VIII.—THE I.G. AND I.M.C. IR ROBERT (now Lord) HART is the justly celebrated I.G. or Inspector-General, of the I.M.C.-Imperial Maritime Customs of China-which, through his skilful generalship and labour, has of late years become one of the most ably governed and prosperous commercial institutions in the world. Before dealing further with the commendable life and works of this benevolent autocrat, I will endeavour to briefly enlighten the reader with regard to the management of this gigantic establishment and the nature of the appointments therein. The Customs service, established at every Treaty Port in China, consists of an Indoor and Outdoor staff. The Indoor staff being composed of one Secretary, several Assistants (first, second, and third Assistants, A and B), and Clerks (Classed and Unclassed), who are under the immediate supervision of a Deputy Commissioner. The outdoor staff comprises Tide Surveyors (Chief and Assistant), Boat Officers, Examiners (Chief and Assistant), Tidewaiters (first, second, and third class), and Watchers, under the control of a Chief Tide Surveyor or Harbour Master, both functions. being generally performed by one man, according to the numerical strength of staff, which varies in conformity with the size and commercial prominence of the port. But both these departments are under the management and control of a Commissioner, or Acting-Commissioner, who is responsible to the Inspector-General for the conduct and procedure of that station. He is also invested with power to control the movements of the Revenue cruisers in that district, and also the Lights Department, with its engineers and light-keepers. All communications to the Inspector-Generalreturns, reports, official despatches, and private letters-must first receive his sanction and signature before being forwarded by the Secretary to head-quarters. Sir Robert (now Lord) Hart-the greatest and most powerful foreigner in China-is very little known, except by reputation, even by his own employés, for he lives a life of toil and seclusion. As no doubt many would like to become better acquainted with him, I cannot do better than quote from portions of an interesting article by a fellow Member of the Incorporated Society of Authors, Mr. Henry Norman, which appeared in the Hong Kong Daily Press, dated from Pekin, Nov. 30th, 1888: "Sir Robert Hart left the Consular Service for the Customs-it was barely in existence then-in 1858, and in 1863 he became Inspector-General. And during the 30 years that have intervened he has been home twice, once for 12 months and once for sixthat is, he has had in his whole lifetime less holiday than one of his subordinates gets every five years. He has never been to the Western Hills, a few miles away, to which all the foreigners in Peking retreat in summer, and he has never even seen the Great Wall, two day's journey distant. But next spring, he says, he is certainly going home. 'Pooh,' say people in the Customs Service, when I tell them this, 'he's been going home in the spring for the last ten years.' As for the services he has rendered to China, to England, and to the world, the statesmen of Europe know them very well, and it would take a volume to tell them to others. Besides the creation of the Customs Service itself, which will be his immortality, to take the latest example, it was he alone who concluded the treaty between France and China. All negotiations had failed, and matters looked very black and threatening. Then, as usual the Ministers of the Tsung-li Yamen came to Sir Robert. He agreed to take up the task on his two invariable conditions-that he should have a free hand, and that his connection with the affair should be kept a profound secret till he either succeeded or failed. Then negociation began by telegraph in cipher between his 'den' in Peking and the Quai d'Orsay, and very awkward ones they were. Month after month they proceeded, and at last, when 80,000 Taels had been spent in telegrams, the end was reached, the Protocol was signed in Paris, and Sir Robert got into his chair and went to the Tsung-li Yamen. The Ministers were there, and he sat down to a cup of tea with them. By and by he remarked, with the apparent indifference of the Oriental diplomat. It is exactly nine months to-day since you placed the negotiations with France in my hands.' And the child is born,' instantly cried one of the Ministers, seeing the point and delighted at the truly Chinese way of conveying the information. And the funny part of the business was that all this time a special French envoy had been residing at Tientsin, chafing at the slow progress he was making, and not having the least idea that other negotiations had been on foot until he received. word from home that he might return, as all was arranged. He was so angry that he would not speak to Sir Robert. "After sending the last telegram settling the French business, Sir Robert went to the funeral service of Sir Harry Parkes, the British Minister, who had just died. As he entered the chapel of Legation a messenger caught him with a telegram. He stopped a moment and opened it-a despatch from Lord Granville offering him the post of British Minister to China. He accepted, after much hesitation, and his appointment received the Queen's signature on May 3, 1883. At his own request the matter was kept secret at home while arrangements were making for the succession to his position as the head of the Customs Service. Meanwhile a conservative government succeeded to office in England and telegrams from the Foreign Office kept asking 'May we not publish the appointment?' Sir Robert had seen, however, by this time that the Customs Service would suffer severely if he left it at that time, and this was more to him than any other honour in the world. He therefore telegraphed, 'Must I keep it?' and Lord Salisbury replying in very complimentary terms that he was free to do exactly as he thought best, he finally declined, the Empress, as his official reply truly but perhaps inadequately explained, preferring that he should remain. "I have said that the statesmen of Europe are well aware of Sir Robert Hart's services, and the proof of this is that there are few civilians so decorated as he. In England a Conservative government made him C.M.G., and a Liberal one added the K.C.M.G. (since made G.C.M.G.) Sweden made him a Chevalier of the Order of Gustavus Vasa; Belgium, a Commander of the Order of Leopold; France, a Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour; Italy, a Grand Officer of the Crown of Italy; Austria, sent him the Grand Cross of the Order of Francis Joseph; America, has presented him with several medals of Republican appreciation; Portugal has decorated him with the Military Order of Christ; the Emperor of China has conferred upon him the coveted peacock's feather and the Order of the Double Dragon; and his Orange friends at Belfast-his native place-will no doubt be much interested and pleased to learn that he is, by direct gift from the Pope-nothing less than 'sub annulo piscotoris'-a Commander of the Papal Order of Pius IX. As for knowledge of China and the Chinese, there is no one living who can be compared with him, and I learned more of the inner working of "Celestial" affairs during the fortnight that I had the honour of being his guest, than years of simple residence could have afforded. two very "The I.G. and Sir Robert Hart, however, are different people. 'I was calling upon Lady Hart one day,' said a lady to me, and as I wished to speak with Sir Robert I was shown into his office. I found the 'I.G.' there. Oh, it was terrible I covered my face and fled.' The distinction has indeed been admitted by himself. He is not Jekyll and Hyde, but he is certainly poet and parson. Among the many verses he has written at different times I have seen one which avows the fact, Heinelike both in substance and form. It is called The Twin Hearts,' and tells how serious and unchanging one heart is, while "The other heart's a monthly rose; It blossoms oft and smells so sweetly "The secret by which Sir Robert Hart has accomplished so much is an extraordinary devotion to method, most extraordinary of all for an Irishman. This is a subject on which he is far from |