December 25th.—The greater portion of this day's issue is occupied with a Memorial from Hei Chen, special high cornu izote the charges ai of Formosa, and ne, reporting on the case of Chang Chééug, captain of the Yang Ww corvette during the navel engagement at Pagoda anchorage Jast year, who was denounced by the Into Teo' Tsun 1d also the overnior-General for 1g his ship, and had been accordingly sentenced to death.
'The Stemorialists' instructions being to matter was to form of the objects of their investigation wen, to Pagoda Anchorage at th durian of thei i Formosa and up their qu The charges against Chang Ch'éng were that, although he was Military Secretary or Commodore, and hence in command of the fuct, he did not go on board his shi until the fag which was the signal for battle had been hoisted, and that after firing only one shot he ran his ship close in shore and deserted her.
The following is Chang Ch'éug's own version of the story, as submitted by him-wolf Ho states that he was in command of the Yang Ww, and that at 7 am. on the 23rd of August last year, when the tide was high, ho made ready for action, as hw expected that an engagement would shortly lake place, At p.m, the enemy suddenly opened fire with their big guar, and orders were promptly given to the gunners fon board the Yang In to return the fire. Iu.a very few moments the was badly injaced, and heeled over and sank, whereupon he was thrown into the river and curried by the current to a creek up stream near a village called Chun Chu Hsiang, where he was picked up out of the water by a Lieutenant called Wu. Ho was not, he said, acting as Military Secretary Comniodore, and all he could do was to fight his own ship.
"Enquiries were thereupon addressed by the Memoriali to the Officer. of the Arsenal, who replied th Ch'éng was appointed to the post of Military Secretary or Commodore five years ago by Admiral P'éng Ch'u-han, but that when Chang P'ei-lun cause to Foochow he asked permission only to a Colonel of the Min An division, with chief command of the vessels of war belong ing to that division, souding at the awe appointment to Chang Eh it would appear ti had held the po on of Commodore fur some years, and that can be eaid for him is that he wa appointed to the office by Chang P'ei-lun.
Further evidence was taken from one Tung Shang-chien, a cadet and_guanery instructor on board the Yang Ww at the time of the engagement, atid a seaman called Wa, the former of whom stated that ug was acting as Commodore, Whole squadron was under his jp. At the commencement of the moon last your there was a blow fro the north, accompanied by the tide was ebb Yang Wu pointed directly towards the bows of Courbet's ships. At ten o'clock on the 23rd of August, he, the deponent, sudden ly saw the flag on the mainmast of Courbel ship lowered half way down, and he at once told Chang Cheng to get ready. Chang Ch'éng erroneously imagined that this was the signal of the death of an officer in the Frouch ship, but while the discussed t again hoisted and the guns in poured out a perfect bail of bullet: killed a number of people. He and another cadet then fred three rounds at Courbet's ship from the stern gun of the Yung Wu, and tive men were struck down, By this time the ater of the Yag Wu had been blown away by a fish torpedo, and the destroyed by a shell which burst the boiler, el turned first hells, but ho afterwards otood at the head of the skylight, from whence he signalled to the en to start the engines; and after the vessel was destroyed he Jumped into the water, though when this was, te, the deponent, did nut know, Wa, the seaman, deposed that he was captain of the bow gun of the Yang Wu. Atl on the 23rd of August "fighting dag" was hoisted, and hie ship thereupon hoisted theirs, but the halyards broke; the French ships opened fire and a torpedo boat also came; the ship's carpenter took a hammer and slipped the evuyling of the anchor chain, whereupon Chang Ch'éng gave orders to start the en turned the vessel round, firing the guns at the Frenet there were three broadside which were also fired two Yang Wu ich guns kept on striking very short time she was over on her side, over being killed. He, the jumped into the water at the same time as Chang Ch'gng, but he did not know where Chang Ch'éng got ashore.
The evidence ut the Engineer of th Yang Wr, Kuo Hsin by name, who is now at Nanking, was also taken, as well as that of a fireman on board the ship, and th ments corroborated ti the Memorialists, inhabitants of C the universal statement that Chang Ch'éug did actually get ashore there out of the river. Auotler witness has been sent for and has not yet arrived, but as the actual facts as above related have been so clearly he need not be confronted accused.
The Memorislists would observe that Chang Ch'éng was not in supreme command at the engagement of Pagoda Auchorage, nor could he alone decide whether or no the battle should take pla so that, as His Majesty's Decree most truly remarks, the blame cannot by laid on hin alone. Nevertheless he had long since been appointed Commodore, while the Yang Wt, which he commanded, was the firat fighting ship in the Fuochow equal dron. Before the action commenced, he had made tio preparation whatever, and when the near approach of hostilities had alrendy transi d, he continued to look on and engage in discussion n the Gght had actually commenced not make getic resistance or sell his life like Ying and others in the defence ip, and although enquiry has shown that he did not join his ship just before the Gghting conimeneed, nor did he fre but is shot, his conduct in deserting his vessel under the circumstances showed acoutempt for the foe and personal cow-for which he has been properly need by His Majesty to decapitation after the usual term of incarceration. appears, therefore, to the Memorialis that the matter requires no further con sideration.—Rescript: Lut the Board of Punishments take cognisance.
December 26th.—(1) Chang Hei appointed Financial Commissioner Koangtun, (2) A Decroo acknowledging the receipt of a joint report-from the Bonrds of Works and Reventle upon the proposals with reference to the Yellow River submitted by Hei Chi ug and others, in which report it is requested that " high elficer may be sent to make a careful survey of the ground.
Since the bursting of the bank of the Yellow River at Tung Wa-lsiaug over thirty years ago, the bed of the river has been continually raised higher and higher by deposits of aut, which force the water to one ride or the other, and annually cause overflows or breaches.
The Court has spared no expense in taking the necessary precautions against mishap, but the measures for keeping th river under control have not gone beyer the construction of embankments, clearing batructions, and arranging for the divers sion of the water into separate chan The matter has formed the subject of repeated representation from Our servants, and of consideration by provincial high authorities, but the views adopted are by means Uniform, and no definite opinion has ever been come to, while the annually ators from flood to which ths of Shantung is subjected cause tinual diaquivtude of mind, breaches at Sao Kou and Eh Chuang which occurred this year have yet been closed, and there is imperative need for the general conditions of the ea figuration of the land to be critically me vestigated and a definite and immutable course of action decided upon after careful consider for this alone will serve to do away with the havoc which the river works create, and preserve the lives of the peopl We have already commanded Chang Yao to inspect the river-ways of Shantung, and we now order him to proceed thither by Government post, He will select the necessary stof he requires with care, and they will also travel with him at Govern-mont charge.
We posi definitely the actual channel by which the Yellow River should with best advantage be carried into the sex, He will farther carefully consider whut should be done in the direction of embankment and dred; basing his opinion upon the mean of the information he may gather from an extensive collection of the general views which are expressed on the subject, and he will submit an estimate of the cost of the middle way which he may decide upon, awaiting Our commands with reference thereto.
His Majesty announces his intention of engaging im @ further series of state brayera for snow upon the 29th inst.
Chavg Yao, Governor of Kuangei, reports the conclusion of the work of cleneing the moats round Peking. This work
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.