August 2nd.—(1) Decree in answer to a memorial from Hwang Tifang, who represents that the disreputable system of exacting wei or customary donations, exatuities, or fees, that prevails in all the provinees, is detrimental to proper administration, and requests their wnqualified abrogation. The exaction of every description of disreputable fee is prohibited prisoned for sume offence, the late Taotai Attended on him with unwvearying care and devotion for six years, when his father was banished to Ili and he accompanied him there, unwilling to leave him for a single day. Eventually, at his father's command, he returned to Peking to present himself for examination, and in the year 1862 was sum: juaned by Tsing Kwoh-fan, late Governor-General of the Two Kiang, to act as his aide de camp. His father died, and while in mourning for him he went beyond the Wall to take charge of his remains, passing by Kwei-hwa through the grass country of Mongolia, over many thousand li of disturbed country where he suffered from numerous alarms, and was at last brought to a stand-still and unable to proceed farther in consequence of the route being blocked. At this time, Li Hung-chang was in temporary charge of the two Kiang Provinces, and had just organised the Kiangnan Arsenal. Being in want of an experienced director, hie offered the post to the late Taotai, who declined with tears on the ground that his father's remains had not yet been recovered. Li Hung-chang then appealed to his patriotism, and ur him on the ground of public spirit to accept
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.