Shen Ping-ch'éng and his colleagues submit a joint memorial on the subject of the repairs which it has been thought advisable to carry out to the banks and sluices along the Grand Canal so as to facilitate the Prappsars that the Choangpei portion of of the grain fleet in the spring. the Canal which ie overs) Hundred. Jong, is more especially obstructed. The mountain torrents rush into it carrying with them mud and stones with the result that the water course has become silted up. Some years ago a series of sluices were tested with a view to remedy this state of things and also for the of confining the water within bounds, but the bed of the stream has silted up s0 much that ithas become necessary to increase the height of the. embankments. During 1887 and 1888 no grain was sent by the Canal and in the following year when junks did make the passage so little money was available for purposes of repairs that no dredging operations could be undertaken, This year the floods in Shantung have been exceptionally severe and the quantity of silt which has accumulated is unusually large. It will be necessary to remove it before the Tp canal can be again considered navigable and as the present dry season is favourable for the work orders have been given that it be taken in hand without delay.
Momorialists further refer to the Liho, where there are three stretches of canal. They say. that it is the most important Trhnas beet neglected and the embankments int along the e but for years past
allowed to fall into decay, The foundations have been undermined by the floods and the cemontt has beet washed away from between have been issued to strengthen the weak points by means of mats, and it is hoped that this action may avert the danger of collapse and allow of the junks passing through in safety in the spring.
Moiorialista consider also that one of the sluices at present in use should: be closed us not only is it in a bad state of it, but the bed of the stream has such an extent that to excavote it would entail enormous expense. "They propose instead to open' another which is situated quite close-to it and and which is still in fair rep If this proposal is adopted, however, it will be necessary to build up the embankments so that the water inlay not escape and the approaches to the new sluice will also have deepened and the banks strengthened.
In 1886 the contributions from Kiangnan and Kiangsu towards the conservancy of the Canal were the same as they are in the present year, but in that year a further levy was authorised by Imperial Rescript, the Superintendent of the Grain Transport
taels and the latter province 8,000 taels. of the former. place contributing, 20,000 Much more work is contemplated this year and memorialists have eemeey qr ranged with the two Superintendents above mentioned to increase their subscriptions cly 8,000 and 15,000 taels respectively an arrangement in' which both these officials have acquiesced.
As-soon as the money is received the work will be pushed forward with the utmost economy and des; and the sgcounts will be submitted in the usual course to Peking.—Referred by Rescripl to the Board concerned.
28th January.
EXPENDITURE AT THE NAVAL COLLEGE, of hamiraty memorialises the Throne on Li Hung-chang as a member of the Board
the subject of the current expenses of the naval college at Tientsin and begs that the government grant of Taels 40 a month, which is found to be inadequate may be increased, The college he explains was established to take the of the obsolete mended to succeed his father in the here-training ships and in to induce youth dit itary chieftainship. "As the mother of the from the maritime districts t enter and late chieftain who had ona former occasion study for the navy it was understood that been appointed to look after the duties of vacancies in the fleet should be filled up Captain-General had gone to Hsining to from their ranks as opportunity offered. prepare tea (for medical purposes) at some The sum allowed to cover the daily ex. idhist shrine in that neighbourhood, penses of the old training ships was Tis. memorialist delegated the wife of the de-8 month, but so far the question of a fixed ceased to take temporary charge and imme-allowance to the college has not been decided. Recently the Admiral submitted diately asked the political offer residing at Heining to got the Princess Dowager to that the expenses were much heavier than return with all speed and take over charge in former days and upon memorialistconfrom her daughter-in-law, Memorialist sulting the Navy Pay Department he was {informed that that Department. strongly can certify to the fact that the two sone above mentioned are the legitimate recommended that the allowance should be increased by at least Tls. 20a month. offspring of the former Khan and would request that the hereditary title Be begs therefore to submit this recom-be conferred on the elder, of the two, mendation for His Majesty's approval and Pu-yen-meng-k'u, On coming of age his grandmother will vacate her acting appoint the allowance at the new rate from the suggest that authority be given to isme ment in his favour and at the time appoint ing of March, 1890. ed he will proceed to Peking to be received memorialist further states that the Admiralty Regulations provide for additional Governor reports, that. be has deputed an audience. "In a postscript memorial the—active servico—pay being issued to clerks officer to attend the funeral of the deceased and others when employed at sea, The and perform the necess is sacrifices. Admiral had a number of these men with him Request granted; let the famén, concerned on board ship during the late manceuvres, which have extended overs long period, but take note.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.