The question of restoring corporal punishment to some extent has been passed by the Administrative Council. The punishment with the bamboo may be applied in lieu of imprisonment of the 4th and 5th degrees, detention for labour, and the imposition of a fine (but the number of strokes administered shall, in no case, exceed 120), on persons aged from 16 to 60, who have been guilty of adultery, gambling, obtaining money by fraud, or being engaged in improper occupations or busi-the Consuls to notify their colleagues at the outports of this decision. He also adds that with regard to those claims already in his hands, he has been ordered to report to the Government the result of his investigations as soon as possible.
Oritical Situation in Singkiang.
The price of food-stuff, reports a Tibua telegram, has appreciated very considerably this: year. A bale of barley, weighing over 300 catties, which cost only Tls. 5 last year, cannot be bought now for much less than Tle, 20, Articles of all kinds are extremely dear also, The secret society men are rampant and active everywhere, Altogether, a very critical situation has arisen in the province of Singkiang.
The Imperial Household.
The Government and the Imperial Manchu Household have concluded an understanding embodied in seven articles as follow (1) The Ching House should respect the laws of the Republic end abolish all that clashes with such laws,
adopt the Gregorian (2) The Ching House Lary (3) The Ching Emperor should limit his favours to material presents, and the bestowal of posthumous titles, honours, and com pensation should be discontinued.
(4) The Imperial Mausoleums should be placed under the control of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
(5) The Board of Imperial Household should be re-constitut-
(8) The Imperial Court of Justice should be abolished.
(1) The officials appointed by the Ching House should wear the dress of the Republic.
The etiquette and ceremonies vogue at the Imperial Court itself, as well as the removal of the queue, are left to the individual taste of each person without interference.
Indemnitles for Losses during Revolutions.
Mr. Yang Cheng, Taoyin of Shanghai, has addressed 8 patch to the Consular Body, informing them that he has been instructed by the Waichisopu io the effect that as the claims for indemnity to cover losses suffered during the revolution in 1911 were only acceptable up to December 31, 1913, s0 a final date should be fixed for accepting the claims with reference to the losses occurring during the disturbance of last year, 80 as 19 facilitate the course of investigation as well as to accelerate "he conclusion of the task of indemnifying the losers. He then—states that it is proposed to fix the date for closing the acceptance of claims as January 31 mext, and requests
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.