That Sir Robert Hart' posals for increasing the and.ax would sooner or later recommend themselves to the Chinese Govern: ment everybody, who has taken the trouble to examine them, has ways felt sure. It remains be seen, however, whether the ap plication of his suggestions ever gets past the experimental stage which, according to our Pekitg correspondent, is to be inaugurated in Kiangsu and Chekiang. By means the smallest difficulty wil be the method of payment. Hitherto the tax has been paid in all sore of currencies, a practice which is now, apparently, to be discontinued—if all the interests that cline round exchange operations in Chim can be induced to relax their hold and give up their profits. They may do so, but judging from th fate of promised currency reform in the past, it is difficult not feel sceptical on the point.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.