Some time last December, it will be recalled, the Empress Dowager euldenly sent the Vice-President of the Board of Revenue, Pra Liang, who is a kinsman of the Emperor, to Shantoug on a special mission, ostensibly to superinten the distribution of relief to the sutorers from famine and the Yellow River flood in that province, but, as it now seems, really to see what the Grand Seccetary Jai Hung-chang was doing and to find out the trath of certain charges of. extravagance and cockles expenditure made agniaxt the Governor of Shantung in the latter's entertainment of Li Hung-chang and his nuinerous staff in that province. From nu edict of the 27th ultimo it appears that Chang Ju-mei, the Governor of Shantang, has been accused of being an adept in flattery and currying favour with his superiors, and therefore fond also of being flittered and. bribed, ete., in tun by his subordinates. Owing to this, on the one hand, all the men Who have been appointed by him to posts of importance since his assumption of the Governorshiip two years ago, are of mediocre ability and incapable officers. One man for instance, Chang Shang-ta, ex-Taotai of Chinaofu, who was cashiered for incapability, haa since had his rank wid titles restored throught GovervorChang, obtained, it is charged, throuzlt the judicious use of Tls. 30,000, conveyed through the agency of the district magistrate of the provincial capital into the Governor's private coffers. Then spain, on the other hand, when Li Hung-chang was uppointed Imperial High Commissioner of River Conservancy the reception given him by the accused Go-nor was extraragint and sumptuous in the extreme, every Iuxary even to extraordinarily rich and exyensive furni-ails being placed at the Impocist Commissioner's disposal and of ona staff; while no less than Tia. 1,000 a day has been spent. since their arrival at Chinansu, the provincial I, in entertaining the party. In to this the more important members of Li's numerous staff were presented with sums of money for Boarding expenses, "insomuch that," remarks the accuser, a Baolin Reader, named
staff had all their desires fulfilled."
Ch'én "all of Li Hung-chang's matter of fact from the day of Li Hung-chang's arrival at Chinanfa the charge ix that *not a single one passed but forsting and gaiety of some sort on an extravagant scale took pince." In regard to thy above extravagance Li Hung-chang is taken, to task in the present edict and asked by the Buptess Dowager why upon experiencing all this he did not stop it on the spot and denounce his host to the Throne instead of secopting these luxuries? Here the acousing Hanlin should, perhaps, properly have ended his charges and obtained credit for his patriotism by declaring, that such reckless ext: avagnnce and luxurious living in the midst of the extreme property and suffering by fume now prevalent among the people of Sbantungis a travesty on the gracious bounty of the Empress Dowager. Instead of this, the accuser winds up his denunciations with: "There are even more charges that can be made, but. already your memorialist fears that he has gone int' enough, for once the above charges are made known in the Peking Gazelte the chances are that he will be a marked man with certain high Ministers in the Imperial Court and inone the hatred of the Tnmperial Commissioners abroad," i... outside of Peking. To this the Empress Dowager replies, that since bobas hinted ao broadly at prospective enemies ho natu rally has sorite definite persons in mind and will be ready to prove his hints." A reply waited by the Empress Dowager, can imagine that this Hedin position will be anything but pleasant unless he can bring proofs of what [he has hinted.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.