We referred the other day in a brief note to the power and influence wielded by that mysterious svotion of society, known as the gentry' of China. When any body of men become so formidable or 80 obnoxious as to be denounced to the Emperor, and His Majesty's inter. ference with theirmachinations issougt for the protection of Inweabiding subjects, it is fair to conclude that the danger complained of is a real one. A Correspondent now favours us with certain notes upon this interesting matter, by which it will be seen that the whole of Chinese society is, as it were, permeated and leavened with the influence of an irresponsible and wealthy class, the members of which are difficult to lay hold of and enjoy all the power of office without its dangers and ite hal lities, The gentry, in a word, con of retired officials, wealthy persons living on their means, and the heads or more influential members of guilds, the largest and most powerful of which are said to be those of the opium. merchants and bankers, The gauds may be said to bear a strong family likeness to the Livery Companies of London during their practical and palmy days, when their privileges were of actual civic and commercial value to those who possessed them, and were not confined to wearing handsome unie forms and eating indigestible dinners. Bat the literati form an even more important section of the gentry' than the merchants. These men carry all the weight with them which a widespread reputation for scholarship and orthodoxy has at its command in China, 'The unemployed scholars' of the coun. try are probably even stronger aa a class than the squirearchy of Great Britain, Often poor, miserably clad, and intensely Chauvinist in their opinions, they are the proudest of the proud, and hate the foreigner with a hatred born of the purest intolerance, ignorance, and contempt. Every yamen of course contains members of the literary olaso, or men representing their views and me terests; and this from the highest to the lowest in the land. It is said that the most powerfal ally of the gentry is no other than Pei Shao-li, the Chief of the Eunuchs in attendance upon Her Mijesty the Western Empress. This little scrap of gossip, if true—and many stranger things are trae, in China—opeus to us a wonderful vista of wheels within wheels, and complications of political machinery which, had we better opportunities ut judging, might Lo found to contain the clue to many mysteries which puzzle foreigners right sorely. The strings and wires of state policy in China are, doubtless, complex and intricate in the extreme, and the wire-pullers as secret us they are num-vous, The presentation of a Memorial or the impeachment of a Minister may not be, very often doubtless is not, the effect of that cause which appears to lie upon the surface, Tt is very probably the outcome of other events, relations, and influences, none of which have any apparent connection with the outward and public net itself, A young man, of no particular merit or capacity, enjoys, say, a sinecure in some largo commercin! undertaking, and gots well paid for his nominal services, The handsome pay is not thrown away, however, for the young man's older brother, or maternal uncle, is probably an influential Censor, or a gentry? who has some private but powerful in. fluence with the Governor or the Vice. roy of the province, We believe there are hundreds of such cases to be found, Tt may happen, too, that there is a great and prosperous enterprise, work= ing under Government auspices, and supported by Government funds, It cannot be attacked, or complained of, or squeezed, or subjected to any of those processes which are so often put into execution in China against wealthy cor. parations, Why? Beonuse of its connec. tion with the Government? By women: The true strength of such a corporation would lie in the fact of its connection with rich retired officials, or members of the Bankers' or the Opiam Guild. It is said that the late removal of an eminent Viceroy from one of the southern pro vinces was due to the influence of some utile organisation which ious of taels to the Government, and which had reason to complain of his interference with their concerns, After all, it is principally wealth that has the power in China, It is not often that we hear of very wealthy gentry' being forced to disgorge by the official class. He is not only too valuable a member of society to be dealt with 60 unceremoniously, but he represents a class that no mandarin dare offend, It is the gentry who rule the mandarine, and the mandarins who rale the people. It is the gentry who tarn the course of justice to suit their own ends, who influence the policy of Governors and Viceroys, who influence the passions of the mob when it suits
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.