Jan. 6th.—(1) A decree in answer to a memorial from Ch'ung How, Governor-General of Feng-tien, who has denounced tro Manchu subalterns for complicity with the mounted brigands infesting that province. One of the delinquents, being related by marriage to a cousin of one of these depredators, on the latter being captured and imprisoned, had the audacity to stand security for the criminal's release and in the second case, a captain named Min Teh-fuh allowed his brother to har-hour a certain notorious brigand chief, besides which he entertained the project of furnishing supplies of firearms to the robbers. The two incriminated officers are hereupon cashiered and sentenced to transportation into servitude upon the military (2) The Governor-General of the Two Kwang and the Governor of Kiangsu memorialize reporting the sentence pronounced in the case of a military officer charged with an unintentional' act of homicide in the discharge of his official functions. The case occurred at the city of I-ch'éng, where, in July last, a certain individual named Ts'ien Teh-kwei raised an uproar in connection with the employment ofa band of musicians for a procession intended to do honour to a departing district Magistrate. The man Ts'ien interfered with the musicians engaged, and a tumult ensued in consequence of his clamourand violence, to quell which the officers in command of the detachment of braves at the place, a brevet Brigade-General named Wang Sienchen, anda brevet captain named Chao Wenskao, came forward. Both these officers struck the man with their whips, and continued beating him for some time until, yielding to the entreaty of the musicians, they let him go; but as he stumbled' away his trewsers caught the point of Chao Wen-kao's boot, and Chao, raising his foot, unintentionally gave him a Kick, The man was assisted to his home, and he died on the following day from the effect of the injuries received. The statute Inw comprises three forms of penalty applicable to this case, as regards the various individuals concerned. The first runs to the effect that ' whosoever shall cause the death of any man by blows inflicted in a broil, whether the same be dealt with the hand, foot, or any other object, or with a Gath by strangling after bnptisonment to weapon of metal or a sword, shall suffer
await confirmation of the sentence." The second form provides the penalty of 20 stripes in the case of any one who shall strike another with hand or foot without inflicting an actual wound and the third is the proviso according to which 80 blows are made the penalty for general wrongdoing of an aggravated description. The severest form of penalty has now been Pronounced upon the offending military officer found guilty of causing the death of Te'ien Teh-kwei, and he is sentenced to suffer strangulation in despite of his appeal for a more lenient sentence, on the ground that he is almost the only son of aged parents. This is rejected on the ground that the deceased man was himself an only son, and that his parents are left with no one to attend upon them. A minor penalty is denounced against a'petty civilian functionary who took part in the affair; and it is solicited that the Brigade-General, whose duty it was to have been more careful, be stripped of his rank.—The judicial sentences are referred by rescript to the Board of Punishments for consideration. stripped of his rank but left in_ office. The Brigade-General Wang Sien, chén is
of Chihli, etc,, memorializes with reference Li Hung-chang, Governor-General to the collection of contributions on behalf of the requirements of famine-relief in the province of Shansi, to assist in the management of which he has been commissioned by decree. The extent of country afflicted, he represents, is so vast and the length of time to be provided for so protracted, that unless, subscriptions be encouraged on an extensive scale the funds provided can scarcely be more than a drop in the bucket. Without referring more minutely at present to the results obtained at the ports of Tientsin, Shanghai, Hankow, and Ningpo, to the authorities of which, as important trading centres, requisitions have been sent for the establishment of collecting agencies, and by the officials and notables of which places sums have already been raised, though to no considerable amount as yet, it has now particularly to be reported that, in view of the character for liberality and' public spirit which has always distinguished the notables and mercantile class of Ch'ao-chow Fu, on the coast of Kwangtung, the memorialist wrote some time ago to Ting Jih-ch'ang, Governor of Fuhkien (a native of that prefecture and now residing there), requesting him to exhort the authorities and notables of his own locality to unite their efforts in the cause, The Taotai of that Intendancy, Chang Sion, has now reported to the alist that on receipt of his despatch subject, he had proceeded at once to Swatow (the port of Ch'ao-chow Fu), where an official committee formed under his direction succeeded by dint of active efforts raising contributions to the sum of 20,000 dollars, equivalent to Taels 14,000, In addition to this, subscriptions were farther to be solicited at Ampu, Ch'énghai, and the other towns in the neighbourhood. At Hongkong, Singapore, and in Annan and Siam, moreover, the number of Ch'ao-chow (Tiechiu) traders is notably great; and two officials, the expectant Prefect K'o Chen-tsien 49] and the expectant sub-Prefect Kao 'T'ing-k'iei BERG, axe named as especially conversant with the localities in question. It is proposed that they should nominate trustworthy official agents to proceed thither for the purpose of soliciting contributions, and it is requested that certificates of rank and office may be forwarded to Ch'so-chow Fu for issue to subscribers, in redemption of the pledge held forth in this respect. On receipt of this communication from the Taotai Chang-sion, to whose popularity in Chao-chow Fu, where he has held his present office for upwards of ten years past, the results now obtained are ascribed, the memorialist submits a report of what has already bee accomplished, and he will hereafter solicit rewards on a distinguished scale on behalf of the offi: als who have exerted themselves in this matter. He writes also to the Governor of Shansi desiring him to send forward a supply of the required certificates to be offered for sale to contributors.
Jan. 7th—A decree, Let Hwang Yuhgnén Sia H} succeed to the post of Prefect of Kw'ei-chow Fu in Sze-ch'wan.
Jan. 8th.—(1) A decree making the following administrative changes
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.