TheProvinceof Kansu, says the Governor General, suffered last spring and summer from " severe drought, In the autumn the crops were again damaged by hailstorm and by floods resulting from heavy rains. The harvest therefore was necessarily most deficient. When the winter came, the memorialist saw that, unless relief measures were introduced, the poorer classes must suffer terribly from cold and hunger. He therefore desired the local authorities, wherever it might b vired, to open, soup Kitchens and distribute cloth: ing for the benefit of the poor and needy. Tithe neighbourhood ut Lanctiou Fu the state of affairs was worse than any else, and the price of corn had risen greatly. The memorialist deputed officers to establish two soup-kitchens outside the East Gate, one for men, the other for women, The distribution of broth commenced about the beginning of December and the number of applicants went on creasing, till at the end of January they raged more than nine thousand daily. They all presented relief tickets which had been given to them, and there was no confusion ur disorder, When the season has ended the memorialist will furnish a statement of the expenditure, and he hopes that he may be allowed to charge it in his—Tot the Board of Revenue take oth March.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.