NORTH-CHINA DAILY NEWS."
August 21.
(1) Decree in the name of the Enipress Dowager in response to joint memorial of Lin Jé-tsing and other natives of Chihli province holding office in Peking, praying for fands for the relief of flood sufferers in that province. The sum of Tls. 40,000 is granted from the Privy Purse for the purpose, which the Ministry of Finance is commanded to vay to the Viceroy of Chihli and the Peking for distribution sufferers of some fourteen districts that have been inundated, The said Ministry is also commanded to hand over for the same purpose all the funds that have been accumulating in that department for years for fami relief, Furtheruiore, in future monies sent up annually to' Peking from the various. provinces for this fond must be deposited in the Bank at interest, and are not to be touched for any other purpose than what they are primarily—intended for, Let the Ministry concerned take note, (2) Decree, also in the name of the Empress Dowager, in reply to memorial from the Ministry of Agriculture, Works and Commerce, in which it is stated that as Chinese residing in the islands of the South Pacific have now organiz-themselves into Merchants' As: tions and Chambers of Commerce it is necessary that a special Commissioner he sent by their Majesties to inspect these organizations and to grant. wands, ete, The decree states that their Majesties are greatly pleased to learn this, and Chinese in the South Pacific have the Imperial _apprecin sympathy. Yang Shih-chi, Vi dent of the Ministry of Agriculture, Works and Commerce, is hereby commanded to proceed to the islands of the South Pacific ta inspect. these commercial associations and to tell their members of the Imperial solicitude and desire to take cure of them.
furthermore should any one succeed in bringing together considerable suns of money for the purpose of starting important mercantile enterprises. for the encouragement of trade, such public benefactors will he granted noble rank in reward for their services, and the authorities are to give them every protection when they return to China.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.