The Festivity Commissioners have asked for the Emperor's instructions on certain points connected with the celebration of the Empress Dowager's sixtieth birthday. They say on similar occasions in the veign of the Emperor Chien Lung, the shop fronts were redecorated along the streets between the Hsihua Gate and the Hsichih Gate; also there were altars erected for the Lamas, theatrical stages, and images of animate and inanimate, objects. They wish to know if the precedent should be followed on the present occasion. The Emperor, having referred the question to Her Ma-lusty, directs that the roads to be traversed by the procession be made smooth, the shop fronts slightly redecorated, and the other things be done as may seem advisable, without too great splendour or extravagence.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.