Mu, Viceroy of Shen-Kan, and Jao Yingch', Governor of Chinese Turkestan, jointly present an account of expenses Incurred in constructing a telegraph line in Chinese Turkestan, beginning from the city of Turfan, not far from Hami, outside the Great Wall, and passing through the ities of Kharashar, K'uch'é, Maralbashi, and thence to the o'd city of Kashgar, a distance of 2,381 li in a straight line. All there cities are south of the Tienshan or Celestial Mountains, which divide Kuldja from K-shyaria, The Imperial sanction for the line, was given in Janvary, 1893, and it was completed in February, 1895, including a stoppage of two months in Akeu, owing to the severity of the winter which precluded outdoor work. The appropriation for the Kashgarian telegraph line amounted to is. 284,000, odd, equally divided b-tween the special funds reserved in the Shanghai Customs Bank for the Embassies abroad, and the fixed deposit of the Admiralty (now defunct) at Peking. The sums actually expended amounted to is, 61,506, od:!, for telegraph wire from abroad; Tls. 109,140, odd, for cost of surveys,' transport of the coolies attached thereto; Tls. 18,207, materials by water and land, and the By, of odd, pay of surveyors and. officers and constraction staff; Tls. 2,278, odd, for new telegraph stations, and is. 33,774, odd, for cost of timber and telegraph poles—this last, however, should be paid by the local authorities of Kashgatia—or a total amount expended on this work of Tls. 225,607, odd, leaving a balance: of. over Tis 54,000, still in the hands of the Kashgarian government which will be brought forward ea account of the extension of the telegraph line into Kuldjs from Tihuafu, the provincial capital.—Rescvipt: Let the Boards of War, Revenue, and Works take note.
Two move memorials by the same high officers reporting the amounts expended in building telegraph lines between Shuchou, near the western extremity of the Grent Wall, to Tihuafu (Urumtsi), the capital of Chinese Turkestan, a distance of 2,069 in a straight line between the two points—a most difficult work over hill and dale and across the great Kansu desert called Gobi. The amount used for this line, which includes several minor branches connecting mvortant commercial or military centres, en route, was Tls. 173,653, odd. The Kuldja line, a distance of 1,130 li, cost a total of Tls. 82,301, odd.
9th May.
His Majesty the Emperor will grant an audience to the new Austrian Minister Chi Kan in the Wénhua Throne-hall to-morrow forenoon.
No papers of inter. st.
10th May.
IMPERIAL AUDIENCE, His Majesty granted a special audience this mort Z " the Wénhua Throne-hall to ELE. Chi Kan, Austro-Hungsrian Minister to Peking.
IMPERIAL DECREES, Ch'ung K'aen is appointed a Sub-chancellor of the Grand Secretariat, with the brevet rank of a Vice-President of the Board of Rites.
(2) We received a memorial from Ssu Lutai, Brigade General at Kupeik'ou (an entrance in the eastern part of the Great Wall), reporting that several Banner troopers under his command have been in the habit of receiving double rations and Banner allowances owing to the carelessness of the officers of their regiments. We hereby command that the officers culpably negligent in this matter
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.