February 17th and 18th.—(1) The Governor-General and the Governor at Canton report the establishment of a public library and printing office in that city. Sixty years tee Kuang, Juan Yuan, a former Governor-say the Memorialists, in the reign of
Gonoral it Canton, undertook the publication of the Classical Commentary of the Citing Dynasty, " work consisting of more than fourteen hundred chapters, which was tinted at the Hsueh-hai-t'uxg, where the locks have since been preserved. From the glory thus shed on the sages of old and the encouragement afforded to the students of the present, it has resulted that there has been a constant success sion of scholars, who have both mastered the writings and practised the precepts of the classical authors; and new works or new editions of old works have been published in large numbers. Still there are valuable compositions which exist only in manuscript, or which have been printed but not issued to the world. The Memorialists hold that it is the duty of the Canton Province to make known these literary treasures, in imitation of the example set by the Hsueh-hai-t'uxy. They are well aware how important it is to the good government of the. country that educational projects should be promoted, so that the people may gain the benefits of good learning. They desire to print and publish historical works, classical works, encyclopedias, and such books, whereby the present and the past may be compared, help may be obtained in the path of rectitude, and morals and manners may be strengthened. Last ear the Governor-General contributed funds for the foundation of the library; but to render it lasting an established home and w fixed income are necessary. The Memorialists have selected the old arsenal inside thenew city, which they have repaired and rebuilt as seemed necessary. The Governor-General has subscribed Tls. 10,000; the Governor, Tls. 3,000; a literary foundation in Shun-te, Tls. 10,000; the Shansi Guild, Tls. 10,000; a benevolent associntion at Canton, Tis, 5,000; the Prefect of Ch'ao Chou, Tls. 5,000; total—Tls. 43,000, This sum has been put out to interest, and will bring in yearly Tis, 2,365, to which certain mercantile societies, the Ching-chung and the Ch'en T'ang will add Tls. 5,000 every regular income will thus be Tls. 7,3 sum is not very large, but as much dune with it as possible; and if at any time further contributions be received, the expenditure will be increased in proportion, and more books will be published. Salt Commissioners will preside ex-officio over the library, and men of learning will he found to supervise the work executed. Copies of all publications will be forwarded to the Academy of Learning at Peking for the use of the students there.—Rescript Let the Yamen concerned take note.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.