February 8th—(1) A Decree with reference to several Honan officials recently denounced by a Censor for venality and extortion, The report of the Governor, Mei Ch'-chao, has now been received, from which it appears that there is no evidence of acceptance of bribes by Chiang 'Hain, an expectant Taotai, or of corrupt Fect On Yang-lin' Some colour was, how.
tactices on the part of the expectant Pre-
ever, given 10 the suspicion that attached to the Taotai by the fact that during the term of his acting appointment as Provincial Tudgo, his mother received various presents from minor officials on her birthday. Both officers, too, have been found wanting in that tact which should enable them to avoid giving cause of offence to their subordinates, they are accordingly committed to the Board for the adjudication of a penalty. The inquiry into the truth of the charges brought against the District Magistrate Chao Chi-cheng will now be suspended, as that officer is dead. The charges against the District Magistrate, Li Pu-yun, hi not boon substantiated, but ho has alloa been summoned to the Provincial wher ho will be placed under offd veillance.
only on alternate days.]
{Hrom this date the Gaels is published February 9thand10th,—(Oourt Circular.) 'Hoiang Hong, 'Tartar General' of Ching-shou, paid his respects on his arrival at Peking.
(1) A Decree, expressing the Imperial regret at the death of Ch'ien Pao-lien, Vioo-President of the Board of Civil Office, and. bestowing-the usual posthumous distinctions upon him.
(2) A Dectoe, directing " strict inquiry Into the state of repair of the Manchu has represented to His Majesty that barracks in difrené parts of Baking; as it Portions of the buildings have in many easys been thrown down, and the materials aald or pledged by the troops.
(8) Yang Ch'ang-chun reports that he haa sot aside a sum of Ts, 15,000 from the Uckin receipts of Kansuh, and' put the same out at interest; the proceeds of which will go to form a fund for the endowment of the Oolloge at Lan-chou Fu. This institution, which is the contre to which all the talent of the province converges, was formerly in possession: of a fixed income, which disappeared during the Mohammedan rising. Since the pacification, its working expenses have boon defrayed by private contributions from Tso Tsung-tang and from surplus military funds. "This your Tao Taung-tang again forwarded money for its maintenance, which was supplemented by a similar dona. tion from Memorialist. As a income derived from such sources must be somewhat precarious, Memorialist felt it his duty to jevise some permanent endowment for the golleye. Ho proposes next year to invest a further sum of Ts, 5,000 diverted from lekin. receipts, and apply the proceeds to the same purpose. He mentions, in conclusion, that the library belonging {to the college having been destroyed during the rebellion, he has purchased copies of the Thirteen Cinssics, together with various historical and other works, which he has presented to the institution.—Reseript: Let the Board take Not (4) The Governor-General of the two Kuang Provinces reports that he has forwarded to Tientsin, for transmission to Bfoukden, various mechanical appliances—in all, 112 articles,—manufactured at Canton. The cost of packing, posterace, freight, and pay of the officials deputed to see that the goods are duly delivered amounted, in all, to Tls. 2,913, which has been defrayed from funds at the disposal of Kuangtung Board of Reorganization.
February 11-12th.—(Gourt Circular.) The Grand Secretary Pao paid his respects on the expiry of his leave.
(2) A Decree. The Censor Li Vu memorialises Us, deprecating the abolition or amalgamation.of lekin collectorates unless after mature deliberation. The Lekin impost is a temporary expedient for defraying military expenses, and the existence of an undue number of collector ates cannot fail to distress the people. For this reason We have repeatedly issued Decrees directing. some of the stations to be suppressed or incorporated with others, believing. that the abolition of each suc sive station would prove a gain to the people at large, and wishing, whilst collecting the fund, to deal as tenderly as possible with' the contributors. The argument of the Censor that the tax is not oppressive to the merchant because it raises the price of his wares, and not felt by the poorest classes as the quantity of the commodities consumed by them is almost inappreciable,- displays lamentable ignorance of the aims of good government. His propositions will not be entertained. Our high provincial officers will continue to do their best to correct any abuses that may have sprung up iv connection with the levy of this tax.
(2) Eh Shih-ch'ang, Junior Vice-President of the Board of Ceremonies, is transferred in the same capacity to the Board of Civil Office. Hsii Keng-shan (RF) is.appointed Junior Viceident of the Board of Ceremonies. is directed to act as Senior Censorate.
(8) Wei Jung-kuang, Governor of Shansi, since transferred to Kiangsu, reports the result of an examination into certain charges brought against Tai Shih-hsiang, an expectant assistant Department Magistrate. The official in question was in December 1880 placed in charge of a lekin collectorate at Pung-ting Chou, and it is alleged that whilst occupying this post he was guilty of oppressive conduct towards the people, extensive malversations of public money and an assault upon a public official. Memorialist has carefully inquired into the truth of the two former charges and finds that they are not supported by evidence. As to the assault said to have been committed upon an official, the following is a correct account of the affair. A cashiered District Magistrate was returning homo in company with a friend, when an underling connected with the collectorate insisted on searching the carts in which he was traveling. The time being close on night-fall, the ex-Magiatrato became impatient of the delay, and a general altercation ensued, in the course of which he attacked one of the servants belonging to the establishment with a stick, The man ran behind Tai Shih-hsiang, who happened to come out in undress at the moment, for protection, and the latter received a blow on the shoulder, upon which he caused his assailant to be arrested, wand handcuffed. An explanation ensued almost immediately, and the prisoner was released and-allowed to proceed on his journey. It appeared that during the altercation referred to, Wei Fu-nien had demanded 1500 cash for allowing the carts to and had finally agreed to accept a smaller sum; and for the offence of not previously ordering a careful inquiry into the character of the underlings employed by him, Tai Shih-hsiang has been committed to the Board for the determination of a penalty. Wei Fu-nien has been sentenced to 100 blows and a month's exposure in the cangue.
February 13-14th.—(Court Circular). The Grand Secretariat presented a congratulatory address to His Majesty.
(1) A Decree, accepting the resignation of Yin Chao-yung, Senior Vice President of the Board of Ceremonies, on the score of ill health. to assist Li Ho-nien, Governor of Honan, a rehearing of the case of Hu T'-an, criminal under sentence of decapitation, who still asserts his innocence.
(8) A Decree, bestowing a second donation of 300 piculs of rice upon a charity able institution in the Chang I Street.
(4) Chang Yun-ching, Junior Vice President of the Board of Works, is appointed Senior Vice President of the Board of Ceremonies, and Sun Vu-wen (BRAEIR) is appointed to the Junior Vice Presidency thus vacated:
(5) A Decree. Tso Tsung-tfang has submitted to us an outline of the cases into which We directed him to institute inquiry (in Hupei). Let the expectant~ taotai Yang Tsung-lien be dismissed the public service and placed upon his trial. Let Ho Wei-chien, Intendant of the Han Huang Té Circuit, vacate his post at once and proceed-to Peking to: have Audience of Us. Let Li Chien, expectant sub-prefect, be placed under the close scrutiny of tha Governor of Hupei, Tso Tsung-tang will report to Us more fully on the other quoa-. tions involved.
(6) A Decree. Tang Hua has now submitted to Us a fuller report on the charges preferred against Wan Ching-li. He represents that when the appointment of Teng T'ien-fu was: anagected, the secretaries of the Board of Civil Office duly pointed out to their chiefs that there were technical objections to the nomination, and after the usual deliberation it was disallowed. When the Board of War subsequently wrote to ask the reasons for this decision, the archives of the Board of ivil Ofice were once more examined, and an old precedent was discovered in which the conditions were identical with those now under con-'
ration and the appointment had nevertheless been sanctioned: 'The Presidents were apprised of this discovery, and at once gave their sanction' to point. ment of Teng Tien-fu. The allegation that Wan Ob'ingd impacted his designs to the Secretaries and shut his ears to the remonstrances of his colleagues, and the story of the draft finally produced by him, are entirely without foundation. This case has now been duly investigated and neod not be further pursued. The Secret of the Board, for their negligence it not discovering at once the existouco of a similar precedent, will have their names re-lod for punishment; and the authorities of the Board will at once take steps to render the rules affecting appointments systematic and uniform.
(2) A Decree, directing the trial and severe punishment of sixteen guilty of the offence of gambling inside one of the Government barracks at Peking.
(8) Wen Lin (A7HPf) is continued an-. other year in his appointment as Supori tendent of the Imperial Manufactory at Nanking.
(9) Postscript Memorial from Wei Yun kuang, in reference to the statements mi to the Throne by the Censor Chang Kuan-chun, [himself a native of ShansiJ, on the exactions and annoyances to. be practised at the Jekin sub-station of Huai-shu-p'u in the department of P'ing-ting, Shansi. The Censor, as appears. from the present Memorial, advocates the removal of the Sub-Collectorate question; but the Governor following the: report of his Finance Committes (Se fig' (JB), argues in favour of its retention. Ho observes that the system of lekin collectorates was established in Shan-hei in 1859, and that ever since it has been found impossible to do without it. It is true that the goods imported into a province: shut in by.mountains and with no water: communication are all things of daily necessaries of life from which little revenue is to be raised, and that consequently the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.