Wang Wéen-shao, Viceroy of Chihli, reports the death, through sickness at Tien. tsin of Ch'en Shih, the Provincial Treasurer-elect of Kiangsi. ' The deceased officer had been in command of twenty battalions of Hunan troops at Shanhaikuan ever since the late war with Japan. Owing to illness he had been compelled to come twice to Tientsin by rail from Shanhaikuan, but the second journey to Tientsin ended fatally and meniorialist regrets to report to the Throne the said official's death on the 20th of the current month (May.) Upon learning the news of Ch'en Shih's death memorialist at once issued instructions to General Yi Wen-kuang, Chief of the military, secretariat of the said corps. and the second in command, General Fung Vu-shone, to continue to pay strict attention to their duties, to the regular drills of the troops and to maintain strict disc pine in the eorgs which had thus suddenly been bereft of their Commander-in-chief. "The said generals were further ordered to quietly await the pleasure of the Throne as to what should be done with the said army corps, whether they are to remain in garrison in Shanhaikuan, sent elsewhere, or finally disbanded and sent back to their homes in Hunan. Memorialist would, therefore, pray for his Majesty's instructions in the above matter. On the other hand, as the Provincial Trea. surership of Kiangsi is one of great impor. tance which.has been made vacant Ch'en Shih's death, memorialist trusts hrs Majesty will not lose any time in appoint. ing a suecestor to the deceased officer. Rescript. A special decree will be issued in} this connection. tracies of Anhui province, which the gentry and landed proprietors took advantage of upon the restoration of order in the province. Their pernicious example was naturally followed by the smaller landholders and peasants, which many of the new magistrates Sent to take charge after the pacification of the province dated not resent, although in many cases quite aware of the true state of affairs, fearful lest by too strict an observance of the old regime it would cause the people (incited by the landed gentry) to rebel again, and the blame of the rising be visited upon the heads of the said newly arrived magistrates. Hence, for more than thirty years things have gone on from bad to worse. Land formerly reported to be barren and excused by former decrees from. taxes had in the meanwhile, after remain ing fallow, been re-cultivated with profit to the owners thereof, who, on the other hand, refrained from reporting this increase of income to the magistrates of their district; while, again, other districts which had been visited by inundation or famine had to be either partially commuted or entirely excused from paying taxes, thereby decreasing the revenues of the province with no counter compensation, us should have been the case. In this state of things it clearly lay with memorialist, as Governor of the province, to devise means to restore the chaos which hiad thus arisen through the timidity and incapability of former predecessors. The pi thing to begin with is the reconstitution of the provincial land tanes in such a way as to be perfectly fair to all, thereby obviating murmurs of discontent which would surely arise in case of failure of justice. Hence, after consultation with the acting Trossurer and Judge, memorialist thinks' that nothing but a thorough re-survey of the whole province should be made and a re-assossmentupon the ing to the annual returns of the land taxes result be issued by proclamation. Accord-of Avbui the area of arable land taxable comprises 382,140, odd, ching (each ching contains 100° mow.—Trans.) and tha annual tribute rice for Peking valued at Tls. 1,700,000, odd. Not counting the arrears of taxes previous to 1884, taxes still due to goverament by the' people of Anhui from 1885 to 1892, amounted to a total of Tls. 2,468.000, odd, while from the famine districts of the said province there ate still due taxes equal to. Ts, 2,046,000, odd, which the inhabitants of the said distressed districts have been permitted by government to pay " when
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.