Tam glad to take back a piece of news I passed along in a former letter regarding the opium dens, True, the order to open and license such was received and promul-ted, but a subsequent communication from the Viceroy countermanded the previous dispatch, as the Emperor's consent could not be got to such xn order. That, at least, was the reason given out. The magistrate was unwilling to issue a second proclamation so close on the heels of the other and utterly at variance with it, so sent out the ward officials to notify the people that opium dens are still an unlawfal enterprise in the magistracy of Yangan.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.