The following are a number of so-called "*Tmperial" decrees issued in July last, 10th July.
Ming Shun (Manchu) is appointed Deputy Military Governor of Sansing, Sinn (Central Manchuria).
Note; According to latest dispatches from Manchw'ia, this official. is now commanding the Government troops in Féngtien, having seized the supreme military power. th the Tartar-General at Moukden (Tseng Eh') being a mere instrument in the former's hands.—Translater.
15th July (1) Lit Pén-yuan, Brigadier-General of the Chungking Circuit of Szechu vine, is Mei Tung-yih, fof Kueichou, is hereby or ign his post, which ix -h-in, Brigadier-General of the Sung'an Cireu-t of the Szechuen-Tibetan frontiers, The last mamod post is hereby ty Ch'éng Yuan-ho, Nori named Commander-in-Chief of Kueichow province—Mei Tung-—although supposed to he holding that post has actually remained in the North for the past two years commanding the brigade of Governor Yuan Shih-kai's foreign modelled Army. General Mei ix one of the most truste: l and allest Generals under Yuan Shih-kai; and succeeded badly defeating a large body of Tung Fu-hsiang's Kansu troops and. Boxers on or about the 9th of July at Chtangehou, on the Chihli-Shantuny borders, who had been sent by Prince Tuan' and Tung Fu sto fe Shai chastise Yuan Shih-kai for.
Southern Viceroys and Governors. The par taken by General Mei on that occasion was therefore sufficient to cause hix immediate dismissal from the Government (?) service. The Empress Dowager and Prince Tuan knew well that they were powerless to order General Mei's further dismissal from his present command and so very wisely made nm mention of it in the decreo.—Translator.
(8) The etiquette requiring members of the Hanlin Academy, the Supervisorate of Instruction of the Heir-Apparent, wad Censors holding the office of Keepers of the Great Seals of the Six Bosrds to appear daily at the Palace for audience or Secretarial work at the Grand Councils, is hereby temporarily suspended.
Note:—A'l these yamens hare already een piilazed and burnt by the Boxers, in consequence of which most of the members, with the exception of those of Manchu descent. have taken French leave of their posts for their respective homes. Another reason for issuing the above decree was to guard against members of the Chinese patty, Detonsing to these three yamens, irom being present at Grand Council meetings whose secrets would at once be re ported to the Chiefs of the Chinese party.—Translator.
(4) The practice of late of members of the Six Beards and Nine Ministries beging for leave of absence have now induced become unbearableand contrary to cust m. We hereby command the Presidents and Vice-President thereof to investigate the matter and they are hereby authorised to cashierand dismiss from office all who have left Peking without first obtaining leave. As for those who have obtained leave and have left the Capital, upon their return to their posts their salaries are to be deducted for the period during such absence.
Nore.—Of the seven or eight hun-fred members f the various Boards and Minis tries, Hanlin and Imperial Academies, ete, ete., who have been seared out of Pekin by the ence-ses of the Boxers and troops, a recent Pekingdispatch states that more than 25 per cent had already, with or withen permission of their Presidents and Vice Presidents, left Peking by the 5th of July, and that many more must have done the same thing by the end of that month.—
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.