(2) Fench'e to the same position in the Bordered White Banner (Chinese).
as President of the Censorate, Ching-hsin Until Huait'apu can take up his post will act temporarily for him.
POVERTY OF THE URGA EXCHEQUER, The Imperial Agent at Urga finds himself compelled to make an appeal for funds to enable him to pay expenses. The territory under his jurisdiction is of wide extent, and bordering as it does on the Russian frontier, political questions are for ever cropping up. The total revenue of the agency is Tis, 1,800 per annum, being made up of the ground-rent and the interest from sums on deposit. This small amount, which is all that is available, barely suffices to pay the wages of the staff, and for other expenses such as rewards to the police and the entertainment of Russian officials at Kiachta it has hitherto been customary to raise loans from the merchants, which were repaid out of the fines levied on those who failed within a given time to effect arrests which they were ordered to make, In this manner it was possible to work along after a fashion, but of late memorialist has had to impress on the tribal chieftains the necessity of putting down brigandage with a firm hand and discontinuing the habit they had of contenting themselves with paying a fine when they could not effect the arrest of the outlaws.
Phe result is that much better order prevails throughout the country, buttheincome from fines has dwindled down to nothing and it has become impossible to apply to the merchants for fresh loans. The cost of living in Kirin is very much higher than it is elsewhere, and those who have to support families find it extremely hard to make both ends meet. Memorialist is therefore veryreluctantly compelled tomake application for an annual grant towards Aetraying expenses in his district, and would pray that the Board be instructed to set apart a sum of Tls. 2,000 for the use of the Urga agency.—Referred to the Board of Revenue for consideration.
11th December.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.