(1) By special edict. of the Empress Dowager Tze-hsi-tuan-yui, ete., P'o Chin, a son_ of the Imperial Noble of the 1st class, sai Ying, is hereby appointed grandson and heir of Yi Hui, Prince Fuching, 2nd Order, and is by extra act of grace created a Prince of the 4th Order (Bei-tze).
(2) We have received the joint report the Grand Council and the Board of Revenue with reference to the fixing of a regular tariff in regard to the value of tribute rice vid the Grand Canal, the idea being to allow the farmers in the provinces to send up their tribute in money instead of in kind and so simplify matters for them. It scorns, however, that, owing to the daily enhancement of the exchange for copper cash and a corresponding cheapening of the value of silver, the farmers who have to pay their tribute and taxes in copper cash, "while they receive, the value of their sales in silver, are being severely overburdened, while the rice officials on the other hand manage to fatten themselves upon the enormous difference in exchange. This is indeed a thing to be deprecated and against the original wishes of the Throne. In future, therefore, there must be a fixed ratio between copper cash and silver, the scale to be used being the official Kuping recognised by the Government financial departments. All who dare to disobey this decree shall be punished with the utmost severity upon being denounced to the Throne.
28th January.
No papers of interest.
29th January.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.