Governor of Kiangsu requesting that a in ex-official who has faile:
nay be cashiered, and the property wesrconfiscated to meet his obligations. The Memorialist commences by some general reflections on the subject of rig and the effect that a bad state of the finance condition of the province of particular, he remarks that although not recovered from the effects of lion, there had been a gradual increase of accumulated capital which, taken in con nection with the circulation of commodities, has enabled a certain amount of business to be carried on, though this has been materially affected by bad harvests in the northern provinces during the past few years. he diflicnlties with which trade has been hampered have been aggravated by the proceedings corrupt class of irresponsible individuals who have opened cash and silver banks with capital that they have raised from others, and on the test symptom of a decline in business have decamped with the balance of their capital. Some have even getic so far as to do ti business showed no deficit at all. When suits were brought ayainst them in the courts they always evaded their obli by every sort of specious pretext, ttled claims against them by compromi the result of this state of things was that wealthy merchants and capitalists lost all confidence and held on to their money, refusing either to invest it or to lend it out; the effect upon trade generally was disastrous, and lekin taxation showed a marked falling off day by day. In view of this state of affairs the Memorialist ordered every case of the kind that was brought to his notices to be dealt with in a severe manner, and further instructed the Financial Commissioner and the Taotai at Shanghai to enunciate distinctly the law bearing upon such cases, and to forbid any proceedings of the in future. By this means he had hoped that the practice of ing into bankruptcy might be done away His hopes, however, were to be realised, as in the early part of last winter the failure of the Fu\Kang Bank, which was opened by the cashiered Taotai Hu Kuang-jung, occurred for a large amount, whereby officials and- people were "put to immense embarrassment. -Hu Kuang-jung was a regular man of business, that his conduct was surprising enough, but it has been emulated by another i ideal who has gone still further, viz., a certain officer who once held the high position of SaltCumptroller, but has ignored. the dictates of propriety, of Law. and personal dignity. he name of the indi dual in question is Liu Yii-ch'éu; he native of Wu-chin Helen in Kiangsu id an expectant Tao-t'ai returned to his nat years of the reig held th ago, ti position to inveigle his relatives and friends into depositing money with him, with which, in the course of years, he has estab! pawn shops in Chiang-yin, Tan-yang Piwoyang, Chiang-ning (Nanking), Yang-chow, Ind other Prefectures and Districts to the number of twenty and more. Besides conducting a pawnbroking business at these various establishments, which are all carried on with borrowed capital, this officer has issued drafts upon them to the extent of several lace of taels. In the second moon of the present year he abruptly amownced his failure to the amount of upwards of 'Tis, 810,000, of which over 't! 50,000 was government money. Again this amount he had assets in capital, how property ete. to the value only of is. 300,000 more or less. He refuses necess to the books and registers of his depo-iters on the' plea that they have been injured by rats, burnt, or some such excuse. 'The Memorialist would observe that the penalty provided by law for fraudulent absorption of property' is, very severe, It is patent to everyone that the said Liu Yii-chen whose only aim personal profit has ruthlessly repudiated his engagements and appropriated the f of others with intent taking care to con all his available capital in some place of Unless therefore heis proceeded against with the utmost severity, the effect upon commercial morality and popular feeling will be most injurious. It becomes, then, the duty of the Memorialist to pray that Liu Yii-chen, Expectent Iaotat in Fuhkien, be atripped of his rank as a prolin step, while the Memorialist proceeds to give orders that enquiries shall be tmnde with a view to ascertaining whether or no he has any property concealed, the man himself being sumtuoned' before court and rigorously proceeded against for the amount of his ions, For Decree see Gazette of May 16th 12th.—(1) Postscript Memorial Shu-sheng. After the recent old Pact Tv the 1 of the Imperial army di ed and fell back behind the frontier, as no preparations for defence had been made in their rear, the Memtorialist: sent orders by express to Li Ping-hong, Judge of Kuangsi, to go with all speed to Nan-ning. and occupy that place and its approaches with whatever force he thought necessary to secure the preservation of order ther This has already been reported to Hi Majesty. Li Pivg-hong now reports that Nai one of the most important places inside the frontier, as there is a pay office and a military store department there. At one time it was garrisoned with two regiments, but these have been sent beyond the frontier, to Shi esi Chow, and other places, while application' has been made front the Tautfai of the so-chiang Circuit to enlist more irregulars, All the troops outside the procial being posted at important points of fence, the judge was of opinion that none of them could be removed, the only two regiments that remained in the provincial being equally indispensable. Under
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.