March 4th.—(1) Li Hung-chang reports the recapture of two criminals who had escaped from prison, and the trial and punishment of a gang of burglars of which they formed a part. The acts of burglary with which they were charged, were coni-mitted in the year 1874, but as no plunder had been recovered, and the statements of the accused were very contradictory, they were remanded until further evidence could be obtained. On the night of the 7th of January, 1877, while the watchmen on duty were temporarily absent, the two prisoners wrenched off their manacles, and made a hole in the cage in which they were confined large enough to get out of. They then twisted off the lock of the prison door, and, climbing over the outer wall, made their escape in different directions. One of them was recaptured in a few days, but the other remained at large for three months before he could be taken. Suiflicient evidence being eventually forthcoming, sentence has been awarded to each offender in proportion to his guilt, and the carelessness of the officers in charge of the criminals who escaped has been duly punished.
(2) Pao Ying, Military Assistant-Gov-error commanding at K'obdo, applies for sanction to the expenditure of Tls. 840 for repairs of standards and tents belonging to the force of Mongolian cavalry stationed at K'obdo. The force numbers eight hundred and twenty, rank and file, and according to the regulations a certain sum should be allotted to them annually, out of the funds for military purposes, for repairs to tents and flags. A portion of the force has recently joined, and these, as is the rule, must be provided with tents by the Banner from which they are drafted. 'The cost of repairs to tents of original members of the force is estimated at Tls. 600, and that of fifty large standards, with' eighty-seven duties as ustal.—Referred to the Board of odd.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.