精琪的币制改革方案与晚清币制问题

J. W. Jenks’Program for Currency Reform(1904) and the Currency Problem in Late Qing China

1904年美国“会议货币专使”精琪向清政府提出币制改革方案,主张导入金汇兑本位制。在银价暴跌带来的严重财政危机之下,清政府存在接受精琪方案的客观“诱因”,但由于湖广总督张之洞的反对,清政府最终废弃了这一方案。究其原因,除了反对精琪方案中所含的一些帝国主义成分的民族主义因素以外,“货币发行地方化”这一历史现象也值得重视。对各省督抚们来说,独立的货币发行是主要的财源之一,币制的改革势必会影响其收入。实际上,此前他们已数次“抵制”清政府推进的币制改革,他们是清朝币制改革的巨大障碍之一。另外,在地方行政和财政运营中已经成为习惯的“陋规”,也是币制改革的一大障碍,是更深层的“抵抗”力。精琪对在中国实行币制改革所要面对的“抵抗”做了过低的估计。

In 1904, J. W. Jenks, the United States “special envoy for currency negotiations,” submitted a program for currency reform to the Qing government, recommending the adoption of the gold standard. In the serious financial crisis caused by the slump in silver prices, a number of points in the program were attractive to the Qing government. However, because of the objections of Huguang governor-general Zhang Zhidong, the government finally gave up on the program. As for the historical reasons for the decision, except for nationalist opposition against some imperialist elements in Jenks’ program, it is necessary to pay attention to the historical phenomenon of “currency issue localization.” Issuing currency was one of the major financial resources of provincial governor-generals and governors, the currency reform would certainly have affected their income. For this reason, they had already “resisted” the government’s currency reform plans several times. In fact, they were one of major obstacles to the reform. Additionally, on a deeper level, “squeeze,” which had been the custom in local executive and financial management, was another major obstacle and “resisting force.” Jenks was too optimistic about “resistance” to China’s currency reform. This was a serious shortcoming of his program.