protestations of prisoners or bambooing recalcitrant witnesses.

But inasmuch as the district may often be a large one, and two inquests
may be going on in two different directions on the same day, or there
may be other conflicting claims upon his time, he has constantly to
depute his duties to a subordinate, whose usual duties, if he has any,
have to be taken by some one else, and so on. Thus it is that the
expectant official every now and then gets his chance.

This scheme leaves out of consideration a number of provincial
officials, who preside over departments which branch, as it were, from
the main trunk, and of whom a few words only need now be said.

There are several "commissioners," as they are sometimes called; for
instance, the commissioner of finance, otherwise known as the provincial
treasurer, who is charged with the fiscal administration of his
particular province, and who controls the nomination of nearly all the
minor appointments in the civil service, subject to the approval of the
governor.

Then there is the commissioner of justice, or provincial judge,
responsible for the due administration of justice in his province.

There is also the salt commissioner, who collects the revenue derived
from the government monopoly of the salt trade; and the grain
commissioner, who looks after the grain-tax, and sees that the tribute
rice is annually forwarded to Peking, for the use of the Imperial Court.

There are also military officials, belonging to two separate and
distinct army organisations.