15th May.
ArrottMe? oF PREFECT AT caNTON.
The high authorities of the Canton Pro-Vitice report that having recently been commanded to select from among the ranks of star foal the vacant pont of prefect fects holding office in KuAngting an 'Canto', their choice has fallen upon Li Sui, lately prefect at Huichow Fu, a native of Kuangsi, and formerly @ senior secretary ju the Boatd of Punishments. Tu obedience to His Majesty's instructions Lu Ping-cheng has been appointed to fill the vacancy Huichow.
CHARGE OF ATTEMPTING TO UPSET A PRIOR
'MARRIAGE CONTRACT, An expectant prefect named Hsi T'ing-chien living at Tungan in the province of Hunan was recently charged by a follow townsman with attempting to obtain as his cottcubine a girl who had already been atoneed to the complainant's son. Failing to answer the summons of the district htagistrate the defendant was denounced, provi sonally stripped of his rank, and in {ue course brought to trial at the provincial capital, when the following facts were elicited, 1n1877 the complainant, Wei Té-cheng, had arranged that hiseldestson should marry the daughter of a certain Wu Tsu-mao. In 1888 the defendant was looking out for a concubine, and hearing that Wu Tsu-mao id a daughter who was of a very gentle and docile disposition, sent to make enquiries, but: was informed that she had already been promised in marriage, and there the matter ended. About this time, Wei Té-ch'eng's son being now grown up, the former was anxious for the marriage to take place, but the girl's father continually asked that it should be put off for a time. Learning that, the defendant had been making en Gbtaining "her a8 his concubine, Wei quiries about the girl with a view
'Té-cheng suspected the father of wanting to bronk off the match, and so brought the Present, charge against Hi 'T'ing-chien. he latter when summoned by the district magistrate was absent on business and had thus been prevented from appearing to answer the charge, In passing the case under review the Governor of Hunan submits that as the charge against Hsi T'ing-chien was brought under a misapprehension on the part of the plaintiff, and not from any intention to lay a false and malicious information, there is consequently no occasion to proceed against "é-cheng any further in the matter. Nor need the case against the defendant be further considered, since his failure to appear when summoned by the magistrate was due to his absence at the time on business, not to his having refused to obey an official summons; and it is therefore requested that his original rank be restored to him. The go-between is in no way to blame, having acted in ignorance of the fact that the girl was already betrothed, and as the latter has now arrived at a marriageable age, Wei Té-cheng has been ordered. to fix a day for the wedding between her and his son.—Referred to the Board of Punishments.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.