30th April.)
The Peiyang squadron arrived here on Monday last with Admiral Ting.
A total of $1,400,000 hins been sent into the country for the purchase of the new season's tea. As compared with last year it is less than half the amount, According to the Hongkong Daily Press Pien Pao-ti, late Viceroy of Fukien, who passed through Shanghsi recently ey route for Peking, hus. been ordered by. the Throne to retu to Foochow with the greatest possible haste, without. having audience, and resume his duties as Governor-General. A report to this effect was current in the city " fortnight after the departure of His Bxcelleney, but we abstained irom making mention of it, believing it to be altogether without foundation. As, however, we now hear that the rumour also in circulation in Shanghai, it is pos ble there may be sume truth in it, though it, matters little whether the order was iven or not, beyond the compliment to en, which the re-appointment carries with it. His Excellency has, we know for 8 fact, declared positively that nothing would induce him to return to his post or accept any other w; pointment, on account of the precarious state of his health; mind and body require complete rest, and he has decided definjgely on retiring into private (From the Foochow Hela of 7th May.)
Since our lyat issue a further amount of $300,000 has been sent up country for the purchase of nggt season's tea:
Another large firm of native piece goods merchants hae been compelled to close their doors and sre declared insolvent. Their lysses amount close ap to $100,000. The finances of all piece goods dealers are reported to be in the most precarious and general dullness of tra sent, erning to the great falling off in sales, By the last. two const well-known " Chaazees" he various quarters of the globe, Australi England und America each rendering it tribute. These gentlemen are no doubt well provided with order," and the latest ideas from central markets. Let us hope that for once common sense may hold sway, and the mud competition and high prices of recent years may be replaced by calm judgment, and " basis more in conformity with the demands of the age.
His worship, Tsai-hsua ferred from the magistracy of Aouning to His, assumed the seals of office on the bth instant, and is, we are informed, giving every facility of access to any man who has 4 complaint to make, by beating the gong which is kept on purpose at the outside hall; he, on hearing the sound, will immediately emerge from his private apartment id receive. the petition which the man precents, and lear what the man has to sey. If the complaint is based upon good grounds, authority is instantly given to his runners to have the delinquent brought before him, and the case is tried at once, has given great satisfaction to the people at Aouning, but we doubt whether it would be possible to adopt the same system atthe office of the Min magistracy. The former is but a small district in which comparatively few cases present themselves, while the latter is naturally an important court always crowded with petitions, wherein it would be practically impossible to conduct official business upon the same basis.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.