Railways, ete., ete, has been detained at Peking by order of the Empress Dowager to assist in the consideration of the question of revision of the Customs Tariff, revision of course meaning increase. ELE. Nich, formerly Taotai of Shanghai and at present the Treasurer of this province, is associated with Sheng in this task, and it is considered probable that the latter will be made a Minister of the Tsungli Yamen to give him the necessary standing to negotiate. With all its efforts and all Kang Yi's extortions, the Board of Revenue finds itself still face to face with a big deficit, and as internal financial reform is hopeless under the rule of the Empress Dowager, the only expedient is an increase of the Customs tariff. The Government has put this off as long as possible as it involves two courses which it detests; asking a our from foreign Powers, and investigating its own fiscal abuses. The opening of the question of revision was waiting for the return of Sir Claude Macdonald to Peking, the Chinese counting upon all the other Powers following suit if England agrees to their proposals. The Chinese have been told that we are quite ready to agree tu a revision of the tariff, if it is accompanied by a complete reform of inland taxation, and on this Sir Claude will doubtless insist.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.