The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-08-01

| are an lihDupu WIN lile ooitiS NA"N''iO4is
Of government and the same bureau
cratic spirit. The crown has never ven
tured to put into high Office mere
creature of it's own, or one VINO mas MOI
| regularly entered the service by some
recognized channel and risen through
the ranks, Such an attempt would UNI
doubtedly raise a storm Of Indignation
throughout the whole of the country
such as no government could face.
This leads us to say word as to the
mode In which official ranks are re-
cruted-a system which has perhaps as
much as anything else contributed ia
the general stability and moderation of
the government and prevented 1t from
| degenerating into military Dictator
ship. Entrance 10 office Is obtained, as
is generally known, by a system OF pub
| lie examinations open to the humblest
as well az the highest. Within recent
years q certain number have been adj
mitted by Eirchase, but only 10 Junior
rank. All practically have to begin at
| the foot of the ladder and work their
way up, and all the high posts IN the
| provinces and nearly all those i'll Pc
! king are filled with men who have so
risen. Admission Ia free to Manchus
and to Chinese alike, and until recent
| years there has been no preference
| shown in selection.
The great body Of officials thus forms
q bureaucracy which stands in mid
die position between the crown and the
people. Springing on the one hand
from the multitude and looking on the
0tI ,py, +r ha fhpV
friendly to both. AS governing the peo-
pie they are the recognized medium for
the redress of grievances and for for
mulating fresh legislation, AS whole,
they carry on the government of China
both provincial and central, and they
constitute a check, and a very efficient
check, on the vagaries of the autocratic
power of the emperor. AT the same
time the relations between them and
the imperial house have for many years
been thoroughly cordial. There Is no
question of their loyalty to the dynasty,
and on the other hand advice rendered
by the great viceroys and governors has
carried the greatest weight with the
central government. Until the unhap-
Ply events of the last few years the dis
tinction between Manchus and China
men seemed to be disappearing, and
even yet 1t cannot be doubted that at
the present moment Manchu emperor
Is the only one who would command
general recognition
The relations between the central and
provincial governments are well Illus
trated by the system of finance. The
Picking government has no revenue Pc
culiarly Its own, but Is dependent on
the sums it can draw from the provin-
ces. The imperial maritime customs
revenue may be deemed an exception,
but even that Is received In the first in
stance by the provincial treasures, and
In any CAGE the whole of it is now
pledged to foreign bondholders. The
money for the support of the Manchu
troops, as well as for the support Of the
imperial household itself, must be
drawn from the Provinces. The custo-
mary practice has hitherto been for the
board of revenue In Picking, which has
nominal control over the finances of the
empire, to lndent annually for such
sums as were required for the use of
the central government, a certain
amount being assessed on each province
according to it's supposed means, and so
long as the amount did not vary greatly
from year to year it was paid with
reasonable punctuality, but as more
and more was asked for, 1t was only got
with increasing difficulty. The ex-
penses of local government were natu-
rally the first charge on the provincial
excheauer and Picking demands could
only be met out of the surplus. If there
was no surplus, demands could be met
only by increased taxation, with It's at
tendant unpopularity and risk Of rebel
lion. Finance brings out In marked
manner the strength and weakness of
the imperial government. So far as
legislation goes the central government
can impose taxes to any extent, An
imperial decree being the highest form
of Legislation, it has only to issue the
decree and the law Is complete. But to
carry such law into execution Is
different matter 1t can only be done
through the constituted provincial au-
thorlties, and If these decline to oo-ope-
rate or declare 1t to be impossible. 1t
cannot be done at ALL The particular
governor or viceroy so refusing may, of
course, be dismissed but the solidarity
Of interest that pervades the service
VIII prompt his successor to do the |
and for the same reasons, |
though perhaps in a more guarded form.
To apply these remarks to the pres
ent position of affairs in Picking, the |
pay of the Manchu troops and the large |
bodies of Chinese troops now surround |
Ing Tien-Tsin must be drawn from the |
provinces of the Yang-tse basin and of |
the Canton river If this money is not |
forthcoming as under the present tenn
per of the viceroy it Is not likely to be, |
the troops now opposing the allies adj
vance must in no long time dissolve for
want of food, or break up into predato-
fy bands. or the two forces which lie |
At the back of all governments-the |
COVER Of the purse and the power of the
5word-the Picking government can only |
Weld one. and that by reason of the
existence of the hereditary Manchu
lrmy, which is at its call, The power
II the purse Is in the hands of the great
'iceroys and is only available to the
central government by their concur
Review,