LI HUNG CHANG AND THE PURCHASE OF HONOURS.
[To Ton EDITOR OF TIM " SFECF/VFOL.' SIR,—In connexion with some of the current New Year topics your readers may be interested by a quotation from the recently published diary of the great Chinese statesman. Li Hung Chang. Alter - his visit to Russia for the Tsar's
Coronation in 1898 he paid short visite to Germany, France, England, and America, and made some exceedingly shrewd comments on the things and people that lie saw. Some of the newspapers made fun of the fact that much of his wealth was derived from pawnshops. This led him to remark that his money had never been amassed by oppression nor used for bad purposes. " If I had been a hard man," be wrote, " to all those who had borrowed from my agents and were unable to pay I should to-day be one of the richest men in the world. And then, too, I have never used what wealth was graciously given me by the good gods for evil purposes. I have bought neither honours nor-offices. I would cat my face with a knife rather than accept an office or an honour by purchase." (Memoirs of Li Hung Chang, Constable, p. 160.)—I am. Sir,
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