According to a memorial from the Governor of Shansi_ the Governor himself contributed Tls. 1,000 to the provincial famine fund; the Treasurer, is. 1,000; the Chief Justice Tls. 800; other officials, from Taotais down to. magistrates, in all Ts. 20,000; the salt merchants, Tls, 80,000; and wealthy gentlemen throughout the province, Tls. 300,000. This latter sum was raised by assessing each district at a certain sum, and sending officers to invite the people to subscribe and make up the amount. Whatever each man gave was written on a list and posted up in the place, so that.there could be no doubt as to its having been received. The rich men came forward willingly and in a month or more the whole business was done. Where it was found that the estimate was too large for the means of the people, a less sum was accepted; and where, asin Hochou, T'aiping and Hsiang-ling, the subscriptions came to more tha the nesesement, the surplus was retained for local works. No assessment st all was made on the famine districts or other very poor localities; but subseriptions have been accepted from any benevolent persons in such plices who came forward of their own accord. The memorialist also deals with a complaint which has been made to the Emperor by a certain Center, to the effect that the district magist rates have made the collection of contributions an excuse for extorting money for themselves. The memorialist can find no sign of any such thing having taken place, no complaint has reached him; and, us the Censor mentions no names of people or places, he has no means of sifting the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.