May 6.—(1) On the application of Tseng Pi-kwang, Governor of Kweichow, a Decree is issued ordaining the erection of a memorial temple in honour of " former governor. of the Province, named Tsiang (2) A Decree is issued with further reference to the complete tranquillization of Kweichow, The Boards are instructed to recommend appropriate marks of distinc~ tion for a long list of Governors-General, Governors, Generals, and other provincial functionaries, present and past, who rendered services to the cause by promoting the supply of funds and otherwise, (8) The Brigadier of a division of the naval forces of Fukien makes report of his annual cruise, in conformity with general instructions issued to this effect in 1844, The cruise of 1873, lasting from the second to the ninth noon, was duly carried out by the Brigadier of Fu-ning, with the hagpieet results in the way of efficiency and discipline May Gth—(1) The Governor of Honan reports the particulars of a case of wholesale murder, committed in revenge for acts of adultery. A prisoner named Hu Kw'ang-cho has been sent forward by the Magistrate of his district for trial at K'ai-feng Fu, where, on full investigation, it has been found that in 1863 the prisoner went with his mother and his wife to lodge in the house of a man named Kiang Ta-yung and that this man took the opportunity of forming in illicit connection with bot! women, which went on for some time without prisoner's knowledge, until at Jength the scandal became bruited abroad ud came to his ears. With the resolution of seizing the guilty parties in the act he came home one evening, and bursting open a door was on the point of grappling with Kiang Ta-yung, when the adulterer managed to escape from, his grasp. The prisoner, for the sumo of his mother's repute, refrained from bringing his complaint before the authorities, but he put away wife, and his mother shortly afterwards hid her disgrace by a second marriage during her son's absence from home. The prisoner, learning that Kiang 'a-yung had fled to the Province of Shensi, and harbouring designs of vengeance against the author of his wrongs, proceeded to that province, where he enlisted as a brave and maintained diligent but ineffectual search after his enemy. In the early part of 1873 he took his discharge and returned biome, and as he was pursuing his journey he accidentally encountered the man of whom he was in search standing at his own doorway. Prisoner at once attacked him with the intention of taking his life, and pursued him into the house, where he strick at him with an iron pole which he snatched up from the doorway. With this weapon he battered Kaing Ta-yung to death (inflicting wounds which are described in detail), and having effected his deadly purpose he was making off, when the murdered man's wife and son'ran up and endeavoured to seize him. Drawing a dagger, Hu Kw'ang-che stabbed the woman in. several places, until she relaxed her ffimsclf in the same mainer from the ton, rasp and fell down, and he disengaged who dropped insensible after receiving moly wounds. Hu Kw'ang-che was on the point of making off when a grandson of Nang Ta-yung endeavoured further to detain him, upon which he again made use of his dagger with deadly effect, first stabbing the lad and at length, in his determination to escape, severitig - his windpipe with a fatal gash across the throat, which caused immediate death. Seized, notwithstanding these efforts, by some of the villagers, Hu Kw'ang-che was committed to prison, the wounded woman dying shortly afterwards. The son recovered; but prisoner is found guilty of having taken the lives of two persons of one family, without counting the murder with which he began in the case of Kiang Ta-yung. The circumstances of the crime, under the provisions of divers enactments, leave it doubtful whether he should be "summarily beheaded" or be imprisoned to await strangling after revision of the sentence at Peking and this point is submitted for His Majesty's decision. Rescript: Let the Board of Punishments form an opinion and report to Us without delay.
(2) The Governor of Honan reports the removal of the Magistrate of the Sze-shui District from office, and the institution of enquiry into the causes of a tumult that has lately occurred in his Yamen. The istrict is, it appears, noted for turbulence and on a report atising among the tax payers that a fee of two cash under the head of "charge for stationery" was about to be exacted by the revenue-clerks on the issue of each receipt, a mob assembled, broke the doors and windows of the pay: ofice, and finally burst into the yamen itself. One man was killed in the course of the riot, which the Magistrate vainly endeavoured to appease. On this fatal accident happening, the mob at length took to flight. The revenue-clerks and the ringleaders of the disturbance are to be arrested, and sent to the provincial capital for trial by the officer who has been placed in acting charge of the District.
May 7th.—(1) His Majesty will to-morrow proceed at 5 a.m. to the Ta-Kao-Tien to offer worship, and thence will proceed to the Imperial Park (the King-Shan, or Prospect Hill, behind the Palace), where he will offer worship in the Show Hwang Tien, Re-entering the Palace, his Majesty will at 7 a.m. ascend the K'ien Ts'ing pa-vision, where ho will accept the (birthday) congratulations. At 8 a.m. his Majesty will take his seat to witness a theatrical performance.
(2 and 3) Two memorials, by the Ce Mu Yii-yun and Pion named Sich Hwan-chang, aged upwards of 60, from the Province of Yunnan, by the revisers in preparation for the Doctorate examinations now in progress at Peking. Upwards of 30 names were placed in the fourth (and lowest) class at this m, but Sich Hwan-chang has been excluded from the list altogether AR Hi), {and loses thus not only his chance of competing for the tsin-se degree, but also the degrees he has already obtained). The Censor Hu alleges that great injustice has been done to this individual scarcely recovered from the fatigues of his immense journey when subjected to the reviser's examination, and he gives express sion to the discontoné which is felt among the literary candidates owing to the harsh proceedings in this case.—A Rescript has appeared directing renewed enquiry.
(4 The Grand Secretary Wen-siang, kneeling, represents that his long-continued illness gives no signs of recovery, and he again entreats the Imperial favour permitting him to resign his office and devote himself to the restoration of his health. Words are inadequate to express his gratitude for the sacred favour already extended toward him, as manifested in the leave of temporary retirement already accorded; but the Grand Secretary feels, with all his desire to reassume the discharge of his duties, that there is little hope of a recovery from the asthmatic complaint under which he Jabours. In the autumn of 1870 he begged that he might be solely employed in connection with foreign offal and relieved from all other weighty busi ness, in the hope of being able thus to continue longer serviceable to his Majesty but for the last three years his infirmities have gone on increasing, and he finds him-sele growing daily worse. Beside the ufferings entailed by asthma, the Grand Secretary is afflicted with sleeplessness, with a painful affection of the liver, and with intervals of loss of consciousness and memory. Even although permitted to confine himself, as before solicited, to Foreign Afairs exclusively, he would be incapable of enduring the necessary exertion, He is consequently reduced to the necessity; of begging permission to retire, although feeling that, his sixtieth year not havin, been yet attained, lo has aot accomplished the duty he owes to his Sovereign, as dog or a horse to its master.—A Rescript, already published, grants in reply a further congo of two months.
May 8.—(1) The Governor of Chekiang memorializes soliciting distinguished rewards for the officials, civil and military, who have exerted themselves successfully since 1870 in apprehending and executing several hundreds of the malefactors who endeavoured to raise a rebellion at 'I'ai-chow, and who murdered the Brigadier-General Ch'én Shao, while' at sea, The perpetrators of these acts were remnants of the late (Taiping) insurrection, and greater merit attaches to the suppression of their movement than to the capture and punishment of ordinary brigands.—In response to the Governor's application, a Rescript is issued directing the proper Board to take action as quested.
(2) The Governor of Chekiang reports the measures taken last year for the sup-reason of an outbreak in the Sin-ch'ang istrict, the apprehension and execution of the principal offenders, and the hacking to pieces of the bodies of two of the ringleaders.
May 9th.—(1) The Prince of Tun and others return thanks for the gift of jade sceptre, (2) The President of the Board of Civil Office and his colleagues report their judgment in the case of the Judicial Commissioner of Yunnan, whose delay in adjudicating a charge of murder, the victim of which was a Brigadier-General who was set upon and beaten to death by the retainers of the Prefect with whom he had quarrelled, led to the assassination of the prefect by the murdered man's nephew (as already narrated in previous memorials.) The judyment given is to the effect that the high oficial in question should lose a step of rank and be removed from his position.—A Rescript confirming this sentence has already appeared.
(3) The Governor of Shantung reports that the first detachment of grain-junks, carrying the Shantung contingent, have been inspected and found in complete order, and would commence their journey northwards on the 10th April.
1) Yit-she, the High Comming, memorializes extolling the virtues of Use deceased high official Shen Chao-shen, under whom he served in 1862, when the subject of his eulogium was conducting operations against the revolted Mahommedans, in his capacity of Acting Governor-General of Shensi and Kansuh. Wholly absorbed in the discharge of his public duties, Shen Chao-shen gave no thought to his own rest or health, and he finally perished by drowning in flood, owing to his determination to continue a march across country and during weather which deterred even herdboys and pedlars from attempting to ixavel. The
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.