212

THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE
foreign  Provisional  Government  which  followed  on  the
Boxer  movement  of  1900,  when  the  walls  were  razed  an
the  official  city  was  left  naked  to  the  winds.  Apart  frorn
the  humiliation,  the  loss  was  a  gain  ;  the  walls  affoide
no  protection  to  the  wealthy  commercial  quarter,  which,
as  is  invariably  the  case  in  China,  was  in  the  suburb  lying
between  the  city  and  the  river,  and  they  have  been  wel
replaced  by  the  broad  avenues  made  on  their  site  and
providing  thoroughfares  unknown  to  other  Chinese  cities.
Tientsin  is  rich  in  “  concessions  ”  for  residence  and  foreign
trade,  having  no  less  than  thirteen—viz.  British  (i860),
British  Extension  (1897),  British  Extra-mural  Extension
(1900),  French  (1861),  French  Extension  (1900),  American
(granted  in  1861,  but  at  once  abandoned  and  in  1902  adde
to  the  British  Concession),  German  (1895),  German  Ex
tension  (1901),  Japanese  (1896),  Japanese  Extension  (1900),
Austro-Hungarian  (1902),  Italian  (1901),  Russian  (1900)  an
Belgian  (1902).  The  last  four  and  the  various  extensions,
except  the  British,  date  from  1900  and  later.  The  original
concession,  the  British,  dating  from  i860,  is  held  under  a
lease  in  perpetuity  to  the  British  Government,  a  small
ground  rent  being  reserved  to  show  the  ultimate  sovereignty
of  China.  The  area  was  divided  into  lots,  the  leases  °
which  were  sold  to  provide  for  roads  and  bunding,  an
which  are  held  under  a  ninety-nine  years'  lease  granted  by
the  British  Government,  the  annual  rental  being  the  due
proportion  of  the  reserved  ground  rent.  The  Consul  is
ex  officio  the  ruling  functionary  ;  all  actions  of  the  Municipa
Council,  elected  by  vote  of  the  “  land-renters,”  being
submitted  for  his  approval,  and  the  annual  “  town  meeting ­
  ”  or  any  special  meeting  being  held  under  his  presidency-The
  residence  of  Chinese  on  the  concession  being  prohibited,
otherwise  than  as  servants  of  the  foreign  residents,  the
Consul  has  jurisdiction  over  all  questions  of  landed  property,
and  over  all  other  questions  in  which  a  non-British  European
is  not  defendant.  The  Consul  as  representative  of  his
Government,  is  de  jure  ruler  of  the  concession  ;  but,  #
conformity  with  English  practice,  he  actively  intervenes