东河总督裁撤考述

Investigation on the Abolishment of the Governor of East River

东河总督是清代专门负责河南、山东两省黄河、运河河工事务管理的机构。咸丰五年(1855)黄河北徙以后,山东黄河二厅裁撤,东河总督常驻河南工次,不愿再承担山东河防的任务。山东巡抚不得不承担起河防重务,在一片空白中重建河防体系。河防也从中央经费支援下降为以地方自助为主,实质上是晚清政府在内外交困中推卸责任、减轻财政压力之结果。东河总督因庸碌无为而被裁撤,这对于黄河治理并未产生大的影响,但其下属的运河厅汛体系的裁汰,造成运河无官修守,导致了航运和水利上的巨大损失。

The governor of east river was an organization specifically in charge of transport business of Yellow River.After Xianfeng 5 years,Yellow River was removed northward,and the second office in charge of Yellow River in Shandong province was abolished.The governor of east river stayed long in Henan province and worked there,unwilling to shoulder the task of flood-prevention in Shandong province.Therefore,Shandong provincial official had to undertake the important work of flood-prevention,and rebuilt the system of flood-prevention from the very beginning.The expenditure for flood-prevention was collected mainly by local government instead of being supported by central government finance as before,and in essence,thiswas the result of the government in late Qing dynasty removing itsown responsibility to lessen the financial pressure in times of difficulty internally and externally.The governor of east river was abolished for his inability in work,and this didn’t have much impact on the governance of Yellow river.However,the abolishment of its subordinate canal flood system caused the canal to be unguarded by officials,and led to the great loss in river transport and water conservation.