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GENERAL SURVEY. 5at an early day is to take cognizance of matters likethese, no one seems able as yet to say with certainty,but whether it does or does not, the old tyrannies anddisregard of individual right are doomed.Among the exhibitions of the new spirit in Chinais the frequent outcry against Chinese officials who haverendered themselves unpopular, especially by trucklingto foreigners, and the resolution to prevent them fromreturning to the towns, the cities, and the provinces wherethey were born, but which they have disgraced in theestimation of their fellows. Liable to abuse as this sentiment no doubt is, it yet shows a wholesome interest inthe general welfare hitherto quite unknown. There hasbeen an agelong struggle in China between the right ofthe Central Government to govern and the right of thevarious provinces to govern themselves. There is noquestion that certain provinces notably Hunan standupon special footing, due in part to their history whichhas led to certain prescriptive privileges and immunitiesand in part to the temper of their people. Discrimination of this sort is thoroughly consonant with the Chinese theory and practice of government. But whenthe provinces omit or even refuse to remit taxes to thecourt, when the gentry take upon themselves to decidewhat loans shall or shall not be made by the government, and when they insist upon the right to build theirown railways as well as to manage them when built, weseem to have our modern civilization confronted with thefeudalism which preceded the Bmperor Ch in Shihhuang.From the point of view of science, of politicaleconomy and of sound finance there can be no questionas to how the struggle must end, but the pitiful weakness of the government in Peking tends to yield on vitaland definitepoints and to temporize where a promptassertion of ultimate authority would appear imperative.What will happen when the national parliament sogreatly thirsted after really meets cannot be foreseen,but sooner or later a process of disillusionment must be