may be mentioned here that, ax a certain number of these expectant officials got. their ranks and titles. by purchase, they naturally expect to get posts by favour of their superiors: and no one need be surprised if, when once they are appointed to posts, they endeavour to retrieve their money, with interest, from the unfortunate natives various methods. Similar conditions of affairs exist in other Provinces, with- the exception of Kueichou, Yunnan,—Kuangsi and Hsinkiang, where the natives are 50 poor that the officials do not like to be sent there. As there are many business men in the official circles, it seems hopeless to expect the corruption and dishonesty to be wi font when the purchase system, which was nominally abolished in 1903 by Imperial Decree, is still in vogue.
With the same object in view, H. E. Viceroy Yuan Shih-kai has established fan examination hall indi yamen for the examination of expectant officials from Taotais downwards, alo a Political and Law school (Fa Chin Bench-tang) at Tientsin for the education of expectant Prefects, Sub-Prefects, Magistrates and others, to. learn modern politics.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.