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63 weaknesses of the Russian general, who is by a Czar's patronage supreme. There have been many unfortunate results of this delusive condition of affairs, and disclosures have been made that the work of administration was not being conducted in a proper manner — only, however, to be hushed up again as quickly as possible. During the year 1877 there were circumstantial reports that serious discrepancies and errors had been discovered in the official returns from Tashkent ; and officials high in the confidence of Kaufmann were said to be incriminated. The peculation referred to was of too systematic a kind to admit of the explanation that it was accidental, and a commission of inquiry was sent out to investigate the matter on the spot. From that day to this nothing has been heard of that commission, or of the result of its investigations. It was understood at the time, on what was supposed to be good authority, that the peculation had been of the most systematic character, and had principally been carried on in fictitious transfers of land. But after all, this is only one instance of the discretion which is left, under General Kaufmann's regime, to subordinates ; and there are many others. Ambitious officers have been permitted to undertake explorations — scientific and otherwise — which were far from being necessary or prudent, and there are even instances of wars having been sanctioned to propitiate inconvenient rivals. It is the system, however, that is rotten throughout. The service, military and civil, throughout the Russian possessions in Central Asia, aspires to