By the death of H.E. the Into Li Hung-tsao, there seems to have been a general redistribution of posts in the Metropolitan and Court administrations. Any one versed in mandarinic lore and acquainted with the working of the wheels within wheels of the Chinese official hierarchy, can read between the lines and seo within them the popularity of this or that official with the Emperor. For in this redistribution of seats, authorised by the decrees of the 3rd and 4th instant, some have been advanced whilst others have, on the other hand, received a fall from their original politic By an edict of the 4th instant Kang called to Peking in 1394 from his Governorship of Kuangtung and a prime favourite of the Emperor,—President of the Board of Works, is made to. interchange posts with Sung Kuei, President of the Board of Punishments. Both are Manchus. But after the Boards of Civil Appointments and Revenue, the post of President of the Board of Punishments comes next, or third on the list, in point of remunerativeness, amongst the Six Boards of Peking, while it is also senior in rank to that of the Board of Works, which is last on the list. Hence, although the interchange may seem commonplace enough to outsiders, the fact is that Kang Yi receives a promotion while Sung Kuei drops a point in the estimation of the Court. Another edict of the same date appoints Li. Tuan-fda, Senior (Chinese) Vice-President of the board of Punishments, to be Director General of the Imperial Granaries at N. 'Téangchou and Peking (lit. Vice-President of the Imperial Granaries under the Board of Revenue) vice Liao Shou-hong, promoted to the Presidency of the Court of Censors. Then comes the greatest surprise of all, for the same edict commands Chao Shu-chiao, Governor of this province (Kiangsu), to take the post vacated by Li Tuan-fen and be Senior Vice-President of the Board of Punishments—in other words, Governor Chao is transformed, at a stroke of the Emperor's pen, from a provincial magnate to a Court Minister. Many people amongst the Chinese official classes will consider this a grand advancement to Governor Chao, who only a short three years ago—June, 1894—was merely a 4th rank officer or Taotai of the treaty port of Wenchow, and doubtless the Emperor, who is a great admirer of Governor Chao, thinks that the latter ought to be thankful for this distinction that has been conferred upon him, But if we know anything about it, we do not think that this official will feel very much elated at his translation to Peking to play twentieth fiddle in the Court orchestra, when he-is first fiddle—nominally second—in Kiangse. And what is of infinitely more importance to the progress and welfare of this province,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.