We wonder if the Chinese high officers who are anxious for news of what is* going on in the outer world, have ever Dethonght themselves of the present condition of Egypt. Yet s mission of enquiry to that country would show them into what similar follies nations so distant as Egypt and China are apt to fall. Like the Chinese, the Egyptian Government has been lately bitten with the mania of military preparations, and has been wasting its substance against ita neighbour of Abyssinia, as China has against the Ameer of Kashgar. Like China, Egypt tries to got hold of invention, or patented new in the way of arms or China, Egypt has kept down its own people, and wrang from the fellnh of the Nile his Inst cash; like China, its military prepa ions became a jest; and we may add. that in its Inst extremity it has had to go to the European powers to give Financier capable of sett Government of China is the most expensive on the face of the earth, and that the cost of its maintenance is out of all proportion to what it the nation, We cannot give es, for good care is taken to but we can trace its "from its effects. And hero og in the similarity of the two nations reappears. Mr. Cai from England at the Khedive' found that nothing bat extravagance was at fault in Egypt, and that there was no reason, except the extravagance of its Government, why, with the natural revenues of the country, its finances should be in confusion, Precisely the mo thing may be said for China, If its taxes were made to fall fairly and equitably, and a check was kept on the irregular exactions of its officers, it would take a respectable rank amongst nations. As 5 it is only laying up for itself day of terrible retribution, unless indeed, at the last extremity, it should follow the example of Egypt, and practically give over to Foreigners the management of ite finances.
Wo are led to make these remarks by the announcement that, after the native New Year, likin taxes will no longer be collected in the Settlement of Shanghai. We, of course, do not object to the announcement, but we would prefer to see it couched in these words,—that on and after a certain very near date, say three months hence, no likin taxes would be leviable in China. We recognise that the task of abolishing these taxes would be one of great should not be bozood -C, Herald and &. C. & C. Sasette.
77 rebellion; and the eighteen provinces being now as much at peace as they are likely to be, there is no honest reason for their maintenance. Of course, the irregular squeezes exacted from Mandarins, at the Court of Peking, should be done away with, and the extravagance of the Court clipped. And a far stronger control than is now kept would have to be exerted over the doings of the provincial officials; but this could be better done, if a degree of purification were effected at the fountain head. The rice tribute, of course, would have to go, in any rational system of reform; but no one, not even a Chinese official, can deny that this would bea great boon to the Empire. Unfortunately, it happens that the personal contributions of high officials are the main support of the Imperial Court in its extravagances. So that abuses are left to grow, and the adminis. tration of the Empire becomes feebler day by day. It is unfortunate for a country when it has come to such pass that the interests of the Governors a metly opposed to those of the nation at large, as in China. No powerfal faction as yet seems to have found a policy of reform of abuses; yet we believe that the statesman who would take up such a ery, and show his ability to carry it out, would find the whole nation at his back. The nearest approach to such a policy was undertaken by Tséog Kwoh-fan; and fow officials in any portion of the world ever attained to such wide popularity. Yet the secret was easily learned. It consisted in having before his eyes the good of the people, and placing in secondary position the interests of a class. Possibly, had Tsing Kwoh-fan lived, his reforms would have taken a more permanent character than they have done; but his death was unfortunately the signal for a relapse to official selfishness exceeding all which has gone before. As it is, we must only hope, in China, that some event will occur to change the present policy of the governing powers; for neither home nor foreign relations can be eon-lered on a satisfactory basis under the present regime.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.