March 23rd.—I. Wang Yung-keih, an officer of the Tale-sze, an official of the second rank, and Inspector of the Left Wing school for the members of the Imperial Family, kneel and petition in reference tebeth schools, that certain matters which tended to, anda return £0 the ancient laws quire adjustment may be speedily at-
for the regulation of the schools be effected, in order that talent may be fostered, an 1 good foundation laid for the future.
in my humble opinion, schools are established for the members of the Imperial Family in order to assist talent for the benefit of the Kingdom, and also to illustrate the close affection which should subsist between relations. The school is divided into two wings, Right, and Left and four officials are appointed as teachers in each. Two overseers with eight assistants are also appointed to school and a Prince of the Imperial Family is appointed to take the general superintendence of both schools. Moreover, Your Majesty has appointed Members of the Hanlin, officers of the first and second rank, to and examine the schools with undivided attention, These regulations are most complete, and are most profound in conception: the intention always Doing that all the children of the Imperial Houshold, along the entire line of Empetors, being born and brought up in rich and noble families, should be sent to these schools to study; to enlarge their powers of perception in order to prevent them from inking down in social rank, and to rectify their dispositions so as to drive out all pride and self-conceit. Thus they will become humble in their ideas, exalted in talent, will reject all the hollow customs of the world, and so for ever preserve their high pos ion.
The teachers in these schools are engaged for a term of three years. At the expiration of this term, an inquiry is instituted as to whether each has perfectly discharged his duties or not, If he has, then Hi Excellency the Superintendant gives a certificate to that effect, and the teacher is sent to the office for the oversight of the branches of the Imperial Family, in order that he may be presented to the Emperor, and His Majesty besought to confer some appointment upon him as a reward for his diligent exertions in teaching. In all generations there have-been illustrious members of the Imperial Household and which of all these distinguished son ages has not been taught and cherished by some Holy Emperor? At present, however, these schools have almost become "com the ith of the the ninth year present reign, have been commissioned by your Majesty to superintend the Imperial school of the join all the officials employed, to attend Left Wing, and. my duty is, strictly to en-diligently. to the duties of the school. On entering this school for the first time, 1 found several officials engaged in teaching, and the number of scholars present was more than szeniy. After this I frequently visited the school, and found that the pupils became daily more lazy and inattentive, and sometimes the school resembled a wilderness, there not being a single pupil in it; and, on inquiry of the teachers about the matter, they stated that they now scarcely ever see the face of a pupil. When a subject is given out for a theme, very few write anything about it, and, on asking the reason of this, the teachers replied that the pupils pleaded poverty as an excuse for refusing to apply themselves to study, and alleged that as they had not any rice to eat it was very difficult to ex-ort diligence in learning. They made these excuses because, heretofore, according to established law, each pupil was in the habit of receiving three Tow of rice every month, and also, at certain intervals, paper. pencils and ink were given to them. In,. summer they received a grant of rice, and. in winter a grant of charcoal. But, since, the funds for these perquisites have decreased, the monthly allowance. of rice, together with the other allowances, have, been curtailed. The former allowance, of three Tow of rice has been reduced to one-fifth of that quantity, and the less we say as to the other allowances, the better. 'The present grant of rice is merely suificient for two days' consumption; to come regularly to school in order to study and to write themes, is perfectly impossible, Thus these schools are merely established in name, but in point of fact they have no real existence. Those families who are wealthy employ teachers for their children at home; but those who can do this average only one in ten, while those who have not the. means of doing 40, average nine in ten. Hence I fear that the greater portion of the children merely, Pass their time in play and become valgar, neither understanding the labour of sow: ing and reaping, nor the advantage of composition and study, and only obstruct. ing their talents by idleness; all which is most pitiable. The teachers, too, in each of these schools, who depend' upon teaching in order to gain a reputation for themselves, pass months and. years unemployed j and both they and the super-intendant can only patiently and silently endure, feeling their hearts weighed down, as it were by sickness.
When I presided over the district of Peking, I found, at Examination term, several pupils who are members of the, Imperial Household, at the, Kin-tae-shoo-yuen school, who presented themselves for examination. I deemed it necessary to make some present to these; 0, selecting those whose themes were of the first ant second order of merit, I presented them with a small sum of money to buy oil for their study lamps, thus showing my love for their talents and my pity for their poverty, T am humbly aware that our Emperor entertains the firmest affection towards His relatives, and bestows favours upon them with the utmost benevolence; in fact, that there does not exist any benefit which He is unwilling to confer upon them. Yet, the pupils who enter the aforesaid schools, do not receive their. monthly allowance of rice according to established custom, but remain in ignorance. of Your Majesty's benevolence and partiality towards them, and of your wish to induce them to study. Moreover, the grant of rice which the scholars in both schools should receive, only amounts to 500 or 600 stone, yearly. en any place, in Your Majesty's dominions suffers From: tion is presented to that effect, Your Ma-either inundation or drought, and a petijesty does not hesitate to remit the grain-tax due from that place, even to the amount of one or two hundred thousand stone weight. The tax is remitted without the least delay. Ais, ta Peking, at the Poo-tse-tang and the Kung-tib-ling, together with the Wang-shoo-yuen at '{'ung-chow, every year during the winter season rice is distributed from the Grinaries by Your Majesty's gracious benevolence, to the amount of from five or six hundred stone weight down to three or four hundred. Tf such liberal grants are made to the suffering people, ought not the scholars iti, the schools mentioned, who depend upon' Your Majesty for nurture, to receive also some little bounty? I Pray, if it be im accordance with Your Majesty's wishes, that orders may be issued to the Council for the oversight of the members of the Imperial Family, consult together in reference to the strict observance of the laws regarding these schools; the monthly distribution of rice, according to ancient custom; in what manner those pupils: who are diligent may
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