March 28th,—(Court Circular.) The Governor of Shun-tien Fu reports that the "iron tablet" has arrived.
(1) A Dectco. Some time since we despatched the Prince of Chang and the bei-leh Wang to the Black Dragon Temple to pray for rain, Let the bei-leh Yi-kw'un now be sent in their stead to offer incense realises that his malady is beyond recovery, Shen Pao-cheng memo-and begs that he may be allowed to vacate his post. We grant him a further congo of three months that he may devote himself to the care of his health, He need not vacate his post, Let Wu Yuan-ping act as Governor-General of the Liang Kiang during this period, and let Lo Fang-tsai act in the stead of the latter as Governor of (8) Li Ting-his AE FE OF is ap-Eivision of the metropolis.
linted Police Censor of the northern
(4) A decree in answer to a suggestion from the office of Gendarmerie that additional agencies for the relief and accommodation of the refugees from other parts may be opened in Peking, the number at present established being' insufficient to supply their wants, as they are daily increasing in number. Authority is granted for the establishment of five additional neies outside the seven gates of the Chinese city, and the Board of Revenue is directed to supply the 2,000 piculs of grain and Taels 3,000 required for Soldiers are to be put on agency to prevent crowding or and certain officials are nominal to be in constant attendance. exhortations by references of various kinds. In his first memorial he deals with the general principles by whi court should be guided in its administration during these troubled times. the list he places the invit sions of opinion} from various sources next, the issue of relief, and, third, the mitigation of punishments. In his second memorial he inculcates the duty of economy in expenditure, commenting on the fact that at the very time that a decree had been issued ordering supplications for rain, a display of "Greworks was exhibited within the precincts of the palace. In his third memorial he do-monstrates the necessity of encouraging expressions of opinion from those who are in a position to offer advice, and recommends that the high officers of state be directed to form themselves into a sort of committee to consult as to the best means of meeting the present calamity. In his fourth memorial he comments strongly on the obstructiveness displayed by the in vetoing one after another suggestions for the supply of funds offered by various authorities, intimating that their Majesties are influenced too much by the advice of these Boards. He quotes decree of the Emperor K'ang Hi, who during a time of drought, when informed by the chief of the of Revenue that the whole of the present year's grain in store had been expended, answered that he cared not if the supply for the year after that were expended too, administering the following rebuke to the officer who demurred to the issue of further relief:—"' We consi the lives of the people to be of paramount importance; the issue of the contents of the granaries for their relief is entirely a matter of Imperial prerogative. Who are the Board of Revenue that they should control this matter? If funds from the Imperial exchequer are applied for, the Board veto the request; if grain is applic for, the Board velo. the request. Corres: pondence passes backwards and excuses are made on that; meanwhile the people in the afflicted provinces are allowed to dic off and disappear. Do ye. not perceive that these millions of suffering people are dying, not from dearth, but from the arts and machi-
Suppose the granaries be empty, measures nations of the Ministers of the Boards can be devised for procuring further ssu lies, If the peo ought to life again in Usis destroyed it cannot be recovered. Give heed to the root of the matter, and ask yourselves are the people to be first con-Bidered, or is the exchequer to be the first consideration?" In his fifth and last memorial he inculcates the necessity of judicial reform. In the 9th year of K'ang-when drought prevailed, high officers were sent by the Emperor to visit the Board of Punishments and ascertain by personal interrogation of the prisoners whether any wore wrongfully confined. And again in the 18h year of the same reign, upon a recurrence of drought, a field in the provinces. The memorialist eneral inspection of the same kind was
suggests that similar inspections be instituted now, and that greater attention be paid to judicial investigations, many of which are carried out in a manner that is not calculated to satisfy the ends of potice, (For decree neo Gactte of th larch, March 29th.—{1) A Decree. The Vice-President Hia 'T'ung-shan memorialises the opening of wells in the districts in nesting that funds may be supplied for
province of Chibli that have been stricken with drought. The opening of wells for by the irrigation of the fields serves as a provision in times of drought, as water can be drawn from them and led over the land. Li Hung-chang has instructed his states that the whole of the country in the Ho-kien prefecture is in need of wolls; that if these be constructed with a lining of bricks in the lower part, and simple earth walls at the top, they will last for several years and can be made at a cost of five or thousand cash. If the upper portion be bricked at a later date they will be in every respect similar to bricked wells. He suggests therefore that sum of Tls. 40,000 may be supplied for this purpose, whi should be converted into cash; thus, at the rate of 5,000 cash for each well const 12,000 wells can be made. Let Li Hung: chang at once issue Tls. 40,000 from whatever fund he chooses, and send it to the famine stricken districts in the Ho-kien prefecture to be issued to the peopl, that they may commence operations immediately. Let the local authorities and gentry carefully superintend its distribution, that peculation on the part of official underlings (2) A Deco, "Some time snee We were 7
commanded by their Majesties the em-rosses to instruct the officers of the perial household to exercise strict economy in the various branches of expenditure, and at once to send in an estimate in found numbers of the amount of the economies that could be effected, They now report that for the last fow yeara none of the necessary works or repairs within the palace have been put in hand, nor have any additions been made to the articles now in use, while there has been no lavishness whatever in current expenditure; it is impossible therefore to sider effect any retrenchment.—Last year the people in the provinces stricken by famine were reduced to a condition of great distress, and the rains have now again failed in their season. Their Majesties, unwearying in their exertions and unceasing in their solicitude, have twice instructed Us to reduce Our morning and evening meal ied to half its ordinary quantity, and have exhorted Us to partake of lontfare. 'Their Majesties being thus cere in their commiseration for the sufferings of the people, it naturally behoves the office in question, in reverent obedience to their Majesties' commands, to scrutinize with energy and care the various items of expenditure. We have now perused their memorial, and find that they offer bare statement to the effect that the headings of expenditure are numerous and complicated, but that if any items can be dispensed with or reduced, it shall be their care from time to time, as occasion admits, to give the matter their attention and take action in the direction indicated. Should the economies thus effected amount to an appreciable sum they will again memorialise. They submit no statement of the various items of expenditure. Let the Comptroller of the Imperial Household at once make accurate and careful enquiry into the items of palace expenditure, and submit for Our inspection a detailed list thereof under och separate heading, without reservation or evasion.
(3) A Decree. Ho Ki Compiler of the Han-lin College, submits that in times of dearth reforms should be instituted ination practised, and pi officers of state may cautioned and reproved. In view of the widespread calamity that has visited the provinces in the vicinity of the capital, and the failure of the rains at their appointed season, We have already issued a decree expressing Our contrition for faults committed, and undertaking to examine into the thereby Heaven might be moved Que shortcomings, in' the hope, that pour down refreshing rain. Ho now represents that although in consequence of Our youth and inexperience the government is administered by their Ma-
are thus jose in the the affairs of the nation are Monductel held by hee into highest place, through the agency of the Ministers of
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.