October 2nd.—(1) In a third Memorial the same Commissioners deal with the subject of robbery and brigandage. The complaint had been made to the Emperor that, in spite of the upright character of the people of Hunan, robberies with violence become matters of most frequent occurence, the criminals being generally disbanded soldiers; and further, that when such matters were brought to the notice of the authorities, they took no steps to see that justice was done to the sufferers. The Commissioners having carefully inquired into all the cases laid before them, do not deny that the number of disbanded soldiers in the province has been the cause of a good deal of brigandage, but they find that some of the alleged cases never took place at all, and that others which have been repre: sented as robberies with violence, were in reality nothing but simples thefts. They think that the efficiency of the provincial police can best be judged by making a comparison of the number of robberies which have actually occurred and the number in which offenders have been convicted. Proceeding on this system, they discover tht out of thirty-three cases as many as thirty have been dealt with by the authorities. The Governor has shown the serious light in which he regards brigandage by withdrawing from their posts more than one magi cient promptness. The Commissioners, trate for failing to Tepore onaes with oni while acquitting the Governor of the charge of negligence and the local authorities of the charge of hushing up eases, still consider that the presence of so many di banded soldiers renders necessary the strict est vigilance both in preventing robberies, and in dealing with them after they have occurred; and His Majeat is requested to issue instructions to the Governor to this effect.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.