The Vicorcy of the Hu-Kuang provinces resumes the discussion which he has had with the Board of Civil Ofice concerning the rewards to certain of his subordinates who had attained exceptionally successful results in the collection of likin, He recog-sizes in the Board's objections a desire to exercise great care in the award of honours, but he begs to point out that the likin receipts are intimately connected with the whole internal revenue of the province and adds that the work of collection has been rendered more difficult in recent years by the great reduction in the stof of likin officers, as well by the increase of smuggling amongst the merchants, and the connivance of the Yamen underlings. Everything "depends on the honesty of the collectors, and it is extremely.difiicult to obtain suitable men. Memorialist has been in the habit of removing from office men who have proved incompetent, or whose collection has been unusually small, and on the same principle he considers that those who have attained success by their ability and integrity ought to receive tokens of encouragement.
He refers to a similar case in Hunan adhered to, and the Empress expressed. where objections raised by the Board ber astonishment at the careless-to the promotion of likin officers were overness splayed, and ordered that all the ruled by the Throne at the instance of the officials responsible for the mistake should Governor, and he would ask for a reconsibe handed over to the Board of Civil Office deration of the present case. for the determination of a severe penalty.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.