ABSTRACT OF PEKING Gazerres, February 29th.—(1) A decree conferring distinctions of various degrees upon certain entry and members of a militia corps in innan who have been recommended to the notice of Hlis Majesty by Liu Ch'ang-yo, Governor-General of Ytanan and Kuei chow. A number of members of an affiliated society near Hstin-tien Chow, in Yunnan, massacred the whole household of a certain military graduate in that sub-prefecture, and having forcibly abducted some two thousand people, raised the standard of revolt and made an attack upon the prefect tural town. They were promptly met by a certain Major Chang Tzu-fa, whose force was subsequently joined bya number of regulars and militia, and a combined advance was made against them. The rebels made a stand and tried to oppose this advance, but they were put to the rout, and their leader Chang Sung and others were killed in the fight, as well as some three hundred others. The people who had been carried off then throw down their weapons and returned to their allegiance, with the result that the enemy were mowed down in heaps and order was quickly restored. The prompt action of the authorities is commended, and the Governor-General is directed to root out all germs of the rebellion, that tranquillity may be restored to the region in question.
(2) Wen Kuei is re-appointed Superintendent of Imperial Manufactories at Hang chow.
(8) A memorial from the Governor of Shantung reporting the result of an enquiry into the circumstances of the execution of twenty-one criminals by the Magistrate of Ling Hsien. This enquiry was undertaken at the instance of the Censor K'ung Hsien-chieh, who complained that the Masistrate in question had not furnished the Governor Wen Ko with the depositions upon the strength of which he had acted in this summary manner, and that the Governor had been guilty of numerous inaccuracies in his memorial in order to cover the injustice that had been perpetrated. An expectant Taotai was despatched to the Ling district to make private enquiries, which have elicited the following particulars. A certain bad character called Lin ai collected subscriptions from a number of people who formed themselves in a trainband and declined to pay the grain-tax due from them, while they subjected the well-disposed inhabitants of numerous villages to many vexations and injuries. One Chiang Chao-ling, who has since been dismissed the service, was acting as magistrate at the time, but failed to arrest Lan Tai. Chao To-hsi, his successor, who took over charge in February 1878, at once considered measures for the capture of Lan T'ai and his gang, and to this end raised a force of soldiery and militia, with which he surrounded a village im which Lan Tai was established. Lan T'ai, however; got wind of the expedition and made his escape. He came back in the following month with the intention of wreaking his vengeance against the Magistrate for having attempted to arrest him, and with this object he collected a body of rowdies and made an attack upon A certain village on the night of the 2ist of May. The attack, however, failed, and he then proceeded to plunder the country round. The Magistrate again went out against him with a number of regulars and a force of militia called out at his desire by one Wong Chin-chia. They met Lan Tai and his band at dawn on the 23rd of May, when a fight ensued, in which the Goyernment troops had slightly the advantage, when a large gun that was being worked by Lin ai burst, and so frightened his followers that they dispersed. 'The Government troops followed up the advantage, and finally succeeded in capturing twenty: three prisoners who were taken' back to the prefectural town, Shortly afterwards, a report having reached the Magistrate that Lin ai intended to effect rescue of the prisoners, he put them to death on the day after their capture, withthe exception of two who declare they had been seized by the rioters and forced to join them. These men were sent back into custody, and soon afterwards set at liberty. his story was confirmed by universal testimony, and it was everywhere denied that the people executed were simple applicants for relief from taxation on the ground of the failure of their crops, (For decree see Gazette of 1st February.
March Ist.—The Gazette is again issued daily. (Court Circular.) The Prince of Ch''un had audience.
(1) Memorial from Jung Yi, Minister Superintendent of the Imperial Mausolea, The avenues of trees inside and outside the enclosures of the Mausolea recently constructed for their Majesties the Empresso: Regent having been laid out, it was then proposed to plant eight yew-trees on either side of the pavilions enclosing the tablets upon which a record of Their Majesties' lives will be engraved. These trees were to be chosen from the forest in the outer enclosure and removed to the position it was intended that they should occupy. No fixed rate of charges being laid down for the removal of trees, the cost has hitherto been. regulated by the distance they have to be ied, and the officers entrusted with this duty now report that the trees are in position, and that they have expended altogether Ils. 354, which include the expense of diyying up, removing, re-planting, and watering. In accordance with precedent, this amount should be refunded by the Board of Works. The memorialist has further to report that he expects to be able to finish planting all the trees during the present winter, but as the money required for this purpose has not yet been remitted in full from the proviticial treasury of Chihli, nioney has hud to be borrowed to carry on the work, The sum required is, however, so large that it cannot all be obtained on loan, and the memorialist would pray His Majesty to call upon the Governor-General of Chihli to direct the Financial Commissioner to remit the sma due at once from whatever funds he may A Rescript is appended governor-General to act in the manner suzwested., 2) Memorial from Chang Shu-sheng, Governor of Kuangsi, reporting the elec tion of the rebel Li Yang-tsai. On the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.