'We have no means of knowing how far the Whitehall Review is to be relied upon for correctness of ita information, butit evidently obtains its military and naval intelligence' from tolerably authentic sources, The announcement that the Government of Peking hea lately been negotiating i and that several large British firma will shortly be employed in executing' Chinese orders, will be rather surprising to those who know what the present condition of the Imperial Treasury at Peking is like, Yronolads cost money, as even the British Government knows full well, and the wealth-jest of nations have to think twice before they incur the enormous expense attending the acquisition of a navy, China is not rich, urnd cannot indulge in such luxury without feeling much straitened for money. Tt has been with the utmost possible difficulty that she has raised fands for the, provseution of the war with the Ameer of Kashgar. The sinews of war have, indeed, only been: obtained by extraordinary devices, such as the sale to wealthy natives of posthumous honours for their deceased relatives and titles for the iving. Such methods as these cannot be resorted to very often, nor yet is it advisable rim has been done recently in the province of Fohkien to relieve the sufferers from the Jato inundation—to levy forced contributions the rich mercantile community: It may iamawer very well, once in a way, to make these forced contributione, for the merchants and traders dare not attempt to offer open opposition to of the Dragon throne; but'their murmuring is deep if not Joud, avd the loyalty: of the squeezed -people is not improved by the arbi taken to make them contribute to warm which they have not the interest or concern. Then, agai disasters which have lately ove ferent parts of the Empire, euch as famine, flood, and fire, have done much to impoverish its the prospect for the next one in the northern provinces. Drought, hail, and locusts have, conjointly, '@otroyed the crops in various districts, reu-Goring it certain that the people in many parte of Chibli, Shantung, and Shansi, if not Fro in Kiangsu and Anhwei, will require assistance to get through next winter. In the presence of this contingency, and the circumstance that the treasur; empty, the purchase of additional by the Chinese Government would be unwary Tantablo extravagance, and we trust the report to that effect is incorrect. If the authorities at Peking had a plethora of money and wished th lay it' out-in improving the country, there are plenty of ways of doing so without entering upon a hopeless competition with Western Powers in naval armaments, At the resent moment China is alnest without roads, for the miserable tracks which pass for such are unworthy of the name. It was for want of means: of transport into the interior thi many persons died of starvation recently in Shantung: At a' time when there was plenty of grain on the, coast; no facilities exited for sending it inland: at any sort of hming in vast numbers of people perished.
and while the supplies were slowly 'Had there been a few good roads along which carts or waggons could travel at's fair rate—or, still better, hind: there been a railway Gitough' the province—the mortality would not have been nearly so: serious. But the men' at the lietm of altairs-in China believe hat the country can do without roads; it Has done without for centuries; why should they Wegin to construct them now But" gunboats and big guns are dear'to the heart of' the Viceroy of Chibli, and be takes a childish delight in multiplying them at' any cost. matters little to him: that there is not' the chal in the Imperial coffers to: pay for ther 'The Chinese Government can borrow Tet negotiate another' loan, "China needs a fleet' in order to keep pace with the "bar: parians": why not borrow money from them to pay for it? Tling; doubtless, argue'the mandoring who-think-with Liv afforded them to buy,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.