Sept. 5th.—(1) Tu-hing-ah, the military Governor of Shen-king, reports that three criminals have been brought to justice in connection with the robbery of the Uorean special embassy while on its way home in September last year, Two of the men apprehended were concerned in the actual robbery, and the third was a confederate. One of the principals and the third prisoner have been beheaded, whilst the corpse of th other, who died while in prison, is to be mutilated. It is requested that the penalties heretofore inflicted on the local authorities for failure to apprehend the perpetrators of the robbery within a given time, may now be remitted (2) In' another memorial, Tu-hing-denounces the civil and military authorities of the city of K'ai-tian for their ineficiency in connection with a daring act of plunder lately committed. On the night of June 22nd, a party of some 20 robbers, some of whom were mounted, attacked and gutted a pawnshop in the town, wounding six of the persons employed about the establishment, and made off with their booty. Three men have been arrested on suspicion, but have not fully confessed to participation in the crime, The Military Governor expresses his indignation loudly at the occurrence of such outrage in a populous neighbourhood with impunity, and hands in the names of the officials on whom theresponsibilityrests.
(8) Tu-hing-ah and his colleague, Ts'ing-Kai, further memorialize, stating that it customary for the Military Governor of Shing-king to proceed annually in Novem-bor at the head of a body of 1,000 troops, to hunt down game for the Imperial table, in the hunting grounds on the Eastern frontier, advantage being taken of the opportunity to exercise the men as well.
commissioned officers have been accustomed to provide for their own expenses on these occasions, but for the batta of the 1,000 rank and file, and for the hire of carts to bring in the deer, an expenditure of is, 16,900 and odd is required. 'This amount was always paid out of ti vincial revenue, until, in view of th annual charge, it was arranged in 1870 that the hunt' should take place only on euch alternate year, thus both favouring the increase of game and subserving financial economy. The Military Governor now reports that according to the new rule a hunt should be held this year, but as no funds are available for the purpose in the provincial treasury, after providing for the regular pay of the troops, it i besought that the undertaking may be postponed for the present.—Rescript acceding to this request.
Sept. 6th.—(1) A decree in pursuance of a report by Shen Yii-ying, Governor of Yunnan, cashiering 'a number of district magistrates and other civilian officers, who have been found guilty of corruption, cruelty, indecorous conduct, embezzlement, de.
(2) A decree referring to an Address to the Throne ({@% PH) presented through the Censorate by a titular graduate of Che-Kiang. The two articles of this address which make appeal, respectively, for abolition of taxation beyond the lavrful limit, in order to relievo the trading class from its difficulties, and for a remission of forced contributions, as conducive to the wellbeing of the people, are subjects on which instructions have repeatedly been addressed to the provincial governments. The remaining articles of the address consist in state observations, of no practical value, and it is unnecessary to take them into consideration. The statement included to the effect that corporal Chu Yuin and certain others were killed in action during operations against the rebels in 1860, and have had no tokens of Imperial favour bestowed on their memory, is to be brought by the Censorate to the notice of the vernor of Chekiang. Henceforward, all applications for posthumous honours must be brought forward in conformity with the regulations, and applications made by officials not having the right to memorialize are not to be presented on their behalf by the Censorate. The propositions sot forth in " separate memorial by Ho Show-ts'zo, with a view to restricting the presentation of addresses, are sanctioned.
(8) A decree: Let Hi-yun become Manchu Commander-in-chief at Hangchow.
(4) The Censor Ch'én-I memorializes commenting in severe terms on the neglect of duty displayed by the Comptrollers of the Household, in permitting Li Kwang-chao's imposition (in connection with his protended supply of timber) to take place.
(0) The Constabulary yamen reports the following appeal, lodged by Meng Kwang-ching, " native of Sit-ch'éng in Shantung. Appellant's sister, being married to a man named Lit Pao-chu, became aware of an intrigue between her husband's mother and aman named Liu Yi-tang. Owing to this discovery on her part, the guilty persons determined to make' away with her, and ill-treated her daily. One day appellant was informed by letter from Lu Pao-chu that his wife had died. On going with his mother to ace the body, appellant found a deep wound on the back; and on making enquiry he received only evasive replies. On report being made to the district magistrate, an inquest was held, but the examiner of corpses falsified his medical certificate, and although Lu Pao-chu was apprehended, he soon managed to get released on security. The orders of the magistrate that proper burial should be given to deceased's remains were disregarded. Appellant petitioned the district magistrate three times, and the Prefect twice, but neither of these officers would allow him to go to the provincial capital to lodge a complaint. On the other hand, he was illegally imprisoned for three months by the magintrate'sgate-keepers. Rescript referring the case as usual.
(6). The Governor of Kiangen reports the rebuilding of two colleges at Soochow, on sites occupied by buildings of this character before the destruction of the city by the Taipings.
Sept. 7.—The Censor Yuan Ch'éng-yoh memorializes beseeching that thought may be given to the abolition of the li-kin tax, and to repeating the prohibition against cultivation of the opium poppy. Ho has read in the Gazette of August 2ist his Majesty's Decree approving the proposals of Yang-shih, in connection with his recent enquiry at Shan-hai Kwan, which include the closing of a li-kin tax-station; and upon this, encouraged by the evidence given of his Majesty's determination to remove causes of suffering from the people, ho begs to remark that the levy of li-kin, and the prohibition of the poppy cultivation, are subjects intimately connected with each other. On the 9th August, 1872, the Censor represented in a memorial on the state of affairs in Shansi, that the growth of this plant should be at once put a stop to, and commands were issued hereupon the Governor of Shansi. Nevertheless, although two years have elapsed since then, it is only'in the two Prefectures of Ta-tung and P'%n-chow, and in the department of Tai-chow, that any attention has been paid to the interdict. Of all the remaining divisions of the Province, where the prohibition has been almost' wholly erded, the most glaring disobedience has been shown in the five ting departments subject to Kwei-wha-ch'éng, and the district of I'o-keh-t'o (that is, the region bordering on Mongolia), where lands of rich productiveness have been converted into @ soures of destruction for the people.
Whilst the population itself is led away by greed of gain, the same cause is also active with its official superiors, and the prohibition is consequently ignored, not only in Shansi, but doubtless also on the same principle in other provinces. If now his Majesty would put a stop to the growth of the poppy, what is absolutely necessary is to yet rid of corrupt officials, and ina still greater degree is it necessary to abolish the [kin tax. The reason is this. The li-kin revenue springs in point of fact from the poppy plant, the name of the thing being merely changed into the designation yang yao (foreign drug, i.e. Opium), If on the one hand a duty is levied, and on the other an interdict is imposed, complaint must inevitably be expected to arise on all sides, For not only is the poppy an injury to the people,—the li-kin tax itself is also a hardship imposed upon them. Originally introduced under pressure of financial exigencies during the rebellion, ax a merely temporary expedient, the li-kin tax is still maintained, notwithstanding that the whole Empire is more or less freed from distur~ bance, and that tranquillity has prevailed in some of the provinces for the Inst ten years or more, The li-kin tax officers are actually increased in number, and the officials appointed to collect the tax impose grievous hardships upon the population, and throw difficulties in the way of trade in tranaitu, In 0) merchandize no sooner comes within cope of one of these offices than it is declared to be smuggled—in others, goods other than opium are made the subject of extortion by violence. The desire to minister to private gain is greatly in excess of anxiety for the public revenue. It is beyond the power of words to depict in full the malpractices which are carried on in this connection, The high provincial authorities in general are well aware of all this, but the reason ed for inability to do away with the tax is the need of reorganization. Reorganization, however, should be wholly beneficial if undertaken at all; and the Censor is moved to request that orders be issued to all the provincial government desiring them to devise measures com; ble with the existing condition of affaire, for the suppression of the poppy cultivation and the abolition of the li-kin tax.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.