Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1877-04-11
Finances OF China.
PETROLEUM Y. Massey,
Ex-Reformer.

ihnHSOs VI SHlHns
For the first time in Che history of
China has the state of her Imperial
finances been disclosed. The Chinese
budget for 1855 shows the total
revenue in coin to be 34,O51, 200 taels.
each tael being worth S1.61; the grain
tribute amounts to AIT, GOA peculs of
1873 pounds each, which is estimated to
be worth $3.50 0S taels. Thus the
entire Imperial revenue of China dur
ing the past financial year foots up a
total of about S70,000,O00. The budget
of expenditure shows the cost of the
Central Government at 27,044, $50
taels, of which the army and navy is
set down in round numbers AT 4, 500
600; salaries of civil and military
officers. 1857, 1873; administration of
| Central Government, 6SS,377 taels.
Couriers and mails cost nearly four
times as much; river entertainments
and public works are charged at 2,S60,-
900 taelS. A reserve fund of 1873, TAP
taels is set apart for some unexplained
| object. China was without the luxury
of a foreign debt until 1874, when a
loan bearing eight per cent. interest
for SO, 1873, 1916 was issued through the
Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank by
Imperial authority, secured on the
customs revenue. The existence of
this loan cannot account for such a
| large reserve fund, but there may be
an internal debt, interest on which
would absorb the difference.
The Emperor, being spiritual as well
as temporal sovereign, maintains
neither ecclesiastical hierarchy nor
! priesthood hence an expenditure for
religious ceremonies and the State re-
! ligion of 1872, 1872 taels may be regarded
| as perquisite of the Sublimey Pure.
! There is also suspicious item of L.
/ 3l7, 10S taels in miscellaneous eXpendi-
! lures of the Central Government. The
next highest item of expenditure is for
examination and aid TO the literati,
which is not peculiar III an Empire
ruled by red tape and competitive ex-
animation. Public charity and pen
siOns and gratitudes likewise figure for
solid sums in the list of general eX-
penditureS. But the expenditures o.
the Imperial household, which came
under Il separate head. foot up a total
of u, 257, 11S taels, being an excess of
expenditure over revenue of 6,607, $50
taels.
Considering the vast Empire Of
China, the revenue and expenditure,
as exhibited in these figures, is not
large but these sums do not represent
1.-THE of the money squeezed by pro-
] al 90 "a a
The deficiency Of revenue is usually
made up of donations, which are in eX-
change of rank and place, in other
words, by the sale OF office.
The heads of expenditure Of the I'm
perial household of China are histor-
ically instructive. Tartar-like, the
reigning family trusts to Tartar troops,
and the Ta-ising dynasty pays 5,542, 42l
taels annually in maintenance of the
Army of the Eight Banners and Mon.
COL auxiliary troop. Rice and other
food cost over 4,S00,00 taels; aid &c
mandarins swallows 99l, $50 taels
presents and pensions lick up COO
half million; sacrifice to the Crane
Llama (another Imperial perquisite)
amounts to nearly $50, 900 taels; while
porcelain, etc, cost POI, 800 taels. Cor
ruptfon and oppression are rampant
within the great wall, and it is sale
enormous sums are annually diverted
from their legitimate uses into The
pockets of officials. The tendency OF
public corruption has not lesseneC
since the usurpation of power by
women of the Imperial household, the
, Government of China having been rur
by two Empress Regents, ruling JOINT
~ since 1861, except "A short time dur
ing the reign of the late boy Emperor
The ambitious extravaganza Of these
Tartar danes may be readily imagined
in such "a Court as that of Picking.
San Francisco Post.