An Imperial Decree recently ordered that the 65,000 piculs of tribute tice, due this year from Hunan and Hupeh, should be turned into money and with the sum that would have been expended on its freight, be font as soon as possible to the Viceroy Li Hung-chang at ientsiu, who would employ it for the relief of the starving population in Shansi. 'The Viceroy states the rice this year from Hupelt is 32,917 piculs, worth 'Us. 55,032, and the sum allowed for freight and other charges Tls, 16,742, total THs, 71,74. The Chinn Mevebants' Company are the events of the Hupeh Government for the transport of this rice, and the memorialist has desired them to advance the money without delay. He has telegraphed also to the Governor of Hunan to forward to him as soon as possible the sum due from that province, which is about the same as that from Hipeh. The funds being wanted for Shansi at once, the Relief Board at Tientsin will find means to supply the money und repay itself when the Temitrance from Hunan arrives. As the tribute rice had already been bought, it will now have to be sold again, and it is to be feared that there will be some loss on the transition, Whatever this may be it will be reported to the Emperor, as soon as the accounts come to hand.
The part of Shunsi where the distress is severest is the region outside the great wall. It covers an urea two or the thousand i in circumference, and there are as many as a million people waiting for assistance. In order to supervise such extensive proceedings it is necessary that there should be an officer of intelligence and experience. The memorialist has selected a Taotai named Liu Ch'i-tung who has had practice in such matters. He has been told to take the money at once to northern Shansi_and ty cooperate with the local authorities and the charity commissioners who are there already.—Noted.
REMITTANCE FROM HUPEH, She Province of Hupeh has been required to furnish the metropolitan government with a sum of Is, 450,000 from its Land Tax Receipts this year. The Governor reports that he is sending overland a first instalment of Tls. 50,000. lith May. No papers of interest, 12th May.
PUNISHMENT OF ESCAPED PRISONER, Li Hung-charly points out that his attention has been called to the frequency with which prisoners who are sentenced to banishment or transportation manage to effect their escape whilst on the way to the places at which they must serve their time. The law does nor however provide for any augmentation of the penalty to which they are originally sentenced and memorialist considers that something ought to be done to remedy this state of things. He would therefore refer to the regulations at present in force for the punishment of such criminals in and about Peking and suggest that in future should any cases of a similar kind occur, the offenders be kept in as prisoner for a few years prior to being again sent to the place of banishment.—Let the Bourd of Punishments ut once report.
13th May.
No papers of interest.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.