Fu-kun and his colleagues present an urgent demand for funda to enable them to make the necessary preparations for the Emperor's visit to the Eastern Tombs, One of the chief sources of revenue from which expenditure of this kind is defrayed is an annual contribution of Tls. 21,600 from the Two Huai Salt Department. Since 1850, however, these contributions have been paid very irregularly, and at the present moment the arrears have accumulated to the amount of Tls. 590,000. There is no immediate prospect of being able to recover payment of such a large sum, but it is asked that the Salt Commissioner should be directed to supply at once a portion of it, say, at least Tls. 40,000 to meet the pressing requirements of the moment. Should he be unable to furnish this amount from the funds at his own disposal, he can be authorised to borrow it from the Provincial Treasury.—Decree already published.
LEAVE OF ABSENCE TO WU TA-CH'ENG,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.