The Metropolitan Allotment, or "Peking Contingent," as it is usually called by Buroponn writer, has for many poate been fixed at Lis. 7,000 000 "year. Thi means from £1,500,000 to £2,500,000 a year in sterling, according to the rate of Exchange, When the writer arrived in Eh Wy the dollar was worth Ili again as it is now; but on hw dollar buys half as many h at Peking now than it
reinptorily demanded emptly re-7,000,0, here are Taitted, miay_ be called rat charge" on thy Chinese Revenue, and go mainly to cover the pry of the Manchus and natural ised Manchus, who are organised upon a ry basis, and have no parish aettlemont." um, not easily ascertainable, ally sent to Peking for the m tenance of the Foreign Drilled, Man Artillery, and Manchu Field Forces, which have case into existence wars with European Powers, Perhaps Tls. 1,060,000, or £250,000 year, would amply cover this head. Chis item, tov, is pretty peremptory.
The Imper 1 Household or Controller's office, inclu the " Buttery" and other im which can-bent pockets from Tls. 260,000 to Tls. 300,000 year for himself, During the mourning retirement of the Hoppo in 1877, the Chinese Viceroy of Canton, who was xppoiuted to act, made a sum of Tls. 150,000, which aum he publicly offered emperor for charitable pur po sum was over and above the cust of collection, the pi army of and the Palace appropt that Tis, 300,000 a year of refit must be well wit (The Viceroy gut scant praise is disagreeable integrity).
Peking Manchus, feom the Imperial down to the searchers and ex-nes from several Custom Houses, The chief of the Customs establishment at the City gate is popularly know asthe "Hata gate and this Head at the celebrated gates. About Tis, 180,000 were report: to have been collected during the financial year tided October 1885, being is. 142,000 abort of the "improved" value, It i well understood, however, that these reports are merely formal, and vast ann: Extracted in the form of presents" from ry oBicer, according to his means, who to his other sora he would by no means fare badly.
Very valuable consignments of silk goods, embroidery, and other choice things In apparel, are annually sent to Peking by the Manchu Silk Controllers at Svoshow, Hangchow, and Nanking. These entablishe ments originated about tue year A.D. 1,1 when a eunuch named Tung Kw appointed "purveyor of curi Hangchow. The terrible last two or three dyn ofa—known then as Niichéu Tunguses, "Gulden" 'Tartars, who replaced and ox-tended the Empire of the Kitan, The Proviues of Sz Chitwan had formerly to send an annual supply (Tls. 25,000) of silk, but, within recent years, this corvée lias' boon charged upon "thes three cou trollers of the maritime province pendently of "extraordinary" for marriages, deaths, and other. ge Court fauctions, the Hangchow purchases about 120,000 strings,"—say £20,000—worth of things every year; the Nanking Controllers, 60,000—say £15,000 to £20,000—worth the former Sz Ch'wan appropriation; the Svochow Controller Ts. 36,000 worth, There officers are all appointed for one your, of course, make fortunes in that Jers unfortunately they a unlucky as to have to mvure 100 days for a The chow, Soochow, and Salt" "Prone irregular, of ly denounced in the Peking Gazette. Public oticers of high repute, such as' tang, the conqueror of Kashga occasionally attempted to resist the extort tion; but with poor success, The majority sunes fi turally pays pretty highly for Tne total ordinary consignment of ilk for the Paluce thus reaches about Tis, 300,000, or, say, £80,000 a year.
In addition to paying the Laid-tax, cor-tain Provinces have to send an annual supply of rice or millet to Peking, and in some cen this is commuted into money pay The grain-paying Pro-ro th Kiang, the Two Ho, of officials know that it is an old established wud Howau: cai Manchu preser: quietly acquiesce boats have to at on the "live and let live ' principle. for, every fi y During the past fow Itis only in cases of extraordin: Choking has sent nextly 500,000 oreruelty that a Censor periodically apper Kiangpeh (or the Nortlern upon the scene, and public opinion is 11) ubout 160,000; South appeased for the nonce by the sacrifice of Kiangeu about 750,000. It is only the some obscure ecxpegoat.
North part of Hunan which line to pay The Right and Loft Wing" cattle and rice-tribute, but this is now commuted to horse taxing stations are another Manchu i Kinngsi pays from property, and nominally produce about 1,300,000 in money, Pie, 20,000 a year eah. The officers in i Hat are eceipta, wot go to Pekin mated with the they go through the annual that their in an extra Jump sum like the uncom: mated rice. Honan and Hupeh Pro: vinces also commute for money. Sh tung sends about 180,000 piculs of millet, the Patnce is A certain proportion of the Chélding and ence" is usually condoned or compromised, Kiavgau rice still goes by canal, partly and each of the two Controllers probably with the object of keeping that route open pockets about lls, 10,000 s year net for in cage of war; but the larger portion goos himself,—aiter,—of cour 8 by junk, or by steamer to Tioutein. the Palace and eunuch into The Ts.
Perhaps in goud years as wuch as 2,000,000 40,000 sotuslly reported as collected by of tribute-geain are sent to Peking, the pair chiefly appropriated to " benats rage value of which cannot be lees but it £1,000,000. A considerable portion shu pay is made to the avldiers or £250,000 a year.
Manchu Department, worked chie the "bondsman," or vill it the Chief;'—the Seragliv.
The '*Hoppo" or Controller of the Native Customs at Canton, who is always a Manchu " boudeman " from the Seraglio, i Jarge sunual sum to ug annual quarterly, and fortni presents to Iwperial family chief Court ica, 'The: profits of this individual, together with the exact amounts sent to Peking, cannot be ascertained, as the post is strict preserve in the Palace interest. Iv is probable, however, that Jeant. Tie. 1,000,000°@ year are sent in love and'pressnta, and that the incumrecent years, called the fund for it ing Peking' salaries." This is fixed Tle, 260,000 a your, and spears to be heartily responded to by the Provincial Governors, who contribute from Tls. 5,000 000 apiece. Chinese and Mlani re in this agreeable plan, which was hit upon by some one years ago in order to enable th censors, expectants, cli high Literary hangers-on at Peking to clothe and feed themselves in decency, instead of having to tout and intrigue for a daily meal. £80,000 a year may not seem wuch; but, if every'ueedy expectant in Poking received £8 a year in addition above solid comforts in and rice, which are almost " pure ute from China for the support of the Manchu, a great many other good things travel at fixed periods in the direction of Peking. Canton has to send an annual supply of pewter, wax, and oranges at a nominal cost; Manchu every year the feet eel tribute '00d, cinnabar, ter, Shansi used to sond five until the overcharges cou. nected with their trauaportation reached such a huge figure as to bring on the, total suppression of this tribute, Foochow and Canton -roud an-annual supply of hehees; but of late years part, if not all
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.