Oct.- 10th.—An edict is issued in reference to s memorial from Lin Yi-chao tories over the rebels in Yanna. Ta-tung-Chin Yi-ying, ing some vic-
Kow and Haiao-tung-kow in the district Ho-hsi, after having been Jong in the hands of the rebels, have been retaken by the commander-in-chief Ma Ju-lung. The re~ bels were driven from both places with great slaughter and four of their leaders were taken prisoners and decapitated. Ma Ju-lung is at present suffering from a wound which he received during the en- Ps zogoments and is confined to the'camp. The memorialists are di to charge him to see that his wound is properly attended to, and to take great care of himself. They must also present him, in the name of the Emperor, with a jade feather-holder (in which to stick his peacock's feather,) a jade ring, a flint and steel, a pair of large purses and two small ones, in recognition of his valuable services.
(2) Another edict is issued respecting some memorials from Wu Hung-en, a member of the Hanlin College. It appears that the different provinces evil persons are dis seminating the vicious doctrines of Ténghwa, Pai-lien and Ching-lin sects, and. deceiving the ignorant. This is an evil which demands the constant attention of government and which must be put a stop to. Offenders must be punished. It is certainly surprising that even some of the literati should so far forget themselves and their position as to connect themselves with these sects. The viceroys, lieut.-governers and literary chancellors must order all the officers of instruction to admonish the literati of their districts on this point, and must punish with the utmost rigour all who di the warning.
(b) The memorial calls attention also to the troubles caused by disbanded braves. The outbreak of the (Taiping) rebellion necessitated the raising of a large military force in each province, but when peace was restored, this force, being no longer required, was of course disbanded. The disbanded braves then formed themselves into secret societies and confederacies, and created trouble and confusion everywhere. The high officials must direct their subordinates to exert themselves to put down such proceedings, and must tell them to punish these disturbers of the public peace with the utmost severity. No official must con-coal or gloss over any outbreak which may occur in his district, with a view to screen himself. In this way the evil will be rooted out.
(6) No doubt what the memorialist says about officials, is only too true. 'There are and bad' among them. The remedy for this is to carry out strictly the system of promotion by merit, And it is the bounden duty of the viceroys and lieut.- governors to prevent favouritism and personal interests being brought into play, and to thoroughly investigate the character of the officials before recommending them for promotion. This will be an inducement to the officials to exert themselves, and punishment of several members of the Li Hung-chang reports the arrest San-yang Society (or sect). The district magistrate of Tsang having received infor-motion that a man named Chia Chun-ha was propagating the doctrines of this sect, distributing their books, é&c., and bringing together promiscuous assemblages of men and women at a place called Hung-miaochwang, ordered the place to be surrounded by night, and Chia Chun-ho and his party arrested. The succeeded, and thirty-three persons, male and female, were made Blocks, books, prayers éc., was also seized, riseners. A large number of printing and some recently built houses were found to contain storerooms full of visions, utensils and so forth. The books discovered, however, did not contain anythirg treasonable, though the prayers were of -a very loose and heterodox nature. against Chia Still, the charge agai Chun-ho and the others, of having taught heresy and formed a secret society, is fally proved, and this is serious crime. The of memorialist alist therefore -ordered the whole party to be brought to Tientsin, to be tried his own presence. One of the prisoners died of disease on the way, and the leader, Chia Chun-ho, died of the same cause in the Tientsin jail. The law provides that
vicious doctrines as those of the Pai-yang, "Persons guilty of Propagating such jen and Pa-kwa sects shall be at once strangled, and that the members of these sects guilty of proselytizing, shall be banished to a Mahometan city to serve as slaves to the Begs or other influential persons." A.statute passed in the 5th year of the present reign provides that, "Persons who, according to the old law, should be banished to the frontier, shall be condemned to serve as slaves in one or other of the provincial military garrisons." The prisoners in question have been dealt with in accordance with these statutes. The leader Chia Chun-ho having died in prison, his head was cut off and hung in chairs as a public warning. The others were punished according to their several deserts.
Lith.—An edict is ised respecting a memorial from Li Hung-chang, viceroy of Chihli, requesting the remission of the war tax on rice shipped to the flooded districts of that province, and asking that orders be sent forbidding the authorities of the other provinces to interfere with the export of rice. The floods having destroyed. all the crops in the Tientsin and neighbouring prefectures, the people are left in a state of utter destitution. A grant of tribute rice has already been made in aid of the sufferers; but Li' Hung-chang states that the distress is so widespread, and must now that winter is coming on, continue s0 long, that much must depend on the imports made from other districts, He has Sent officials to different places to buy grain
chants to import grain into the flooded dis-anil fas also called on the gentry and mertricts. He requests that the likin tax may be everywhere remitted on the rice intended for these localities; and that the local authorities in other places may be directed not to interfere with the export, as they are wont to do. If such' steps as these are not taken, he fears rice will go up in price and the distress increase, A famine in the neighbourhood of the Court a matter which imperatively demands attention and something must be done, to meet the exigent: @ high authorities of Moukden, Kiangnan, Shantung and Honan are, therefore, commanded to exempt merchants, having passes from Li Hung-chang, from the payment of customs dues, and to continue to do so until next year's harvest has been gathered in. They must also issue orders to the local officials not to interfere with the export of grain. Thus it is hoped trade will receive a fresh impulse, the price of rice be kept down and the famishing people in the North fed.
[The rest of to-day's Gazette is taken up with the concluding part of Li Hung-chang's report of the capture and purus ment of the members of the San-yang Society, of which an abstract was given 12th.—To-day's Gazette contains an edict in reference to " memorial from Chang Chih-wan, lieut.-governor of Kiangsu, charging an official with trying to create disturbances and asking his commitment for trial. 'The individual in question is an acting prefect's secretary belonging to the Chekiang staff; but on' account of some meritorious service which he is supposed to have rendered, he styles himself '*Titular Chih-chow and expectant Chih-hsien," He has been trying to get up an excitement at Shanghai and doing what he could to give trouble there. He is a bad fellow and is ill spoken of by every one. He has also printed an anonymous pamphlet charging different people with various imaginary. crimes. 'The Shanghai Taotai had, therefore, placed him under the special surveil-Lance of the district' magistrate and had ordered his official certificates. to be -inspected. These, however, he has not yet
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.