HE. Chou Fu, Acting Viceroy-designnte of the Liangkiang provinces, left this for Nanking yesterday afternoon, in the Nanyang cruiser Paoming, calling en route at Woosung, where he will land this morning to inspect the forts, troops, and torpedo station there. His Excel lency also expects to land and inspect the forts at Kiangyin to-morrow, after which he will proceed to Chinkiang for 'a conference with En Mirg, the Salt Commissioner of this province, concerning the proposed additional salt tax which is to be imposed by the Central Government to assist in the payment of the War Indemnity. Viceroy Chou Fu will probably reach Nanking on Saturday, the 3rd proximo. It should be added that while here Viceroy Chou Fu, accom-ponied by Yuan Taotai of this port, Wang, Shanghai district magistrate, and Dr. Timothy Richard, visited on Monday' St. John's College, at Jessfield, where a dress parade of the students was held in Excellency's honour. The Viceroy also inspected the College buildings, including the girls' school.
A Proposed Small Arms Factory at Pinghsiang.
A Wuchang dispatch states that Vice-. roy Chang Chih-tung is so very much taken up with Pinghsiang, in Kiangsi Liang, the Special Commissioner from anonol, that, in the event of Tish, Peking, reporting that it is unfit to replace the Kiangnan Arsenal in Shanghai, the Viceroy will himself construct a small arms and ammunition factory and field-gun foundry there with funds from the treasury of the Hukuang provinces.
A Military Academy at K'aifeng.
A K'aiféng letter states that Governor Chen K'nei-lung of Honan has made all ¢=Pla arrangements for the establishment of a Military Academy in that city, on the Japanese model, and " few days ago instructed the Provincial Treasurer to preside over the entrance examination of candidates for that institution. Nearly eight hundred young men competed, on of the topics for examination being an essay on the comparative merits of Chinese and foreign army organisation. Only sixty youths were accepted out of the large number that competed.
Changes of Sentiment in Inland China.
Amongst the most bigoted and antiforeign districts of Hupeh province a few years ago could be easily counted Hsiang-yang hsien, the inhabitants of which nearly killed one of their notables for daring to think of developing the rich copper deposits of Tichmaoshan ("Iron Cap Mountain") with modern contrivances. China, however, is gradually changing, and we now frequently hear of the most conservative suddenly turning around and showing themselves the most advanced, even to the point of revolution. The people of Hunan province afford one among many. Before 1898 Hunan was easily the most bigoted and reactionary province in China. Today its people are the most eager for reform and modern education among the eighteen provinces of China Proper. In the present case of the people of the hitherto most conserva and fanatical district of Hsiangyanghsien, we have the same changes in sentiment, for instead of trying to slay any one proposing the opening up with foreign machinery of their rich copper possessions in Tiehmaoshan, the people there have recently sent certain of their number to Hankow to arrange about the starting of a Company to exploit these deposits, which according to a Hankow correspondent's letter are considered to be very nearly pure in some places. The same story is being told of a desire to open up mineral-bearing regions in hitherto reactionary and fanatical districts in other provinces of this Empire, and if we only wait we shall see the whole country voluntarily opened up within the nest five or six years, or even sooner.
Viceroy Chang Chih-tung on Manchuria.
The "Eastern Times" learns that Viceroy Chang Chih-tung has recently ent up to Peking along memorial concerning the reorganisation of the three Manchurian provinces ofiFéngtien, Kirin, and Heilungchisog. The gist of this memorial is as follows:—(1) Change the status of the three provinces, appointing over each of them governor, a Treasurer, and a Judge with Taotais, prefects, district magistrates, etc. etc., and a Viceroy over all. (2) Reorganise the troops on the Japanese model, namely, an active army and a reserve. Introduce gendarmes. (4) Open additional ports to international trade. (5) Establish 4 government bank in Mukden and issue companies on the Yalu snd Sungeri rivers.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.