(1) A Decsee of the Emperor records the closing of the great breach in the embankment of the Yellow River near Cheng Chow in Honan. The officers previously entrusted with the task having failed in their efforts to accomplish it, they were super-ceded last summer, and Wu Ta-ch'éng was appointed Acting Director-General. On the 1th of January operations were sufficiently advanced to allow the opening of the canal, which should conduct the water away from the gap. On the 17th the embankment heads were united by cables stretched across; and on the 20th, after two days and nights of unremitting exertions, the narrow opening was completely closed, all the waters in the river lowing away by the old channel. Thi Emperor feels that this speedy success is, to the unseen aid of Heaven and the Gods. Asa sign of his deep gratitude, he sends ton sticks of Tibetan incense, which {he desires Wu Ta-ch'tng to offer, with prayers and thanks on his behalf, at the temples of the River Gods in the vicinity of the works.
In recognition of the promptness and sagacity displayed by Wu Ta-ch'éng in the performance of the duty entrusted to him, that officer is given a button of the first class, and is confirmed in the appointment of Director-General of the Yellow River. The Provincial Governor, Ni Wen-wei, receives back the rank and the button of I which he had previously been deprived, and the Board will select some substantial reward for bestowal upon him. Four high officers, Li Hung-tsan, Ch'eng-fu, Li Ho-nien, and P'an Chun-wen were punished fee their failure to close the breach before lsc summer. As the portion of the embankment constructed by them has stood firm, and the whole work has now been completed, His Majesty is pleased to extend his grace to them and remit their penalties. Li Hung-teao receives back the rank and the button of which he was dep Céheng-fa is released and takes the position \of Expectant Provincial Judge. Li Ho-nien 1 also released, and his title and Gecoration are restored to him. P'an Chin-wen is raised again to his former rank; a substantial reward will be given to him, and he is for the time retamed at Cheng Chou to attend to the embankments. The remainder of the Decree, which covers several pages, consists in the enumeration of the promotions or marks of distinction bestowed on the lesser officers employed at the works. caaxc-Ha MAGISTRATE CASHTERED.
(2.}—Ina recent Memorial recounting the suppression of the little rebellion at Chang-hua in Formosa, the Governor of the island stated that the conduct of the Magistrate of Chang-hua would be made the subject of an investigation. That officer had much distinguished himself by the bold resistance which he offered to the rebels; but it was doubtful whether this should be allowed to weigh against his shortcomings or not. The Governor now reports that an enquiry has been held under his orders. It is found that there are no proofs of the charge made against the Magistrate of having allowed general extortion to be practised by his clerks and subordinates, who were engaged in measuring the land in the district and assessing it for the purpose of taxation, But in the first place the Magistrate made himself unpopular by the arbitrary nature of his decisions in his court of justice, and by the severity of the punishments with which he attempted to curb the fierce temper of the inhabitants, Later, when the rebellion was brewing, he entirely disregarded the symptoms. Not even when the place was covered with anonymous placards did he report anything to the Governor, And when the country was actually in revolt he did not give full and explicit account of what was occurring. Lastly, in his dealing with the Shih Clan, to which the leader of the rebellion belonged, he showed great laxity and negligence. It is, therefore, recommended that he be dismissed from the public service. Two members of the Shih Clan, both holding official rank, are considered by the Governor really to have instigated Shih Chin-tuan, the actual leader sion they were required to produce him, the overt rebellion.
After its suppress
and promised to do so. But before giving information of the place where he was, they sent private intelligence to him of what they were doing, so that when the troops arrived at the' spot, nothing was found but an empty house, with neither man ner property inside. The Governor therefore recomniends that these two men be stripped of their rank and placed on their trial.—Approved, EXCULPATION OF GENERAL YANG TSAR-YEAN, (3.)—When Chang P*ei-lun was in charge of the defence of the Fukien coast in 1884, he reported that Yang Tsai-yuan, Acting Brigadier-General at Taiwan Fu, was guilty of concealing the fact of his being in mourning for his father and mother, and was moreover a disgraced man, who had been dismissed from the public service after his conviction on aeriminal charge. Yan Tsai-yuan was therefore cashiered an ordered to return to his home. The Governor-General at Foochow now reports what he finds to be the actual state of the case. Long ago, at the time of the foreign trouble at Tientsin, Yang Tsai-yuan was in command at Taiwan Fu, In consequence of the urgent state of affairs he took some money destined for the pay of the troops and devoted it to raising an additional force and purchasing munitions of war, On account of this he was tried for embezzlement. He was entirely acquitted of the charge, but was ordered to refund the money spent, which he did without delay. His Majesty, however, further directed that he should be dismissed from the service. He afterwards joined the army in Kansu, where he greatly distinguished himself; and on the application of Governor Liu Chin-tang, he was restored to his original rank once more. He was therefore in no sense of the words a disgraced criminal. In 1883 his father and mother died, and as has been proved by a reference made to the Viceroy Tseng Kuo-chuin, he reported both deceases when they occurred, In 1884 he went over to Formosa at the head of some troops intended for the defence of the island. The General commanding at Taiwan Fuwascalled away on special service, and the Viceroy at Foochow, in view of the urgent state of affairs, obtained permission from the Throne to put Yang Tsai-yuan temporarily into the post instead of filling it according to the regular routine. The Memorialist also finds to be unfounded a forther allegation made by Chang P'ei-lun, namely that the General's conduct caused general disgust among the people of the island. For enquiries have been made, and no trace of any such feeling can be found. The Memorialist therefore requests that Yang Teal-yuan may be restored to his rank, His only fault seems to be that when coming to Foochow he did not give an official account of himself, so that the Viceroy did not report to the Throne that he was in mourning, and secondly that ho did not earnestly beg to decline the appointment offered to him. For these faults the Memorialist proposes that the Board concerned should inflict some fitting penalty,—Referred to the Board of War.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.