Foreign trade is barely tolerated. So very indifferent the
court o f Pekin affeits to be on this fubjeft, that it has been hinted,
on fome occafions, and indeed ferious apprehenfions have been
entertained in Europe, that they were half difpofed to Ihut the
port o f Canton againft foreigners. T he treatment, indeed, which
ftrangers meet with at this place, from the inferior officers o f
government, is o f itfelf fufficient to exclude them, and fuch
as could only be tolerated in confideration o f the importance
o f the trade, and efpecially in the fupply o f te a ; an article
which, from being about a century ago a luxury, is now become,
particularly in Great Britain, one o f the firft ne-
ceffities ,of life.
The taxes raifed for the fupport o f government are far from
being exorbitant or burthenfome to the fubjedt. T h e y confift
in the tenth o f the produce o f the land paid ufually in kind, in a
duty on fait, on foreign imports, and a few fmaller taxes, that do
not materially affect the bulk o f the people. The total amount o f
taxes and affeffments which each individual pays to the ftate,
taken on an average, does not exceed four ihillings a year.
With fuch advantages, unknown in molt other countries, and
fuch great encouragement given to agriculture, one would be led
to fuppofe that the condition o f the poor muff be lefs expofed to
hardlhips here than elfewhere. Yet in years o f fcarcity many
thoufands periffi from abfolute want o f food. And fuch years
fo frequently occur in one province or another, either from
unfavourable feafons o f drought or inundations, the ill effedts
o f both o f which might probably be counteracted by proper
management,
management, or by an honed application o f the fums o f money
voted for the purpofe out o f the public revenue, that government
has feldom been able to lay up in ftore a fufficient quantity
o f grain to meet the neceffities o f the people in feafons o f
general calamity; and they, have no other relief to depend on
but this precarious fupply, feldom adminiftered with alacrity
on account o f the number o f hands it has to pafs through. This
leads them to commit outrages againft their wealthier neighbours.
There are few public charities; and it is not a common
cuftom to aik alms. I did not obferve a fingle beggar
from one extremity o f China to the other, except in the
ftreets o f Canton. Nor are there any poor-laws griping' the
induftrious hufbandman and labourer, to feed the lazy, and
to feaft thofe who have the care o f them; no paupers o f any
defcription, fupported from funds that have been levied on the
public. The children, if living and, i f not, the next o f kin,
muft take care o f their aged relations; and the parents difpofe
o f their children in what manner they may think belt for the
family intereft. As feveral generations live together, they are
fubfifted at a much cheaper rate than i f each had a feparate
houfehold. In cafes o f real diftrefs the government is, fuppofed
to a£t the parent; and its good intentions in this refpeit cannot
be called in queftion ; whenever it appears that any o f its officers,
through neglefit or malice, have withheld grain from the
poor, they are punifhed with lingular feverity, fometimes even
with death.
Another great advantage enjoyed by the Chinefe fubjeft is,
that the amount o f his taxes is afcertained. He is never re-
3 F quired