We are grieved to learn of the death of the Senior Vice-President of the Board of War, Hung Chun, who from the ranks of a metropolitan graduate and Hanlin gradually rose to the post of a Sub-Chancellor of the Grand Secretariat (Second rank Class B) from which bust he was sent as a Minister to foreign countries. On his return from abroad, we having great respect for his talents and faithfulness, made him Vice-President of the Board of War, and for his experience in foreign affairs further placed him as a Minister of the Tsungli Yamen, While attending with diligence and laborious energy to his duties in connection with these posts, Hung Chun feil a viction to overwork and the climate. Repeated leave of absence failed to give him the needed rest and health so that he has died in the prime of his life, and our heart feels much sympathy for his family and pity for ourselves at losing the loyal services of a faithful Minister. Let the proper Board report what mark of honour and pecuniary grant should be given to the deceased statesman, and let him have in addition the usual grant and ceremonies due tu a Vice-President of a Board. Let also any faults of his be erased from the records, and as a mark of special favour let his son Hung Luh, now a student Under-'Secretary of the Board of Works, upon {completion of his usual period of mourning be made a full Under-Secretary of that Board. This we command in order to show our sympathy for the loss, and perfect appreciation of the value, of a sithful servant.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.