the dismissal of Li Sik'i, Magistrate of the September 10th, (1) A decree directing district in Honan, who has been denounced by the Governor for improvidence in the manner of distributing relief, whereby supplies ran short. He is to be placed on his trial, with a view to ascertaining whether the acts complained of were the result of carelessness or fraud. ed a Commissioner ep a of Trans-(2) Chow Jui-tsing Ji] Jig fig is appoint.
mission.
(8) Memorial by the Censor Li T'ing-sino on the subject of the employment of the military by subordinate provincial officials on light and frivolous pretexts, His observations have been summarised in the decree on the subject, published in the Gazette of 28th August.
(4) Postscript memorial by the same Censor requesting His Majesty to enunciate afresh the existing prohibition against the slaughter of oxen, As the famine in Shansi and Honan is drawing to a close, the want of seed corn and plough oxen begins to make itself felt, and yet the ignorant peasantry, directly they see a fair prospect of a harvest, are as improvident ever. Of late the disposition to slaughter oxen has been universally on the increase, and this disposition is particularly marked in the prefecture of Honan. Plough oxen are aids to agriculture, and hence are important agents in the provision of food supplies. Thus, if their strength and power is availed of and they are also butchered, an interruption of the harmony of the' laws of nature] as ordered by the ker of all things must necessarily ensue. The State, on the occasion of great sacrificial ceremonies, makes use of cattle as the victims of sacrifice, and the petty trader on the market follows this precedent and stealthily kills the animals for food, thereby disregarding the stringent prohibition on the subject. Me therefore prays His Majesty to give directions for the renewed enunciation of this prohibition by provincial authorities. (For decree seo Gazette of 28th August.)
(6) Liu _Kw'un-yi, Governor-General of the Two Kwang, reports the resumption of his official duties at the expiration of his congo.
(6) Li Hung-chang in a postscript memorial solicits the bestowal of a mark of distinction upon a young girl, the daughter of an official, who from her earliest childhood had manifested the utmost filial devotion and was the joy of her father's heart. Her mother fell sick, and the daughter tended her with unweary. ing care, but her malady was beyond redemption and she died. Whereupon the daughter poisoned herself with liquid gold, that she might be able to continue her ministration to her mother in another world.—Rescript: An application to the same effect has been made by Yi Lu. We sanction the bestowal of a mark of distinct tion.
(7) The Governor-General of the Two Kwang requests permission to defer the payment of certain arrears due on the salt gabelle for the year 1874, as the yield of the present year has been considerably reduced by unfavourable weather.—Granted by rescript.
September 11th—(Court Circular.)Ch'ung How had audience.
(Q) A decree in answer to a memorial from Teéng Kwoh-ts'tian, Governor of Shansi, reporting on the capabilities of different prefectures to bear taxation during the latter half of the financial year, and requesting permission to remit or levy grain-tax -accordingly..
In conformity with his suggestions, P'ing-yang, and other prefectures and sub-prefectures in the Southern portion
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.