Tue Viceroy of Canton has Jately boon applying himself vigorously to abate the wretched condition into which his province has fallen, It would not be fair to blame him fur the ovile, social and monetary, from which his Goverument is suffering; on the contrary, he is represented to us us energetic, and sagacious, and an honest, if rather hard and fast administrator, But he has had to spend a great den! more money in defences than his province can pay, and the war has crippled trade and curtailed the ordinary resources. sequently the Viceroy lins bills due for large amounts, and no visible moans of paying them within a period that would be satisfactory to his creditors. Then there are deficiencies in the revenue chests; Haikwans, or Hoppor.as we call them, have been in the habit when leaving office of making up their accounts, balanced according to custom to the hundredth part of a cent, and these paper balances have been passed on from Hoppo to Hoppo. Bat the Viceroy demanded payment of this balance the other day, or at all events to soit in silver, and since then there has been great trouble with the Hoppo and his friends, The present Hoppo considers he should only account for his own share of the balance which should be in the chest, but the Viceroy asks for all, which has rise to all kiuda of rumours in Canton.
Among the latest is the abolition of the Hoppoship, and another is, to allow a digoount on the duty tu the Chinese who pay their duties at the native customs. Both these plans would lessen the revenue which the Central Government derives from the Foreign Customs. Our Taotai Shno and the Viceroy uve been in consultation on revenue matters such as opium lekin and smuggling, and it is thought that the Viceroy lins great hopes of largely iti. creasing hia revenues from the measures he expects the Hongkong Government to adopt. We knew some tiao since tint the chief hope of the Chinese to get an opium hulk established in Hong. kong, and their other schemes agreed to, lay in the very moderate opinion (ho Cinton eflicinls have of the persons to whom are now entrusted the interests Colony.
The revenue from apian er of conrad, receiving His Excelloncy's attention, but up to this time the means adopted to increase it have been unsuccessful. A ayudicate or company which was formed some months ago to collect the extraordinary dues on opium bans Jost heavily—as much it is said as over a lao of tals in the two or three months it has been in existence. Lotteries are to be further taxed; wud other luxuries and vices are under consideration us sources of revenue, Canton, as we learn from letters and from Peking Gazettes is in a bad state, and will require to be well governed for some years to restore the finances and public order, and we are prepared to learn that other provinces are in the same condition, The tuth is China is only beginning to feel the effects of Ler war prepares tions.on the finances, It was a matter of surprise daring the Frouch troubles tint China was uble to provide such large sums of money as were necossur. to pay for thegnns and munitions of war which arrived (hen, As far as Canton is concerned the ense with which thie wae done is explained by the Viceroy having obtained long credit from manus fucturera and Guanciers, he demands will no doubt be satisfied in some way or other, and if the effect of the pro~ sent strain on his revenue is to lead the Viceroy to encourage legitimate enterprises, nnd the extension of trade, no harm will lave been done in the long ran, But should he follow the stupid example of the Taiwan authorities wid imposes fresh "Iekins—It ho does not at once kill the goose that mys the golden egga, he will bleed hee slowly to death, The importance of he foreign trade at Canton, as the most efficient preserver of the public pence, was recognised by the authorities in the darkest days of their policy with foreigners, Previous to the first war the Viceroy, while reporting to (he Throne that the receipta of customs at Canton were of 10 cousequevce to the Ewperor, said that hundreds of thou. sands of the people depended on foreign trade for their livelihood and acknowledged that the worst cause quences to the public peace were to be dreaded if it should be driven away from the port, Commerce is a great pacificator everywhere, notwith:
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.