.
In 1885, 4,000,000 Shanghai taels, at 9 per cent., say
++
+
500,000
•
250,000
750,000
W
1,000,000
Security, Maritime Customs.
Total Foreign Debt
AREA AND POPULATION.
1
£5,470,000
China proper, extending over 73,093 geographical, or 1,534,953 English square