The Tientsin authorities have issued proclamation fixing the lekin on sugar at 160 cash a bag (white) and 100 cash (brown). The old rule was to count 106 catties as 100, and the bags really weighed about 130; but of late the weight has increased' to 160 and 170 catties, in consequence of which sharp practice, the gross weight, including tare, is, now fixed at 120 catties. " The Shansi guild proposed 150 catties, but this was rejected and if bags in future exceed 120 catties in ight gross, the sugar will pay by the catty.
Li Hob-nien, (once Viceroy at Foochow), is appointed by Decree Viceroy in charge of the Yellow River repairs: the present Viceroy Ch'éng-fu is to remain on duty, endeavouring to redeem his past errors by future zeal.
The Hw Puo says that the French have Deen exploring the sources of the Red River, and have erected the tricolour at a spot which the Siamese claim to be in Siamese territory, alleging as their reason that the plice belongs to Campin (? Cambodia), which isa French dependency.
The Shen Pao gives the whole state correspondence upon the Yellow River repairs and The Emperor has approved the proposals to stop the Army-coolie allowance, tux the salt-merchants, and tax the banks and pawnshops but has disapproved the proposals to cease building forts, purchasing guns, ete. to ston rice-commutation pay, and to' employ the garrison troops on the Yellow River works, The Hu Pav says that the P'eng Tsch Lake now marks 7.2 Chinese fect, and is increasing at the rate of one or two inches a day: if this goes on, two dykes letting the tater out to the dry channel of the former Yellow River will have to be opened in [order to save Yangchow and the countr Delow it, From the Board's financial statement, it appears that, apart from the Yellow River requirements, this year's budget already shows " deficit of Tls. 6,000,060, or that much expenditure beyond' the estimates or appropriations.
'A decree upon the celebrated case of Miss Pu A-ni, which is being investigated by two high officers, disgraces the Honan ollicial to whom she first applied for redress, Tt seems that her brother was murdered by another sister or cousin, The Yih-wen Luh makes the following statement. French advices from Europe announce that the French have arranged with the Chinese Government to Jay down a railway from the French capital to Chinese Turkestan, and thence round to Yunnan and Szechten, reaching right on to Peking Dut this great' work will need at least ten years for its accomplishment, The Japan correspondent of the Shen Pao says (apparently prematurely) that the Yorean envoy to Washit wigton, Pak, has trived at Na wgusaki, and will soon proceed to his post.
The Hu Pao say "The bed of the old southern course of the Yellow River being too high, the current cannot possibly be taken into it, even if the present breach be successfully stopped; and therefore it has been determined tore-conduct the n north through Shantung. The authorities of Chihli and Shantung have accordingly been instructed to excavate with all speed, in readiness for next year's spring freshets, The Shen Pav in a leading article recom: mends that in future the lekin on tea be abolished, and an export duty of 5% ad relorem (based upon what the foreign merchant actually pays) be charged, in lieu of the present undiscriminating duty of Tle. 3 a picul.
At Huk'ow city near Kiukiang there has been rioting by the famished people, who forced their way into the Examination Hall and violently demanded relief.
The punishment of starving to death on tip-toe may now be witnessed in Shanghai, On Friday night one Kuh Lay-we-tze, a hardened criminal, was sentenced to stand in a cage, deprived of food and drink, until he should die. He was put into the cage there and then, and was reported yesterday to be in high spirits, inside the outer gate
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.