Page:Ningpo to Shanghai.djvu/115

Rh conducted by unlettered and inexperienced Police Inspectors;&mdash;the wonder being, not that was so administered, as that so much, with the instruments, was effected. But, from the Police office to the Police-Court, and from that to the Supreme tribunal, it would be interesting to ascertain, from actual statistic, what proportion of the whole number of charges meet a decree. In the Supreme Court, though the juries are by no means fastidious with Chinese culprits, the number of cases resulting in convictions, is, certainly, under the half of the total sent up.

9&mdash;Page 14.&mdash;This calculation of £12 per ton is made on the estimate of 1250 cash for a Shanghae dollar, or tael weight of silver. A worse exchange, say 1000 Cash only, would make the price of the iron in pigs on a par with English rod, obtainable in Hongkong, as we write this note (February 1858) almost a year after the remark to which it refers was made, at $3,75 per pecul, which, at an exchange on England of 4s. 9d. would be nearly £15 per ton. When to this we add the fact that Pig iron averages only £4 per ton at a Shipping port * it will be seen, that so far as Iron goes, China's sand cannot compete with England's ore.

[After writing this, we obtained the opinion of an experienced iron worker (Mr Dick of Hongkong)   * The price of iron has been subject to great fluctuations,&mdash;especially of late years. In September 1824, the current price of common bars at the shipping port was £9 a-ton; in March 1825, a period of great speculation, it rose to £14; but by March 1830, owing to the extended production consequent on this high rate, it fell to £3,,5s. a-ton. Since that period, in consequence of the increased demand for railways and other purposes, the price has risen considerably, and at present (February 1842) it is quoted, in bars, at £6 15s. a-ton; that of pig being £4. Taking the quantity stated above, 1,500,000 tons, as the present annual