The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-08-05
ROBERT HART AND CHINA.
How the Imperial Customs servis
Was Evolved.

| WIS tfotNeu-
Wn,- young Robert Hart first went out
to China in 1854 the southern and central
provinces were the scene of great popu-
lar upheayai. resembling in its elemental
violence that Of which the Northern prov
inees are now the scene. but with tfi5
fundamental difference--that the TAPPING
rebellion was Essentially a Chinese revolt
against the Manchu dynasty and In its
eaiher phases disclaimed all hostility to
foreigners and to Christianity. while the
Boxer movement has been set on foot nv
the Manchus themselves In order 10 re-
store their own prestige and reassert their
supremacy as a ruling race by the ex-
termination Of all the foreigners and na-
tive Christians. The Taiplngs had in that
very year swept down the valley Of the
fangtse and seized the native city Of
Shanghai. compelling the Chinese superin-
tendent OF customs TO close his ONCE. But
the European settlement held its cSn,
and two months later the Shanghai custom
house was reopened in the settlement Tor
the collection of imperial revenue under
joint inspectorate OF the three treaty pow
ers then In relations with the provincial
authorities-viz, Great Britain. the United
States and France
In 1861 Prince kung the President of
the Tsung-li-Yamen. formally invested the
collectorate Of foreign customs at the
treaty ports with regular powers from the
central Government and placed the man
agement in the hands of Mr.. Lay. who was
then in charge Of the Shanghai collecrorate.
In the same year the Tsung-li-Yamen in
/ vited Mr.. Hart to Pek1n IN order to ccD-
suit with him on the organization OF the
/ service and he soon acquired by sheer
force of character and ability an amount OF
influence over che central Government
| which no foreigner had ever possessed
since the days of the great Jesuit mission
/ airy statesman. When Mr.. Lay resigned.
in 1853 owing 10 serious differences OF
principle between himself and the Chinese
Government, Mr.. Hart. although then only
| twenfy-eight years OF age, appointed
l to succeed him.
From that day ne devoted himself With
| all the logged perseverance, the shrcwt
intelligence and 5usiness-lika capacity OF q
typical fisherman to the task of evoivi- &
| European order out of Chinese chaos. In
/ his masterful hands the maritime istOms,
which originally represented mere local
I agencies for the collection of duties on
! foreign goods grew to be great and en-
/ pick organization administering the ole
| substantial and liquid. source of rsyenus
at the disposal of the central GoverEne-t
OF China In 1864 the value o: the 70 eign
| trade with which the imperial Hariline
customs had to deal was ZIG, So 40 hal
kwan taels, in 1899 it was $50 53s 2ss. while
in the same period the home trade rose
from 11421S.655 to 731 .9f2. f25 Eai-kwRn
teel5- The revenue of the maritime GUS
toms when Sir Robert Hart became in
spector general was S,509,52S hai-kwaa
taeis; in 1899 it attained the record figure
OF &c, Gel. i60 hai-kwan taels, though the
japanese war had in the mean time taken
away two important coiiectorates in
Fornosa
The number of ports actually open TO
trade in 1864 was only fourteen; in 1899
Z there were thirty-two. When he entered
upon his new iutiex, the inspector ge1 eral
/ had staff OF barely 200 foreigners u1dsr
his orders Last year the great admin $
| tration over which he presided employed
/ s93 foreigners, of whom 500 were BFitish.
ard 4.611 Chinese. But these figures oaly
convey 4 very inadequate idea OF the enor-
nous development of service which
{ undertook the lighting of the coast and
/ inland waterways OF China, which dispos
/ of 4 whole feet of revenue cruisers. which
| Instituted European university in Pekin.
and which OF late years became the Sheet
| anchor of CnIne-S spance. 1t is the i'm
! perial maritime customs alone which have
enabled China 10 meet the ob.igatiois
arising for her out of the japanese war and
| the indemnity imposed under the Treaty OF
| Shimoncseki
| The revenue they provided for the i'm
/ perial exohequer forms the only security
| upon which it would have been possible
| for the central Government OF China 10
! raise within the course OF five years three
considerable foreign loans, representing in
the aggregate of nearly f50,0c0.C0o.
In no other country probably would such
object lessons as the magnificent results
achieved by Sir Robert Hart afforded of ,
| the mere money value of business-like
methods combined with administrative
/ integrity. have been SO hopelessly wasted
on its rulers. In times of difficulty and
/ stress, when their own shortsightedness
/ had involved them in complications with
/ foreign powers. the Chinese authorities
were never slow TO consult Sir Robert Hart
and ask for his assistance. But though
I they recognized his loyalty. and his in
! fiuence PROFESSIONALLY made itself felt in
! almost every important question with
| which China has been confronted for the
| last thirty years he cannot be said to have
I ever enjoyed a position really common
( surate with the exceptional services he
rendered to the Chinese Empire Distinc-
| tons were, Of course. shcwe=ed upon him.
! He received in turn the Red Button, the
I Peacock Feather. the Double Dragon. and
/ even a Patent of Ancestral Nobility for
| three generations. But in their daily in
! tercourse with him the arrogant manda-
! rims Of the capital could seldom bring
| themselves to treat him publicly as their
equal. For instance. when called. as he
| frequently was, to the Tsung-li-Yamen. he
was seldom if ever admitted to the pres
| ence of the Chinese Ministers themselves.
who transacted their business with him
through one of the secretaries Of the
/ board.
During forty-six years residence in
China he paid unly We believe. two visits
TO Europe In 1885 he was appointed to
accompany a mandarin, Pin Ta-jen. who
was sent to visit certain European courts
He was absent about six months In 1873
he came home TO act as President OF the
Chinese commission to the Paris Exhfbi-
ton, and owing to Illness he was compelled
to remain away for altogether nearly
twelve months.
After his return to China in the spring
Of 1873 he only once quilted Pekin Except
for a few days a the seaside in the sum-
mers of 1898 and 1891. namely. when he
gent in 1886 TO fiongkong and Macao to
negotiate the opium conventions. There can
be little doubt that in some respects his
usefulness might have been greater if he
had kept himself G,ore in contact with
the outer world.
For quarter OF z century. at least. the
final Instructions given successfully to
every British Minister on his appointment
to Pekin might have been summed up in a
half dozen words: When in doubt. consult
Sir Robert Hart" The influence which he
thus exercised over British policy in the
Far East cannot be said to have hsen
wholly beneficial, for in his uncompro-
missing loyalty to those he served. he was
bound to act above all. whether consciously
or uncoasciousiy. as their advocate and
channicn The British Covarutuenf ofFar-