Courtof Entertainment, urging the necessity of exercising more careful supervision over the collectorates of customs and octroi Peking which are rife with abuses of various kinds, Ho calls special attention to a practice which prevails of ench newly appointed Superintendent (who is changed annually) deputing one of his personal servants to assist the official examiner in the inspection of dutiable articles as they enter the gates. The motive with, which the practice was instituted was that the Superintendent might keep a check, by means of trusted and confidential dependent, on the action of the official examiner, but the result has generally been that the two work in collusion to oppress the tax-payer, and enrich themselves. Fines for breaches of regulation which are limited by statute are levied largely in excess of the authorised amount on the slightest pretext, and so arbitrary and oppressive have these exactions become that the customs of the capital is a byword amongst the people, and trade has been seriously hampered. The Memorialist is informed by the Deputy Superintendent of Customs that Pa Yang-a, the examiner nominated by the present Superintendent, and Fu, the Superintendent's confidential retainer, have been particularly notorious for their Whole sale extortions. Numbers of mule drivers and others who have refused to comply with their demands have been imprisoned and tortured, and five fruit merchants have become bankrupt in consequence of their exactions, which renched in the particular case the Memorialist refers to the sum of Tls. 1500 in fines alone. A foreign paper-shop lind to pay a fine of Ts, 3000 to these game men, and even the Senior Nye (husband of an Imperial Princess) was their Victim to the extent of a fine of is, 400. All these cases and many more not enumerated have occurred within the last two mouths, and if His Majesty will be pleased to summon K'o M the Deputy Superintendent, he will be able to substantiate the allegations now-nade= this state of things to His Majesty's neties the Memorialist begs to suggest two measures for the prevention of the abuses he indicates. He would propose, first, that the Superintendent be made responsible for the shortcomings of his subordinates, and, second, he would have the rules regarding the fines which can be legitimately levies properly enunciated. (For Decree answer Ing this Memorial' see Gazelle of 18th October; also Guzettes of 30th October and. 1st November.
November 13th,—(1) A Decroo ordering a donation of to months' pay and rations to be bestowed upon the Luperial clans men direct and cull view of the inclemency of the season and the hardness of the times, Widows and orphans belong ing to the same class are tu receive one month's allowance. In a separate Decree the same privilege is extended to bannermen and all branches of the military sore vice.
(2) The following high officers are 1 corded permission to ride within the hidden Cit, Yen Hsit, Senior President of the Court of Censors.
Kuang Shun, Comptroller of the Imperial Household.
November 14th—(1) A Decree in answer autho e Governor-General to make to a representation from Li Hang-chang
such arrangements as he may find quiry to be necessary, for reduce rents upon lands in Chihli which are the property of princes, dukes, and other members of the nobility who hold these lands under fief granted to their ancestry. The rents upon other lands which are the property of some of the Banner Corps upon which annual rents are paid, are similarly to be reduced for the current year, in view of the general distress that prevails.
(2) A Memorial from the Censor Liu Eu-po with reference to the unsatisfactory nature of the supervision that is exercised by the Superintendent of the Peking Customs over the collection of duties upon goods entering the metropolis. It is commonly reported that the reason why itis the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.