Outside the smoking room of the banquet hall were guarded by several male servants of the Gladstone family.

Whenever a guest wanted to come here for a puff, the servants would politely remind the gentlemen: "For various reasons, the smoking room is temporarily closed. ”

And when the gentlemen see through the glass on the door panel who is sitting inside, they will also choose to change the place to breathe.

Harbour Authority Reece Hirst, Liverpool Association Secretary John Gladstone, and the most striking young man of the party, Senior Superintendent of the Greater London Metropolitan Police Department, Arthur Hastings.

As long as these three people simply sit together, without even having to explain more, they can already sketch out the theme of the story in everyone's minds.

Old Gladstone sat on the sofa with his wine glass in his hand, and glanced at Hurst, who was wiping sweat next to him, and with a single look he guessed that Hirst was probably caught in something.

After a moment's thought, he quickly decided to abandon the polite words he had prepared in advance and get straight to the point.

"Mr. Hastings, I have heard that you are interested in the extension of the docks in Liverpool?"

Hearst's brow furrowed, and he turned his head to look at old Gladstone, his eyes full of doubt.

He's just managed to cover up the 'health care' thing, and what does old Gladstone mean by lifting another stinky stone from the toilet now?

But old Gladstone didn't care what Hearst was thinking.

In contrast to London, Britain's political centre, Liverpool has completed a transition in power as early as the last century. Nationally, the traditional aristocracy still has a certain advantage, but in Liverpool, businessmen, especially big businessmen like the Gladstone family, are the ones who can really talk.

Even if Old Gladstone can't directly decide on the appointment and dismissal of the Port Liverpool Authority, he can make the Port Authority unable to do anything at any time if he wants to.

It's just that most of the time, the port authority and the big businessman class are still mutually beneficial, so everyone is not willing to tear their faces for a little entanglement.

After all, losing both sides is not in line with the profit-seeking nature of businessmen.

Arthur began: "I'm not so much interested in the expansion of the docks in Liverpool, but in this area. As we all know, mercantilism has been established as a fundamental national policy of Britain since the time of Queen Elizabeth, and it has been almost 300 years since then.

This policy in turn led to a large number of docks and the construction of port cities such as Liverpool. As a history student, I've always loved this kind of place with a long history.

And after I became a police officer, my interest in the docks not only did not diminish, but became stronger and stronger. You are in the import and export business, so you should also understand that the terminal has always been a high-risk area for all kinds of illegal crimes. These crimes are both violent and non-violent. ”

Louie, who was taking notes on the side, couldn't help but pull the corners of his mouth upwards when he heard this.

If an outsider who knows nothing is standing here, he must not understand what Arthur means by this. They might even think that Arthur was just making casual gossip.

But the same words fell on the ears of old Gladstone and Hirst, and the taste changed.

It's easy to understand what Arthur calls violent crime on the docks.

But what does non-violent crime mean by docks?

Everyone knew in their hearts that it was nothing more than the cost of the terminal expansion project and the cost of land acquisition, and perhaps Arthur also put smuggling and underreporting customs duties in it.

Hearst couldn't figure out how far Arthur had found out, so he didn't dare to speak easily.

But old Gladstone had learned from his son early on that Arthur had become suspicious of the expansion of the docks, so he was somewhat confident in his words.

The old man smiled and asked, "You have been staying in a hotel next to the old dock these days, what do you think of the dock in Liverpool compared to London?" ”

"Oh! Very good! ”

Arthur praised: "The high standard, the exacting requirements, both in size and in terms of construction standards, are comparable to the West India Docks in London." And I've heard that there are three more large marinas like this in Liverpool. How to say it, if Liverpool develops for a few more years, London's status as Britain's largest port will be ceded. All I can say is that the Public Works Board's additional investment in Liverpool has been well spent, not to mention a penny, not even a single new law has been wasted. ”

Hearst's face turned green when he heard this, but old Gladstone was still unhurried.

As for the reason why he is so calm, it is not difficult to guess, it is nothing more than that he did not take advantage of the expansion of the wharf.

The Gladstone family was also keen on real estate investment, but most of the plots they bought were concentrated in the marshes along the Mersey River. Incidentally, that's where Liverpool has developed in recent years.

But while Old Gladstone disdained the simple and crude low-level game of making money directly from construction funds and government land acquisition funds, there were always fools in the Liverpool Association who liked to do this.

As one of the people in charge of the association, he always has to come forward to help everyone settle this matter.

He was about to discuss this issue with Arthur in depth, but before he could speak, he heard Arthur's voice sound again.

"But while Liverpool's marina is beautifully built, I also find the sanitation standards and building specifications in Liverpool's slums to be unbearably poor. I've only been here for a few days, but if I had to give the council one suggestion, it would probably be to put slum water and sewerage improvements at the top of the list next time public works projects are considered. ”

"Huh?"

Old Gladstone and Hearst couldn't help but show a look of bewilderment when they heard this.

What does that mean?

Lift it up high and put it down gently?

Click on the terminal expansion project and then don't mention it?

Hurst couldn't figure out Arthur's purpose, so he could only reply safely: "I'll give you your opinion to the city council." ”

When Arthur heard this, he took out the map from his jacket pocket and lined it up on the table.

"Feedback alone is not enough, and it would be better for Liverpool's City Council and Health Board to come up with a reasonable plan for slum upgrading. Although I have the title of Anti-Smuggling Commissioner on my head, everyone should know that I have come to Liverpool to tackle the cholera problem. Now, the poor sanitation in the slums has seriously affected the epidemic prevention. If the rapid spread of cholera in the slums cannot be prevented, it will be useless to catch all the smugglers. I won't say anything superfluous, you see here......"

In just a few minutes, Arthur introduced the results of his work today to the gentlemen present.

"This ......"

"I have to say, Mr. Hastings. Perhaps this disease, as you said, is caused by a problem with the water source. ”

"The Central Health Commission had previously discovered that cholera was spreading along the canal, and at the time everyone thought it was caused by inland shipping, but now it seems that it may not only be a problem for infected sailors, but also partly due to the water quality?"

"If so, wouldn't all the cities of Britain be unsafe?"

Old Gladstone and Hirst each suspected the cause of cholera, but Arthur's words reassured them.

"With the amount of water in the canal, even if it is mixed with pollutants, it should be diluted very quickly. And what exactly cholera is going on, let's leave it to the medical authorities in Britain to give it a headache. The only thing we know for sure is that the cholera outbreak in Liverpool is likely to have something to do with the messy and dirty water supply. I now just want to know whether the Liverpool City Council has the capacity to carry out a renovation and refurbishment of the water supply system in the cholera area in the short term. ”

When Old Gladstone heard this, he said decisively: "If what you have just said is true, then I am willing to convince the members of the municipal council on your behalf. ”

Hearst also spoke: "Liverpool's town construction engineer is the child of a friend of mine. Whether it is public or private, I am willing to supervise and urge their design progress for you, and shorten the construction period as much as possible. But ......"

As soon as Arthur heard the word, he immediately smelled a bad smell: "Is there any difficulty?" ”

Hearst replied, "Mr. Hastings, the matter of municipal engineering is not for the city council and the city council to nod and agree. While we are willing to launch a public fundraiser, a small donation is a drop in the bucket compared to such a large project.

Especially now that it's the end of the year, Liverpool's local fiscal savings are simply not enough to support such a massive transformation of the slums. You mentioned earlier that for a dock extension, a public project of this magnitude would require us to apply for central funding from the Public Works Board in London to build our capacity. ”

Alexandre Dumas was amazed: "Liverpool is one of the richest in Britain, can't the local treasury even draw money for urban renewal?" ”

Hearst sneered, "Mr. Dumas, you're joking. Liverpool is indeed rich, but Liverpool is rich because of the import and export trade, so most of our taxes are focused on customs duties. According to the regulations of the Ministry of Finance, the customs duties of Britain are all handed over to the central treasury for distribution.

The City of Liverpool's revenue is mainly property tax and a portion of the commercial tax that needs to be split with the central government. With just such a small amount of money, after compiling the city's necessary recurrent expenditures for public security, sanitation, courts, transportation, etc., it will disappear every year. So whenever we want to arrange a big public project, we have to apply for funding from London. ”

Louis, who had deeply studied the financial operation of France during the Napoleonic period, couldn't help but ask: "Didn't Liverpool think about issuing local government bonds?" ”

Old Gladstone, a veteran member of the city council, replied, "Of course we did. But London is keeping a close eye on local debt. According to the regulations, local governments cannot issue bonds on their own, but must first apply to the Public Works Commission of the House of Commons, and after obtaining approval, the Ministry of Finance can issue bonds on their behalf.

Moreover, although the Central Council and the Ministry of Finance have not set a limit on local government debt on the surface, in practice, they have a shot in their hearts. For a big city like Liverpool, the overall debt is basically locked in 100,000 pounds, more than a penny. For smaller cities, it's usually £50,000 or less. ”

Hearst also nodded: "In recent years, we have applied for the issuance of 90,000 pounds of urban construction bonds for the expansion of the wharf. If we want to issue a new debt now, it will be difficult to convince the Ministry of Finance and the Public Works Commission to relent. ”

Arthur's brows furrowed more and more when he heard this, and his fingertips tapped on the coffee table: "Why does the Ministry of Finance pay so close attention to local debts?" Liverpool also only put 100,000 pounds, is this too little? ”

Little Gladstone, who had been listening quietly beside him, suddenly spoke: "The reason for this is very simple, but it is also very complicated. The first is due to the fact that the size of Britain's total debt is already very large at the moment, Mr. Hastings, do you know what the current total of Britain's national debt is? ”

"Total?" Arthur recalls the figures he saw when he went to the Treasury to ask for money: "I remember that last year Britain's central revenue was £51.3 million...... The words of the national debt ......"

"£51.3 million?" When Dumas heard this, he exclaimed, "Damn it! You Brits are rich! ”

Heine also sighed: "Prussia owes 31 million pounds in foreign debt alone, which I thought was a lot of money, but compared with Britain's revenue, it doesn't seem to be a big number. ”

"It's not big, indeed." Little Gladstone replied: "Because Britain now owes 26 Prussians, our national debt is £783 million. ”

"How much?!" Alexandre Dumas was dumbfounded, "Damn! I knew they owed so much money, and I shouldn't have bought British bonds in the first place. £783 million, which sounds like you could default at any moment. ”

Louis couldn't help but cover his mouth and sighed: "Can anyone tell me what Britain has done and why the government owes so much money?" ”

Gladstone smiled helplessly, and he joked, "What else can you do?" Then again, it's up to your uncle, Mr. Bonaparte. Before the Napoleonic Wars, Britain had a debt of only £40 million. But we spent 900 million pounds to fight the Napoleonic Wars, so now it's what you see.

And Mr. Dumas, you don't have to worry too much about the public debt being wiped out, for at the height of our debt in 1816 the national debt was close to £900 million, and now it is only $783 million, and the British government's ability to repay is actually quite strong. ”

"Spent 900 million pounds in the Napoleonic Wars?!"

Alexandre Dumas thought he was already rich, but he could not imagine what a fortune 900 million pounds was: "My God! I now finally know how Napoleon died, he was stoned to death by you with money! ”

Louis smiled and said, "I feel a little proud when I say that. ”

Gladstone also smiled: "You do have reason to be proud of your uncle. ”

Louis shook his head with a smile and said, "So, why did Britain and France fight for so many years?" If you ask the Duke of Wellington to go to my uncle with a check for 900 million pounds, he will surrender if he can't get it. ”

Gladstone rubbed his head and said, "Who knew it would cost so much in the beginning?" If someone had told the MPs in Parliament before the war had been made that the war was going to cost nine billion pounds, I can guarantee that no one would agree to the war. ”

Old Gladstone said solemnly: "I am better than all the councillors, and I have been opposed to that battle from the beginning." If I hadn't been clever when I was younger, I would have gone bankrupt with me. During the Napoleonic Wars, Liverpool's import and export business was not ordinarily bad. I also had a merchant ship captured by the French Navy. ”

Speaking of this, old Gladstone also said to Louis jokingly: "Young man, if you go back to inherit the French throne one day, remember to compensate me." ”

Louie also joked when he heard this: "Sir, with the friendship between us, I must agree to compensation." But if there is a day, the compensation package may not pass the hurdle of the Parisian parliamentarians. ”

"That's right." Alexandre Dumas tugged at his collar and said, "At least I definitely don't agree." ”

Arthur frowned and asked, "Then again, isn't it outrageous to spend 900 million pounds in the Napoleonic Wars?" Louis, how much did France spend during the war? ”

Louis replied: "It's not a lot, but it's certainly not exaggerated to the extent of 900 million pounds, and I think it's about a third to a quarter." ”

Having been aiming for the Board of Trade since he started his political career, Gladstone has a good understanding of the financial side.

He explained: "Britain spends a lot of money, partly because we spend much more on each soldier than on France. The salary of an ordinary soldier, Britain is twice as much as in France. The Royal Navy has always used the highest standards for supplies. In addition to this, we are burdened with a lot of financial assistance to our allies. Metternich of Austria merely made a declaration of war against France, and received from us millions of pounds in war aid and a large amount of weapons and uniforms. During the most difficult years of the Napoleonic Wars, British aid amounted to 80 percent of Prussia's national income. ”

"I knew it!" Heine said indignantly: "The finances are supported by the British, the weapons are brought from Austria, the courage is given by the Russians, and only the two legs that walk are their own." Prussia really can't do anything! ”

Arthur glanced at the German angry youth who was waving his fist into the air, and did not continue to pay attention to him, but leaned back on the sofa and said: "Well, now I finally understand why the Ministry of Finance is so cautious in the issuance of local bonds. But there's nothing we can do to get them to relax? After all, slum renovation is a good thing for anyone, and it's not a time of war anymore, so you can't help Prussia, but you can't help Liverpool, right? ”

When Gladstone heard this, he first groaned for a while, and then said, "Actually, it's not necessarily impossible. As my father just said, the so-called local debt ceiling is not actually on paper, so it cannot be considered a hard and fast rule. In other words, as long as the Treasury can come under enough pressure, sooner or later they will relent. ”

"Stress......

Arthur stood up and looked at the moonlight outside the window for a while, and then said slowly: "Of course the pressure can be given, but I need everyone to work together." Originally, I just wanted to slow the spread of cholera in the slums and prove it to the council. But since the Ministry of Finance is involved, it is not enough to delay the spread. ”

Hearst asked softly, "Mr. Hastings, do you want to ......?"

Arthur slowly turned around with his wine glass: "You guys bring me a word, I want to talk to the Royal Navy, the Customs Department, the Customs Department, the local security agency in Liverpool, and the municipal council. ”

Hearst cautiously asked, "What are your needs?" ”

Arthur spoke, "I need their full support. In the coming period, I want them to allocate a lot of resources to the epidemic prevention work. ”

Old Gladstone took a sip of his cigar and a thick puff of smoke came out of his nose: "Your purpose? ”

Arthur said word by word: "At this moment, I need Liverpool to hand over a result of zero growth in half a month. ”

Old Gladstone asked again: "What about your offer?" ”

Arthur lifted his glass, and the smooth wine sloped inward down his throat.

The glass hit the ground, and Arthur's voice rang out.

"It is expected that the initial investment of 200,000 pounds in the Liverpool urban regeneration plan, and the follow-up additional investment is yet to be determined."

(End of chapter)