Tan, 10th,—(1) A Decree, referring again to the want of snow in the neighbourhood of Peking. In addition to the propitiatory offerings commanded by decree on the Ist instant, it is now further ordained that incense be again offered on the 13th inst., by five of the Imperial Princes at different temples, (2)—The Governor-General, Li Hui chang, memorializes denouncing the offd answerable for the escape of a prisoner while under convoy. It has been reported to him by the District Magistrate of Sha-ho that on the 6th September a prisoner was received at that district from another magistracy, to be forwarded on, don the following morning, after amination of the fetters, a guard of police and soldiers was detailed to escort the man on to the next stage. Some of the soldiers and police lagged behind on account of illness. At a certain point on the journey, the prisoner was allowed to get out of the cart for a purpose, and just at that moment a gale of wind came on which startled the mules and caused them to run away. While the guard were running after the cart, the prisoner managed to break his fetters and escape. He has not been recaptured. The offence of which he was guilty was that of causing the death of a married woman, whom he threw down and kicked, for which he had been sentenced to strangulation. The Magistrate's investigation cited no proof of guilty connivance on the part of the soldiers and Governor-General pronounces it as his opinion that decided negligence has been shown, and begs that the two district magistrates concerned be adjudged a penalty by the proper Board.
San 11th.—(Court Cireular)—The Prince of Kung returns thanks for the gift of a sable-skin robe.
(1)—A Decree replying to a memorial from the Governor-General Tso Tsung: Vang, who, in reporting the death of the late ox-Salt Comptroller of Kwangtung, Chung K'ien-kun, dwells upon the liberality and public' spirit with which he contributed from his official income to the relief of the distressed (as reported a few months ago). Sanction is given to the Governor-General's application that materials for the biography of the deceased be supplied by the authorities of Hupeh and Kwangtung to the Office of the National Historians, to be duly enrolled among the lives of distinguished public servants, as an encouragement to others.
(2).—The Governor of Honan reports the rehearing of an appeal ease referred back from Peking. The accusation of murder to which it relates grew out of incidents in the Nien-fei disorders of 1860- 1862, and the accused person is pronounced innocent of the charge.
Tan, 12th, (1)—A Decree. "sung-hi memorializes declaring that his complaint grows daily more severe, and beseeching permission to resign his office. Lat Li Touog-hi vacate. hie office, and attend in tranquillity to the care of his health. Let Lin Kw' rily as Governor-General of Kiang, and let Liu Ping-chang act temporarily as Governor of Kiangsi.
(2).—Li Tsung-hi memorializes sing in review the qualifications of Tautais now in office, and requests a decree degrade ing a functionary from hia rank and appointing him "elsewhere. The Tautai charged with the supervision of the Salt department of Kiangnan, Teng Yi-Kung Dp, is reported somewhat addicted to the vice [of opium-smoking}, and shews no capacity for rousing himself into activity. Let him be degraded to the rank and office of sub-prefect, and it selection for an appointment by the Board, in furtherance of the stringency of the rules of office. morializea representing the exhaustion of the resources of the provincial exchequer, and praying that a portion of the demands upon the revenue of the province may he remitted. He explains that since the two army corps which for some years were employed in Honan passed beyond the frontier, the utter depletion of the treasury had compelled him to solicit ina previous Memorial that payment of the different subsidies which Honan was called upon to furnish might be suspended for a time; but in reply he received a despatch from the Board of Revenue urging continuous payment, which could not be pretermitted without giving an excuse to other provinces to bring forward like requests. 'The Governor now returns to his entreaty, pointing out that, owing to the entirely inland situation of Honan, with no command over the great highways of commerce and navigation such as fur-rushes a Customs' revenue to other provinces, his own jurisdiction is exceptionally poor. "The two army corps already men-during their six years of campaign-it it west, absorbed the entire fatness of the Honan and the provinces to the The only source of income eon in the land revenue and miscellaneous duties, yielding a revenue of some Tls. 2,150,000, The outgoings for the support of the two army corps and of the regular and irregular forces of the province, together with the supply of arms and muni tions, amount to upwards of T'ls. 1,400,000, to which, when an intercalary month occurs, an additional sun of Ts. 100,000 and odd must be reckoned, The original sum prescribed for expenditure on the Yellow River works was Tls. 200,000 per aunum, but the additional expenditure of late years for extraordinary repairs has mounted up until more than double the above sum is now reached. These two sources of outlay make together the amount of upwards of Tls. 2,000,000, When to this are added the Taels 250,000 required as the annual subsidy to Peking, the expenditure is already in excess of income. The absolutely indispensable outlay for the pay of the garrison troops and the salaries of the official establishmentamoun tot 700,000 per annum, so that th Treasury is absolutely drained dry, and no amount of financial expedients will suffice to establish an equilibrium, The total amount of subsidies with which the province has been assessed for the current year, on behalf of official salaries in the three Manchurian provinces, the garrisons in Turkestan, ete. ete., 1. 2,023,000, of which amount there remain unpaid no Joss than Tis, 1,955,600. The Governor mo: is prayer for a revision of the compelled, accordingly to submit once
demands upon his exchequer.
Jan, 13th,—[The Decrees and Manifostoos relating to the decease of the Emperor on the 12th mat., which occupy the greater portion of this day's Gazette, were publ on the 8rd (—)—King-show, Consort_of the Lmperial Prince, and director of the Imperi Equipage Department, with his colleague memorializes representing that in former, times funds were invested by this department of the Court in the acquisition of lauds by purchase or mortgage in different parts of the Province of Chihli, yielding an annual rental of Taels 20,765 0.1.7, which, according to regulation confirma by Decree, should be remitted at the end of each year from the provincial treasury. The amount in question served to defray the salaries and allowances of the officers employed under the department, as well as the expenses of all kinds entailed in the service. Up to last year, however, payments on this account from the treasury of Chihli were in arrear to the amount of four hundred and eighty-nine thousand Taels, and upwards. Repeated demands for the jum of Taels 8,700, due on account of the revenue of last year, have been addressed without result to the Governor-General of Chihli, and it is now besought that he may be commanded to cause immediate payment of the aum in question to be mad and steps to be taken for the gradu: collection and payment of the arrear Jan. 14th (1)—A Decree of their Maj the Empress Dowager and the Empress Mother:—We have received " memorial Prince of Tun and his colleagues, requesting that the act of grace heretofore bestowed benowrevoked. This application is inspired by feelings most honourable. Let, therefore, as is requested, the honours conferred by the Decree of the 23rd December on the princes and ministers be revoked and annulled, and let the two stops of honorary rank conferred by the same Decree on officials, high and low, throughout the empire, be at the same time revoked and cancelled. Let the proper departments take note, (2)—A Decree of their Majesties the Empress Dowager and the Empress Mother:—We have received thi memorial from the Prince of Ch'un, stating that the complaint under which he formerly laboured has broken out afresh, and
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.