fending censor of Fukien, memorializes Oct, 22nd.—Lin Kwo-kwang, superin-
to the Civil List. A short time ago the e Throne against the proposed increase
Department Controlling the Affairs of the Imperial Household applied for an additional annual grant, payable out of the surplus Customs' dues, and H. M. was pleased to refer the application to a comities of inquiry. But such an application is very out of place at the present time. It is only a little while since His Majesty issued an edict ordering the cessation of certain works, aid commanding that the utmost economy be observed in everything connected with the approaching Inperi marriage, ea that the Throne might be the better able to aid the. sufferers around Tientsin. "This timely and gracious ste} abundantly manifested His Majesty's sympathy with His distressed people. Now, however, it is proposed to increase the Civil List, a measure which is diametrically opposed to the economy inculcated in recent edicts. True, it may be said, by way of excuse, that the Department only asks for a grant from the "surplus of the Customs? dues," and does notcontemplateany increase in the dues themselves. But it must be bore in mind that, of late years, the Cus-underlings have practised so much extortion, that merchants stand in dread of these Customs altogether; and let the application for an allowance out of the plus funds of the Customs be acceded to, and these underlings will make it a handle for wholesale squeezing. The tariff will at once be raised and the increased re-Roche only avery small fraction will ceipts will go into these underlings'
its way into the public chest. And surely ata time when a portion of the i Empire is suffering from devastating floods, and thousands in the immediate vicinity of the capital are left without both food and shelter, the idea of increased: expenditure and increased taxes is strangely out of place. The memorialist, therefore, hopes that His Majesty will refuse the application mosa) to injure him. "This is the revival of the Department Controlling the Imperial of an old case. In July last year Ying-household for more money, and cancel the kwei, the viceroy of Fukien and Chekiang, appointment of the Committee appointed reported that Major-General Lin Wénto consider that application. The expenses ming, then residing at, his native place in of the Couirt are not subject to much varia-Fuken, had violently seized property tion, and if the sum appropriated to the which did not belong to him, had raised a Civil Listhas hitherto been found adequate, body of followers and given considerable why is it insufficient now? The' memo-trouble in the district. He had therefore rialist prays that the officials of the De-been apprehended and decapitated, and partment may be directed to practise the his followers variously punished according economy: so much inculcated in recent to their degrees of guilt. This is how the edicts, to regulate their expenditure accase was stated last year, but his mother cording to their income, and to give truth-now says that he was the victim of a petty ful returns of that expenditure. revenge. Whether Lin Wen-ming was The memorial is recorded. justly executed, or whether he was, as his 23rd.—Tsao-pao of the Censorate and is rt the following appeal mother states, put to death on false charges trumped up by his enemies, is a question tatement, given in which demands a most searching investig "I am a native of tion. The viceroy and lieut.-governor of Feng-hwa in the Chekiang province, and Fukien are directed to institute an inquiry; my name is Chang Feng-chien. During and the Board of Punishment to send forthe 2nd moon of this year, my nephew ward the complainants that they may he Chang Hsi-mo and two other relations confronted by the accused. tried to swindle me out of a piece of land, (8) Tseng Kwo-fan reports the death, on and because I did not see the fun of being the 18th of July, of Yun Shih-lin, an ex-80 cheated, they collected a band of roughs and came one night and pulled down my Tieutenant-governor of Hunan.
26 fen-yuh, the acting viceroy of house. My father, because he ventured to Fokien and Chekiang, reports that the dise remonstrate, was so severely beaten that he died within fortnight, and my sistertrict magistrate Yang Ching-yung, who was inlaw was so. injured' that, despite the degraded last year on account of a deficit of 1,069 taels in his accounts, has repaid efforts of the physician, she died nine days afterwards. But the coroner and his coltons may be restored to him, that an, and therefore praya that his but-leagues having been previously bribed, The petition is granted. sent in a false report of the nature and 27th.—An edict is issued in refer situation of my father's wounds. I then ence to a memorial from the lieut.-go-appealed to the prefect, and the district vernor of Shantung representing the in-magistrate of Hsiang-shan was ordered to ability of the poor people of the Po and hold an inquest on the body. Meanwhile Fan districts to repay the loan made to also, my young nephew died in consequence them in 1868, and praying that it may be of a fright which he got on the night when cancelled. These two districts having been my house was down. But the subject for several consecutive years to the trict magistrate tried to dissuade us from inundations of the Yellow River, the dis-saying anything about the death of this tress of the people was so great, that the little one, and ultimately reported that my sum of 12,000 taels was lent to them out father, though wounded on the left temple, of the public chest, to enable had really died from natural causes. He purchase implements and seed. The pre-also had two of my brothers imprisoned, sent condition of the people, though much while he did not so much as bring up better than formerly, is not such as to Chang Hsi-mo and his accomplices eyen for enable them to repay the loan without examination. I have appealed to the pre-extreme difficulty. This being the case, fect and criminal judge twice and to the His Majesty graciously exempts them from lieut.-governor three times, but have failed re-payment, hoping that this relief will to get my case tried by either and have mut them in somewhat easier circumstances. therefore come to the capital for redress." notices of this must be posted everywhere, The memorial is recorded. and care must be taken that the yamen 24th.—An edict is issued respecting ties, His Majesty's gracious aim, underlings do nek defeat, by their rascal memorial from the Censorate, communica: ting a charge brought by a person of official rank, named Chen Woo-in and. others, (2) A second edict is issued respecting airist the district magistrate of Esoyu in a memorial from Li Hung-chang asking for the punishment of Chen Hai-chi, district trate is that, in addition to the usual col-"kiangsu. The inst the magis-magistrate of Tung-kwang, for negligently allowing the escape of a condemned criminlectors, he has appointed certain persons al. While the'district prison was under-whose special duty it is to hunt up all the going repairs it was found necessary to unfortunate country people who are in remove a culprit who was under sentence arrears with their taxes and force them of death to another place for greater safety; to pay. The consequence is that when-but the thing was so carelessly managed ever anyone does not pay within the that, taking advantage of a shower of rain, Pill, these harpies set upon him, "drag rescribed time or does not pay in he gave his keepers the slip. The grave nature of this man's offence makes his him before the Court and, in one way escape a far more serious matter than the or another, manage to ruin him. This is a escape of an ordinary prisoner. he ma-very serious charge to bring against a Gogistrate is therefore handed over to the vernment official. It is the first duty of Board of Punishments, to be dealt with the magistrate: to seek the prosperity of. according to his deserts. He is also order-the rural population and to protect their ed to catch the escaped felon within a given interests. The above charge, therefore, must be closely vestigated by the viceroy time.
28th.—To-day's Gazette has an edict and lieut.-governor of Kiangsu, and if true, conferring various titles on a number of the magistrate and other officials concerned gentry and small officials in reward for the must be deprived of their buttons and re-successful services which they rendered to ported to the Throne. Let the inquiry be the Imperial cause in Kansuh, Last year conducted and the whole case stated with a combined and most successful attack was strict impartiality. made by the local militia and (2) Another edict is issued in reference troups'on Kao-chai and other places in the to 2 petition from a Fukien lady complain-possession of the rebels. Both Kao-chai ing of the wrongs done to her son Lin and Chuen-kow were re-taken and the en-ming. One Lin Ying-shih, on acrebels driven from the whole district. This count of an old grudge, had trumped up happy result was attained in a very great certain charges against him, and an official degree through the assistance rendered by named Ling Ting-kwo, because he would the militia, and those gentry and others not pay a certain squeeze, had leagued who raised and supported that valuable with Lo Chao-tang, Taotai of Taiwan (For-auxiliary are worthy of some special notice,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.