白潢 (近微)

PO Huang 白潢 (T. 近薇), Jan. 26, 1660–1737, official, was a member of the Chinese Bordered White Banner. In the Ming period his ancestors emigrated to the region of Liao-yang, where they founded the village of Po-chia chai 白家寨. In 1621 Po's great-grandfather swore allegiance to the Manchus. His grandfather, Po Ch'êng-chu 白承舉, followed Emperor Shih-tsu into China and settled in Peking. Well versed in the Manchu language, Po Huang was at first a clerk, but in 1684 was made a secretary in the Grand Secretariat. Thence he was transferred successively to the posts of sub-archivist, secretary to the Court of Colonial Affairs, and assistant reader in the Grand Secretariat. In 1700 he was sent to Fukien as intendant of grain and post. His father died in 1703, and he returned to Peking where he observed the period of mourning until 1706 when he was sent to Shantung as intendant of the Têng-Lai-Ch'ing Circuit. In 1710 he was transferred to Kweichow as intendant of the Kuei-tung Circuit, but four years later was promoted to the post of provincial judge in Kweichow.

In 1716, when the governor of that province was called away on an important mission, Po was made acting governor, in which capacity he effected three reforms. The first concerned the method of compensation to soldiers. Normally soldiers were paid in grain, but since Kweichow was rocky and mountainous, grain in sufficient quantities could not be raised, and, because of difficult roads, could not easily be brought in from outside. Hence it became customary to pay the soldiers' salaries in silver in order that they might buy their own grain. The wages given would have been adequate if they had been paid in the autumn, when they were due, and when the price of grain was lowest, but owing to the delays in official procedure the silver never reached the soldiers until the following spring when the price of grain was highest. This practice amounted to a radical cut in the soldiers' wages. Po recommended that silver be advanced to them from the provincial treasury in the fall when the salaries were due, and that the amount advanced be refunded to that treasury later. The second reform concerned the postal system. There had developed among some of the prefectural officers the practice of freely using villagers for the delivery of private mail. Sometimes the number of men pressed into this unauthorized service was two thousand a year. As a result, the cultivation of the fields suffered. Ever since Po had been intendant of a circuit he had observed the evils of this practice, and now as governor was able to stamp them out. The third reform concerned the cultural status of Kweichow. Because the country was rude and remote, a native who passed the examinations and had the opportunity to leave seldom returned. The result was that there were few educated gentry in Kweichow. Po memorialized that all expatriates be forced to return to their native districts. At first the people at home thought this an imposition, but afterwards they realized its wisdom.

When the governor returned Po was appointed (1717) lieutenant-governor of Kiangsi. Before he assumed office he went to Jehol to pay his respects to Emperor Shêng-tsu and was at once elevated to the post of governor. In this capacity one of his more interesting reforms concerned the huo-hao 火耗, or depreciation allowance. It was the custom that when taxes were collected the small pieces of silver were melted and recast in more convenient form for delivery to Peking. But during this process there was always some loss for which the tax collectors demanded allowance. The allowance they demanded, however, had yearly been growing more and more exorbitant. Po recommended that it be fixed at ten percent. To revive learning in Kiangsi he rebuilt the Yü-chang 豫章 Academy in Nanchang, invited teachers to lecture, and provided many scholarships. He begged a plaque in the Emperor's handwriting for the school, and this was graciously bestowed. In connection with his educational program he memorialized (1719) for permission to allow a larger number of men to pass the provincial examination in Kiangsi, and was granted an increase of nine men. In 1718 he memorialized that the Hu-k'ou customs at Hung-ch'iao harbor be changed to the nearby harbor at Wu-ch'ü which could accommodate ten times more ships and was safer. In 1718 and 1719 he rebuilt the dike at Kao-an, the birthplace of Chu Shih [q.v.]—a dike whose stability was absolutely essential to the life of the people. In gratitude for his help it was thereafter called the Po Dike (白公隄). Chu Shih composed an account of the enterprise and its value to the neighborhood. Impressed by the gratitude of the people for the work thus accomplished, Po memorialized the throne that officials should be made to pay more attention to the construction of dikes throughout the land.

In 1720, on account of his age and ill health, Po asked to be released from office in Kiangsi and to be given a less arduous post in Peking. He was appointed (1720) junior vice-president of the Board of Revenue and at the end of the same year was promoted to the presidency of the Board of War. While occupying this office he was much concerned with the. development of a method for reducing the amount of unemployment among capable military men in the prime of life. When Shih-tsung came to the throne (1722) Po was made an associate Grand Secretary. One month later (1723) he was appointed Grand Secretary. The same year he was named a director of the bureau for compiling the "Veritable Records" of the reign of Shêng-tsu, and other literary projects. In 1725, because of ill-health, he asked to be released from office. Shih-tsung consented. Unfortunately, however, Po was not to spend his old age in peace. Soon after his retirement the charge was brought that while he was governor of Kiangsi he had sought to buy public favor by paying, from his own purse, back land taxes, a deficit of about 1,300 taels, due from the merchants of four prefectures. He had done this without asking imperial permission and without even informing the throne. Furthermore, he had falsified the reports of the merchants and others who were supposed to have paid the taxes. After due deliberation Po was divested of all titles and honors; but the year after his death Emperor Shih-tsung restored his rank.

An incomplete edition of Po Huang's memorials was edited by Li Fu [q.v.] who also wrote a history of the Po family which he presented to Po's son.

[1/295/8b; 3/15/21a; 3/15/suppl.; Cha Shên-hsing [q.v.], Ching-yeh t'ang shih hsü (續) chi, 1/15a for date of birth.]

Rufus O. Suter

《清史稿》卷289

潢，字近微，漢軍鑲白旗人。初授筆帖式，考授內閣中書，遷侍讀。授福建糧驛道僉事，以父憂去官。服闋，除山東登萊青道僉事，遷貴州貴東道參議。以巡撫劉蔭樞薦，就遷按察使。潢操守廉潔，聞於聖祖，擢湖南布政使。未上官，會蔭樞以請緩西師，命詣軍前察視，潢護貴州巡撫。貴州山多田少，諸鎮營兵餉米，於徵米諸州縣支發。以運道艱阻，改徵折色，遲至次年春夏，米值昂不足以糴。諸驛例設夫百、馬四十五，而巡撫以下私函付驛，謂之便牌，役夫至數百。潢奏請兵米於藩庫借支，州縣徵解歸項，並檄諸驛禁便牌。兵民困皆蘇。又以貴州僻遠，官於外，商於外，皆不肯歸，潢奏請勒限回籍。貴州民初以為不便，久之文物漸盛，乃思潢惠焉。

蔭樞還貴州，調潢江西。入覲，至熱河謁上，即擢江西巡撫。潢革諸州縣漕節陋例，並令火耗限加一，舊加至三四者，悉罷除之，不率者奏劾。湖口關地險港窄，潢度關右武曲港山勢開闊，可容千艘，乃濬江口，建草壩，使估舟得聚泊。建亭頌潢德。會城西南有袁、贛二江，至臨江合流，舊有隄久圮，春夏水發，往往壞田廬。潢奏請重建，九閱月而成。民自是無水患，號為白公隄。五十九年，奏請補京職，授戶部侍郎。擢兵部尚書。六十一年，世宗即位，命協辦大學士。尋授文華殿大學士。疏辭，不許。充聖祖實錄總裁。雍正三年，以疾乞解任，許之。

潢撫江西時，南昌、吉安、撫州、饒州四府舊有落地稅千三百兩有奇，設大使徵收。潢以官役苛徵，令停收。巡撫、司道公捐代納，偽編納稅人名冊報部，王企崝、裴膑钫率度代為巡撫，皆如潢例。及汪漋至，以其事聞，且請裁大使。上曰：「國家經制錢糧，豈可意為增減？若此稅不當收，潢當請豁免，何得以公捐代完，沽名邀譽？」下部議，奪潢官。漋亦坐左遷，稅如舊例徵收。乾隆二年，潢卒，命還大學士銜。