Tur Polytechnic Institution of Shanghai has taken a useful place among Chinese colleges. he essayists who receive prides write on political subjects and interesting topics of the day. Each year on the four quarter days mottoes for essays are published and vigorous efforts are made by the writers to obtain the first place. The giver of Prizes is some high officer of government and the themes are chosen by the officer who gives the prizes. The themes selected by Li Hung-chang in the spring of 1893 were (1) To find the longitude by the position of the moon, (2) To describe the Pamirs and discuss the political question which concerns the Pamirs. (3) How to settle anti-missionary riots. By such a selection of subjects the Prime Minister shows his aim to be to encourage scientific, Political, and practical studies anong the youth of China who desire to enter the public service. A selection of the prize essays was published by the Polytechnic Institution. The essays are not limited in length, The authors religious 2 Let those writers of essays who give attention to passing it was a vast plain. Confucius would events each state what they think on not discuss such matters, but his these matters. He is followed by Wu contemporaries were busy in con-Taotai of Ningpo, His first subject is sidering what was to be said for the likin, It' was originally imposed the view that the earth is a globe to provide funds for the army engaged suspended in space, Without graviin putting down the Taiping Rebellion. tation it was most difficult to make Since that time, thirty years ago, it the student understand how the earth has not been possible to reduce the could hang in space unsupported, and government expenditure. He asks the so the question dropped out of the writers of essays to say what are the subjects of educational interest. But advantages and disadvantages of the in "the Han dynasty Yang Ning, in likin collections. How shall army expen-the first century, enquired afresh into diture be reduced? What methods shall the whole matter of the phenomena of be adopted to increase the revenue and the rising and setting of the heavenly not press too heavily on the trader? bodies. He came to the conclusion He further asks what is their opinion that the earth must be round and on the abolition of purchase of offices in the sky must be a hollow sphere connection with the civil and military enclosing it. It has not the shape services. 'To close the year 1892, the of a single concave hemisphere but Viceroy of Nanking in' his questions that of two concave hemispheres speaks first of double crops of rice in a united at the equator. The question year. Chinese books speak of countries as to what the earth hung upon he where rice ripens every month or during did not touch. The essay writers in nine months in the year. Old methods replying to the Prime Minister's crafty of cultivation have gone out of use, enquiry take up Yang Ning's position, How can we now find remedies against They do not touch the question on drought by improved modes of rice what does the earth hang. What cultivation? In his second question keeps it in its place in the centre of the this Viceroy asks for arguments to show universe, is a question it does not occur to them to investigate. It would speak their minds freely on many points whether foreign surgery is equal in connected with contemporary politics, efficiency to ancient Chinese surgery. be better for them as in our The first of the subjects chosen by the Pien Ch'iao was in the6th century before Western schools and colleges to take Christ able to take the hearts out of over in faith the doctrine of gravitation Prime Minister in 1892 was the opinions of Yang 'T'ze-yun in the Han dynasty on two men and change them the one for and the theory of the solar system, and the shape of heaven and earth. his the chest of a patient and introduce food the other. Another doctor could pierce allow pupils to grow up as our students do in the practice of moder thought was intended to encourage comparison of the views given in modern authors into the interior, But these are merely Our students in Western countries do and the acceptance of modern teaching. and books on the subject of the earth's unattested legends without any good globular form with the ancient doctrine. authority whatever, and why should not need to unlearn the Ptolemaic The second subject given is the political the Viceroy encourage young writers to system of the universe; they are all be-economy of Kwan Ch'ung, B.0. 600, as think them of value enough to be lievers in Newton and this is what the shown in his opinions regarding the Placed in the title of an essay on Chinese would and should become with system of public granaries to equalise modern surgery? The story he men-reconstructed system of education on modern lines. the price of grain for the benefit of the tions of Hua 'IYo is no better. He poor. could cut open the abdomen, take out The third subject chosen by the substances causing obstruction, wash ITALY, Prime Minister was the alliance be-the interior, and the patient would tween Germany, Austria, and Italy, as feel better after the operation. These 6th July. contrasted with the alliance of Russia methods are now used by foreign sur-'THE news of the resignation of the
show that he is keenly alive to the and France, he subjects proposed geons, but not always successfully.
Italian Ministry, which' we published Which is the best surgery, the Chinese yesterday morning, is decidedly serious, advantage of combining modern and or the Western? After this the Viceroy and it is ominous that we have no asks the essay writer to describe the news this morning as to the course of ancient studies on matters i of practical port of Shanghai as delineated in maps, the crisis, The fact is that Italy is in interest at the present time.
The including the harbour, the city, the anything but a happy condition. For Judge of Chekiang, Nich Chi rivers and canals.
Years the state of her finances has been who was at one time Charge @'Affaires In the essays on these subjects by almost hopeless, her participation in at St. Petersburg and subsequently Taotai natives of Hangchow, Soochow, and the Triple Alliance forcing on her a of Shanghai, asks the essay-writers to Kuangtung province a large amount of naval and military expenditure too describe the difference between ancient information is collected. The writers great for the resources of the country. and modern ships and cannon. The use give zealous attention to questions of Her unfortunate quarrel with France of machinery makes a great difference the day.
They take pleasure in social is the real cause of this; for were between old times and the present day. and political discussion. Their opinions Italy, as she should be for her own The workmen in the Kao Kung-chi, B.C. are caused by passing events, modified security, on good terms with France, 800, made no steel ships or steel by the study of their own history. This she would have no foreign foe to fear, cannon. His second subject is a retrospection it is which keeps them and could very greatly reduce hee description of the oceans of the buck. Their reading is too archaic and expenditure on her defences. The world. His third is the religions of conservative of old time fashions, For finances of Italy, however, as we learn foreign countries. Just as Chinn has instance, the question—Is it the earth from the Economist of the 30th of May, three great religions, so the names of which by its rotation causes the sun, have greatly improved in the last three foreign religious sects are very nu-moon, and stars to appear to revolve? ig years under the able management of merous at the ports open to foreign not considered by them. They are con-Signor Sonnino, Minister of the 'I'rea-trade. How shall harmony and peace tent to weigh the reasons for and against sury, and Signor Boselli, Minister of be maintained in China among the the globular shape of the earth as Finance. In 1893-4 the Budget showed people who profess these different compared with the old idea that a deficit, inclusive of African War expenditure, of £8,080,000; in 1896-7
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.