April 26th.—(1) A decree, The Censors Shih Tai and Hsin Wen represent that the receipts of the Imperial Treasury do suffice for the expenditure, and pray compromise may be considered by which this state of things may be remedied, They state that the income of the Treasury of the Imperial Household does not meet the expenditure; so much so, that it becomes neces to devise some plan for raising further funds, The purchase system, as far as the provinces are concervied, has already been abolished, but the Board of Revenue still conti the system of purchase under long existing statute. They recommend therefore that the members of the three Banners attached to the Office of the Imperial Household be permitted to offer contributions in exchange for brevet rank and similar privileges, the stem being conducted by the Office of the Imperial Household, The individuals who purchase this honorary rank should, when the money has been' paid, present their receipts at the yamen of the memorialists, who would give them a certificate in exchange for their receipt. We have read this memorial with the greatest surprise. The question of State economy is considered with the greatest care, and there are naturally fixed laws by which expenditure is adapted to income. If the income of the Office of the Imperial Household is insufficient to meet its expenditure, it is the manifest duty of the Comptroller of this department to adopt measures to meet such conditions. Why should the Censors in question exceed their proper functions by taking this task upon themselves instead of leaving it to him, and offer trivial remarks on questions of finance? Moreover, the purchase system has always been left to the control of the Board of Revenue. Shih T'ai and his colleague have been guilty of a most unconstitutional proceeding in suggesting changes in a system of long standing, by means of which offices for the receipt of contributions shall be established by the Nai Wu Fu, and certificates granted by their own yamen, Shih Tai and. Hsin Wen are unfit for the office of Censor.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.