Tue decease of Shen Pao-cheng, Viceroy of the Liang Kiang is an event worthy of some notice from foreigners. Second in importance of the Governor. Gonoralships of China, owing to the preponderating interests of trade along the Yangtsze and at Shanghai, the personal influence of the official at Nanking is more directly felt than elsewhere. Shen was a mau who with find him subsequently made the victim of a perpetuum-mobiliat, and expending the resources of his government in a wild chase after an ignis tatuus. Again, as commissioner in Formosa he was supposed to have discovered how sadly the island suffered for want of roads, and how necessary to its effeetive government were adequate means of intercommunication, The knowledge thus gained was subsequently exemplified by his childish action in pulling ap the little Woosang Railway. So far did his pettiness extend that an engine called in England the "Viceroy, which, on arriving, had propriate Chinese the characters representing his office painted on it, fell the first victim to his spite, and before an hour had passed from the time of the railway being handed over, had the paint scratched off to obliterate the offending characters. His more patent opposition to the Railway seems, howerer, really to have proceeded from a less creditable cause than dislike of innovation, and to Lave sprung out of a personal dislike to the Viceroy of who, he thought, had deceived him in the matter of (he purchase of the S.S.N. Ca., and who, moreover, at Chefoo had had the audacity to uegotiate with the British Minister for the purchase of a railway in his viceroyalty. More lately the Viceroy had been distinguishing himself by his memorials urging, in opposition to Li Hung-chang, the closure of the Imperial Canal, and in lessor matters by his despatches about roads in the neighbourhood of Suanglini. His most recent action, or want of action, in the matter of the Swatow Guild and the attempted opium mouopoly, will probably long be remembered. TE this be accepted as a foreign view of the late Viceroy's career, we may sinto that with the Chinese he was eminently unpopular. His narrowmindeduess effectually prevented him from having many friends, and few or no generous actions are recorded of him. He was suspicious towards his subordinates, jealous of his equals, harsh in judg-mont and cruel in execution. When his predecessor in office passed away his loss was felt as a national calamity, and the affection of the people of the province towards Tseng Kwoh-fan was that of el 1 towards a loved though strict and impartial parent. We miss in the case of Shen any symptom of popular regret. If, however, Shen was neither a popular nor a useful Viceroy, it does not follow that we are justified in accepting a new appoint. tment to the office as a sign of an with foreigners. Fall of promises, he has shown himself chary of per. formance, and ihe predictions uinde respecting bim by his friends of the time being have been invariably disappointed, Atongst. his own people he has never succeeded in taking high stand, and few officials in China of high standing have bad to suffer so many rebuffs, Foreigners will remember that he was the first Eh official to make use of the term Sn7 shui ina despatch intended for foreign eyes; and seeing the liberal use which has been made of that term since as an effectual stopper to all substantial improvement, they may well have their misgivings as to the propriety of his appointment, As with the late Vices roy Shen, insincerity is probably the most prominent characteristic of Ting's character, Of Ho-king less is known by foreigners, He was Futai of this province in 1870, and for.a short: time after the death of Tseng-kwoh-fan officiated as Viceroy ut Nanking, He has been Viceroy at Moochow since 1876, He is probably a man of more enlarged views than the late Viceroy Shen, though sharing with him a re. putation for obstinacy. He was brought prominently into notice recently through the Wua-shih-shan riots at Foochow.
What his private views on the matter were have never been made known, bat he seems to have been willing to go a long way towards concillution. On another point of grenter importance commercially, Ho's views have been openly expressed, and (hose views taken in conjunction with the recent attempts to set up an opium monopoly cannot be received without distrust. He bus, in fact, since his elevation to the Governor-Generalship, been seeking to establish a monopoly under Government auspices of the silk trade of Chebkiang. In this attempt Lo was strenuously opposed by his Futai, Mei K'i-chay, who pointed out the injury to the people of the province sure to result from such © measure.
The attempt was withdrawn in deference to the Fatai's opinion, but Ho's views or the subject are understood to have undergone no modification, The opinions of foreign residents are not likely to be taken into account in the appoint. ment of Viceroy, bat neither of the men vained can be looked upon as altogether satisfactory occupants of what, in foreign interests, is probably the most important office in China.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.