(1) We have recently repeatedly received reports from Liu K'un-yi, Viceroy of the Liangkiang provinces, and Teng Hua-hsi, Governor of Anhui, concerning the insurrection now going on among certain disreputable malcontents in the district of Kuoyang, Anhui, and now we have received a memorial from the Governor of Honan reporting another rising in Hsiayih, in that province. As Anhui and Honan meet each other on their borders, care should be taken to prevent the Kuoyang insurgents from combining with those from Hsiayih, thereby making it a formidable insurrection. While we must insist upon the summary punishment of all rebels without distinction, yet from the fact that Honan has been suffering from repeated famines and failures of the crops of late years, it may be that the difficulties of obtaining'a livelihood may have forced many of the insurgents to resort to force getting food. While the fact of their using force is indeed reprehensible and should be punished, yet the condition of these people is also pitiable, and we therefore' desire to open a way by which hitherto well-intentioned men who have been forced by hunger to resort to arms may be given a chance to reform themselves and abandon their more guilty associates. Further, as the prefectures of Fengyang and Yiinchou, in Anhui, where the said insurrection is now proceeding, have also recently suffered from disastrous inundations, we hereby command the Board of Revenue to set about at once providing funds to relieve the sufferers of both provinces, and the Viceroy and Governors concerned should see to it that all those' really needing aid be relieved and helped to return to their usual avoca~ tions, whereby mei who are'really intent on rebellion and those who have been forced by hunger to carry arms can easily be differentiated and the indiscriminate slaughter of the guilty and innocent be avoided. Care should also be taken to prevent dishonest and avaricious local officials from enriching themselves by the funds of the Government, and hence capable officers and men' of integrity should be selected by the provincial authorities to distribute these relief funds in conjunction with the said local officials.
(2) As the Emperor is still an invalid and under the medical supervision of physicians the usual solemn sacrifices during the end of the present year and also those to be held at the opening of the New Year, are hereby to be reverentially performed by Yi K'uang, Prince Ch'ing, Ast Order, and Po Ching, Prince Vi, Ist Order, on behalf of the Emperor.
(3) Decree granting promotions to some fifty civil and military officials, connected with the Yellow River conservation works gppoctunely closing serious breaches at of Shantung, for services rendered in
angshihtao, thereby preventing a recurrence of disastrous inundations.
28rd January.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.