Liu Chin-tang, the Governor of Turkestan, who recently obtained six months' leave of absence to enable him to visit hi native place in Hunan, has submitted an application through the Governor of the latter province for permission to retire from the public service. The grounds on which this application is made are the condition of his grandmother's health and the necessity for bestowing personal attendance upon her during the remainder of her life. The Emperor professes to be much affected bythe sincerity and earnestness of the touching appeal made to him by his servant, but adds that there would be great difficulty in finding a suitable successor to Liu Chi tang, whose reputation stands so deserved-high throughout Turkestan. He regrets, therefore, being unable to accede to such a reasonable request, grants the speticant four months' extension of leave and sends him a present of eight ounces of ginseng for his aged grandmother.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.