Chinese New Year's season is proving ong of the most joyful experienced here for sarpo years past, despite the long-continued drdught, which still remains unbroken The unusually fine weather for this time of the year has doubtless contributed to the out-of-doors hilarity, but the fact that the Enpperor is again at Peking has also added an element of gladness. About three o'clock on Saturday morning a party of seven foreigners—mostly Americans—witnessed thd annual worship, or koto of the provineial and Jocal officials before the Em: poyer's tablet. These magnates arrived. or were supposed to arrive, in a certain preseribed order from the lowest to the highest. 80 That most of them were doomed to await thd coming of the Viceroy, who put in appearance just as the day began to break The ceremony was then quickly gone abut with, and the officials departed in the inverse order of their arrival, proceeding tichllythe same worship was performed. Taxation.
to the Confucian Temple, where prac-@onsiderable complaint is made on account of the recently imposed or superimposed tax of thirty cash in a thousand on; everything sold in the native shops, except Tice, firewood, and vegetables, It iis thought by some that the opposition to this: additional tax may assume a serious fornia, but that remains to be seen.
H.'B.M's Consul. departure of Mr. B. E. O'Brlen Butler, {here is general regret at the approaching, H.B3 M.'s Consul at this port. Your corresponslent has never had any official dealings wwitjh the Consul, but in common with many others he will miss the genial gentleman and his excellent wife. The best wishes of they foreigners in this place, irrespective of nationality, will follow Consul and Mrs aaa wherever their future lot is cast.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.