Directory_and_Chronicle_1891 — Page 467

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CHINA

The estimates of the public revenue of China vary greatly, and, while they are 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. According 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 provinces must cover by extraordinary taxation. The public revenue is mainly derived from three sources, namely, custom 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

1874 to 1889:-

1874......

1875.

1876.

1877.

1878.

1879.

YEAR.

REVENUE.

Haikwan Tls.

11,497,272

1882..

11,968,109

1883.

12,152,921

1884..

12,067,078

1885...

12,483,988

1886...

13,531,670

1887..

14,258,583

1888..

14,685,162

1889..

YEAR.

REVENCE.

Haikwan Tls.

14,085,672

13,285,757

13,510,712

14,472,766

15,144,678

20,541,399

23,167,892

1880.

1881.

21,823,762

China had no foreign debt till the end of 1874, when a loan of £627,675, bearing 8 per cent. interest, was contracted through the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank, under Imperial authority and secured by the customs' revenue. Since then a number of loans have been raised, most of them through the agency of the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank, several of which have been paid off. The total Foreign debt of China is inconsiderable.

AREA AND POPULATION.

China proper, extending over 73,093 geographical, or 1,534,953 English square miles, is divided into eighteen provinces, the area and population of which are given

below:-

PROVINCE.

PROVINCIAL CAPITAL.

AREA ENGLISH SQUARE MILES.

KSMATED POPULATION.

Chihli..

Peking

58,949

28,114,023

Shantung

Tsinan

65,104

28,958,764

Shansi

Taiyuen.

55,268

27,260,281

Honan

Kaifung.

65,104

23,037,171

Kiangsu.

Nanking

37,843,501

Anhwei

Ngankin

92,661

34,168,059

Kiangsi

Nanchang

72,176

30,426,999

Fohkien.

Foochow

53,480

38,888,432

Chekiang

Hangchow

39,150

26,256,784

Hupeh

Wuchang

Hunan

Changchau

381,724

37,370,098

18,652,507

Shensi

Sigan

10,207,256

154,008

Kansuh

Lanchow

15,193,135

Szechuen

Chingtu

166,800

21,435,678

Kwangtung

Canton

79,456

19,147,030

Kwangsi

Kwelin

78,250

7,313,895

Yunnan

Yunnan

107,869

5,561,320

Kweichau

Kweiyang

64,554

5,288,219

1,534,953

405,213,152

The above population, giving 263 souls per square mile througout China proper, although partly based on official returns, is not at all reliable. An estimate given by the Board of Revenue of the population in 1887 made it 303,241,969, which is probably much nearer the mark.

The total number of foreigners in China in 1889 was 7,905, of whom 3,276 were natives of Great Britain and Ireland, 1,061 of the United States, 596 of Germany, 551