Great expectations have been aroused and great preparations made for the construction of this grand trunk i But we seem as far as ever from its realisation. It seems destined to be another failure. The two Viceroys of the Liang-Hu and strongly backed H.E. Sheng as China's first and only man who could be entrusted with its management. We have heard of the proposed arrangements for its construction, for the raising of funds, the appointment of assistant directors, etc., ad nauseam, In order to put some face" upon it, silence objectors, and prove the Chief Director to be the capable man he is said to be, the portion of the line from Peking to Paoting has been entrusted to Mr. Kinder, of the Tientsin line, and flags have been' planted along the proposed route, but no active work, so far as is known, has yet been commenced. We should not be astonished to hear of the present Director-in-Chief being anperesded. and the work consigned to other and abler hands. It must be admitted, however, that H.E. Shéng's hands have been tied by the terms of the edict, but for this is he not responsible? Did he not assure his Imperial master that he could raise native share capital and make up any deficit by a foreign loan at 3§ or 4 per cent. Now he has not done either the one or the other. Foreign money refuses to flow in.o his railway exchequer and the natives refuse to take shares. He has drawn some money from government loans and from the funds of some of the numerous concerns with which he is connected. There is nothing for it, it would appear, but a collapse, and it is hoped China will have been taught a useful lesson. In contrast ith this so far abortive Hankow railway, it is with pleasure we vote the speedy completion of the Peking-Tientain line
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.