July 4th.—The Governor-General, Governor, and Superintendent of Customs at Canton report the amount of foreign Customs duties collected at Canton and Swatow during the quarter ended 3ist December, 1886. By instructions issued in 1886, two-fifths of the collection were to be remitted to Peking. A monthly contribution of Tls. 10,000, which was formerly subscribed to Shensi, has since the of last year been diverted to defraying diture on the frontier." There is a quarterly payment to the Imperial Household for the purchase of 1,000 ounces of gold leaf, and a similar liability for Tls. 6,000, which formerly went to repay the Fuhkien loan, but which has recently been transferred to the fund for increasing the salaries of Peking oftcials. Of the two-fifths duties, which since 1876 were devoted to coast defence purposes, one-half was formerly sent to the Superintendentof Trade for the North, and the remainder forwarded to the Board of Revenue for the repayment of " sum of Tis, 300,000 in connection with milita operations in the west. Tu accordance with instructions issued early last year the total amount is henceforth to be remitted yearly to Peking, to meet the expenses of the Board of Admiralty. The total collection of import and export duties and of duties on foreign opium amounted during the djuarter under review to Ts, 448,207-0.7., the two-fifths of which represent is. 179,303,6.3; from which the following payments have to be deducted. To frontier military expenditure, 'Tis, 30,000; to Imperial "Household, 'Tis, 18,000; to increase of Peking salaries, Tls. 6,500, total Tls. 54,000; leaving a balance of is, 124,803'6.3, 'Tonnage dues, duties on goods and opium carried by the China Merchants' steamers, Coast Trade duties, ete., amount ted during the sume period "to Tis, CASE OF HOMICIDE, July Sth.—(1) The Governor of Kansu reports the following case of homicide,—Ts'ai Tien-hsiao lived in the Chu-t'ai District, where he followed the occupation a'farmer, and the deceased, Wang Tech'éng was his near neighbour, He went one day last year to Wang's house to look for a friend, and Mrs. Wang, being annoyed by the frequency of his visits, gave vent to her feelings in some strong long Offended at this, he went to complain to her husband who was cutting grain in a field, and who told him that he deserved what he got. He abused the husband for defending his wife, and a quarrel ensued between the two men. Wang rushed at Ts'ai with the reaping-hook, but the latter, parrying the thrust, knocked the sickle out of his hand, and on stooping to pick it up himself received a kick in the stomach from Wang, from the effects of which he died six days afterwards. The criminal has been sentenced, in accordance with the Inw bearing on the case, to strangulation after the autumn assizes.
REVIEW OF TROOPS IN TIRED, (2) The Resident and Assistant Resident in Tibet report the spring inspection of the native and Chinese troops stationed in Anterior Tibet. The men were mustered by the Chinese military oticers and the native commandant, and the review was condueted by the Resident in person on the 16th April and following days. The Chinese troops advanced, retreated, and went through the various evolutions in capital order, and the native battalions also performed their part with commendable regu-Inity.. Both forces displayed much all and dexterity in volley-firing, in sword and spear exercises, as also in making, feint assaults. The scores made at target practice though not of uniform excellence, averaged over 70 per cent, Those who had acquitted themselves with exceptional credit received immediate advancement, while silver medals, purses, and penknives were bestowed on others whose merit was less conspicuous. Those who failed to attain the requisite standard of proficiency were reprimanded or degraded, and the officers, native and Chinese alike, were exhorted to maintain the efficiency of their men by regular drill,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.