新制与抵制:晚清邮政转型中的大清邮政与民信局

Gaming of the old and new postal system in the late Qing dynasty

1896年大清邮政建立之后,面对分立的邮递体制及机构,采取了避难趋易的发展策略,希望使用兼并的手段,将过往以商业手段经营的民间递信业务收归国有。民信局则通过上禀省宪大员及联合客邮等手段,与大清邮政进行周旋,期间以三次资费调整最为典型。大清邮政随着自身实力的增长及对交通工具的控制,最终占据了体制博弈的上风。由此可见,清末的制度转型,并非单纯的以新代旧,其中的迎合与抵制,往往与实际利益、传统习惯及人事关系有直接关联。

After the establishment of new postal system in 1896 in Qing, private postal agencies are merged one after another. Though they try hard to resist the official postal system by adjusting the posta- ges, they eventually let loose the means of transport. This research is intended to reveal that the system transformation cannot be completed all at once, but the resistance may take quite a while.