Shu-sheng, Governor of Kweichow, ha audience of leave. i (1) A Decree. Liu K'un-yi requests the bestowal of posthumous honors upon a Financial Commissioner now deceased, and begs that a title may-be given him and his official biography be compiled by the State Historiographer's office. Yang Ch'ing-lin, late Financial Commissioner of Kwangtung, who rose from the rank of Han-lin to his late position, was a faithful servant, and his death from grief at the loss of his mother is indeed pitiable. Let him be committed to the Board for the bestowal of the posthumous honors assigned to Financial Commissioners. The substitution of another name is specially an Imperial for by our servants. Yang Ch'ing-lin did prerogative and may not rosily be applied his duty thoroughly and completely, but his merits were not of an extraordinary type. The application for the bestowal of a posthuicons title upon him, and for the compilation of his official biography, is most improper. Let Liu K'un-yi be committed to the Board for the infliction of a penalty, as well as the Governor and Literary Chancellor of Kwangtung.
Memorial from Chung Ch'i, Vice-President of the Board of Civil Office, on special duty in Kirin, reporting the death in prison of one of the parties in a case that he was called upon to investigate, (3) Liu K'un-yi, Governor-General of the Two Kwang Provinces, reports that Chang Chao-tung, Governor of Kwangtung, is compelled to vacate his post in consequence of the death of his mother, and begs that an officer may be appointed to take his place. Pending the appointment of a successor, the Governor's seals have been entrusted to Ch'éng Fou, the Financial Commissioner, who will perform the acting duties of the post.
March "8th.—(1) A decree temporarily suspending the Censor Ying Chen from his duties, and directing him to appear at the Board of Punishments to give an explanation of certain assertions made by him that are not fully credited by the Board. A member of the Censor's household having committed an offence, he was called upon to give him up to the Board for trial, but ignored repeated demands for his surrender until at last he declared that the man was dead.
(2) Postscript memorial from Tso Tsung-crippled by wounds received in action tang praying that certain officers who are
be excused from cavalry and archery Granted by Rescript.
(3) Memorial from the Commissioners of the Board of Granaries reporting the result of an investigation into certain charges of fraud brought by the Censor Lou Yii-chin against his colleague Ying-chen in conneetion with the supervision of the delivery of tribute rice. In order to arrive at the truth of this matter, all the drafts of reports prepared by this officer were inspected and a number of minor officials stationed at di ferent points at which the grain was tra shipped were summoned and carefully que tioned. The Commissioners have now come to the conclusion that the charges of fraud are unsubstantiated, but they are of opinion that the penalties inflicted by the for peculation on the part of his subordi ates very light and display a repro-sensible carelessness and want of attention to his duties. With regard to the charge brought against the same officer, of recommending an undue number of officers for the bestowal of honorary reward, they are of opinion that there is no case against him, but they recommend that he be called upon to give up a member of his household, Lin Liu by name, to the Board of Punishmneuts for trial on a charge of a similar nature, the evidence in his favour being of a one-sided nature. Finally, they consider, with reference to the state-mont that the Censor's son was allowed to go backwards and forwards to his father's rooms and thereby gave rise to scandal and criticism, that although the son was only obeying a natural duty in constantly going to seo his father, and no distinct charges are brought against him, the Censor did not sufficiently appreciate the propriety of keeping him at a distance. (See preceding decree and Gazette of Sth and 14th February.)
March 9th.—(1) A decree announcing the penalty that the Board of War has determined in the case of P'a0 Chao, late Commander-in-chief of Chekiang, whose library was burnt and certain Imperial gifts thereby destroyed. He is to be fined six months' pay for his carelessness in this matter The penalty of dismissal to which he is liable for retaining in his possession certain memorials containing the " ver dorsement," is graciously remitted in consideration of the fact that, being a soldier, he was ignorant of the proper procedure in these matters. (See Gazette of 3rd March.)
(2) Pao-yun, President of the Board of Civil Office, reports the penalty that this Board hias' adjudged to Li P'ei-ching, Governor of Kweichow, for his improper request for the bestowal of posthumous honors on Liwo Chan-ling, late Governor-General of Yinnsn and Kweichow, and the restoration of the rank of which-he had been deprived. The legal penalty for such an offence is deprivation of the steps of commutative rank and removal to another post. (See Gazette of 27th January.)
(3) Sang Ch'un-jung, President of the Board of Punishments, makes a second appeal for leave to vacate his post on the ground of ill-health. (Granted by decree 16th February.)
(4) Ya Lu, Governor of Anhwei, applies for permission to retain Hu Yii-tan, judge of that province, who has been summoned to Peking for audience. The Financial Commissioner is anxious to visit his native place to repair the family tombs, and during his absence his functions will be por formed by Hu Yi-than. Rescript noted.
A similar application is made Wen-ko, Governor of Shantung, on beh of the late General of the Teng-chow Brigade, who has not visited his native place for more than ten years.
March 10th.—(1) The following appointments are gazetted:—Renders of the Hanlin, Liao Shou-hong IF $$$ [$5 and Pao shu $3 AH; Supervising Censor of the Board of War, Chou Ho JR] ft.
(2) Memorial from the Censor of the Kivangtung Cireut requesting that Special High Commissioners may be appointed to investigate certain charges against the Prince of Ta-erh-han, Dzazzak, or chief of the Khorch'in tribe of the Inner Mongols, It appears that he was accused of levying fines of so many head of cattle from the Mongols under his jurisdiction, and of wounding ome men during the course of a hunting expedition. These accusations were not substantiated, but it was found that he had borrowed money from his subordinates, and this being a most improper proceeding on the part of an official in his position he was committed by Imperial Decree to the Mongolian Superintendency for the determination of a penalty, atop that will be regarded with satisfac tion by thoMongol tribes. The memorialist has now heard that the investigations tuted by the Mongolian Superintendency in connection with this case have disclosed intrigues on the part of the Meng Chang, or Captain General, who has duced persons to give faluo evidence, and have proved the Dzazzak to be a man of an extraordinarily arbitrary and violent temperament, He has treated his subordinate in a tyrannical manner on more than one occasion. During the summer hunt conducted by him, numbers of men died of thirst, while the corruption and dishonesty, that Hie has displayed inthe administration of justice and the distribution of rations to his troops, etc., ete., are so numerous as to render him an object of dread to the Banner over which he has command. The tyranny under which his subjects must labour will increase the longer he is allowed to hold the seals of office, and must eventually result in a disturbance. No one of his subordinates dares to testify to his tyranny, and if his conduct again scrutinized by the Mongolian Super-intendancy and he be let off with a light penalty such as they have now determined bbe encouraged to continue in his courses, Memorialist would therefore ray that the Military Governor of Shéngking and the Deputy Captain General of the Tribe be instructed to investigate his conduct at once and report the result of their enquires direct to his Majesty.
March 11th.—(1) The following appoint, ments are gazetted:—Supervising Censor of the Board of Revenue, An Hsiang
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.