March 9th,—(1) A decree handing over to the Board of Punishments for trial, a sergeant of police belonging to the guard of the South Gate of Peking, who is accused of making a wrongful arrest and inflicting blows without authority, in a case in which an individual named Ts'ui Urh had met his death by drowning.
(2) Pao Ting, an Imperial clansman, Libationer of the Imperial Academy of Learning, presents a humble expression of his views on certain public questions, which he introduces by observing that a honseholder keeps a dog in order that he may have the use of the animal's barking. A good dog will give voice at sight of a shadow. This may well cause annoyance to be felt; but the intention with which the watchdog utters it is no other than that of guarding his master's interest. Although the dog may not be always in the Fight, yet, by sounding the note of alarm, he serves to provide a defence against harm. It would not be well, therefore, to restrain the dog from barking in consequence of the frequency and groundlessness of his alarms. The memorialist himself has offered many representations to the Throne; and conscious as he is of his own foolishness and lack of insight, he nevertheless cannot restrain himself, overwhelmed as he has been with the Imperial bounty, from giving utterance to his views on four subjects, entreating the pardon of the Celestial grace for his offence in obtruding his opinions, (The f-ur recommendations which ensue were fury summarized in the rescript issued in reply see Gazette of Feb. Dona)
Ina postscript memorial, Pao T'ing refers to the prohibition issued' by proclamation of the alice of Gendarmerie against illummations at at the Lantern Feast on the 15th of the Ist moon, which the public are bound scrupulously' to obey. Notwithstanding this a rumour is spread abroad to great illumination is about hin the Palxee, and that a vast number of lanterns have been manufactured for the purpose. At such a time as the present, when the exchequer is in its, when their Majesties the Empresses set a personal example of frugality, and when his Majesty the Emperor, still of tender age, is diligently applying himself to study, it is inconceivable that an enormous outlay should be indulged in, for the construction of mere idle playthings. The vague rumors of the wells and market-places are, it is true, in no wise to be relied upon; ut a public report usually has some kind of foun and it is te be apprehended that som the imperial attendants may have devised 11 exhibition of this nature with a view to advance themselves in favour. The meniorialist earnestly de-prelates the possibility of such an oeeurrenee, and ventures to recall to mind the torical episode in which the emperor Shen Tsung, of the Sung dynasty, when about to purchase lanterns from Chehkiang, desisted at the remonstrance of Ssu She from this undertaking. Widely: inferior as the memorialist knows himself to be in eomparison with Ssu She, their Majesties the Emin their miles of f nid he trusts, therefore, that his Inmble representations 1 receive a gracivtts hear ing, For rescript sev Gusette of 22nd Feb. "March 10th.—A Decree. of Revenue take into consideration and report to us upon the memorial presented by the Supervising Censor Kwoh T'sung-kit upon the state of affairs connected with the lekin in Szech'wan and the salt revenue of the eastern seaboard division.
The remainder of this day's Gazette is ocoupied with reports on unimportant administrative details in Yunnan, Kweichow, Kwangsi, and Tibet.
March 11th and 12th.—No dveuments of importance.
March 13th,—Memoris reporting the number of octogenarian and nonagenarian candidates who were granted honorary degrees at the various provincial examina tions for the hié.jéx degree last autumn, as follows Of the age of 80 and upwards: In Kwangsi, two; in Kanswh, two; in Yunnan, two 5 in Shensi, seven; in Hunan, fifteen.
Of the age of 90 and upwards: In Hunan, three; in Sze-ch'wan, four; in Shensi, three.
March 14th.—(1) A Decree. Let Chi TEAM succeed to the post of Commissioner of the Court of Transmission.
(2) A decree in reply to a memorial from Feng Tsze-tsai, the General-in-chief in Kwangsi, who' complains that in the of the Suppression of the Taiping Rebellion, lately issued by command, he finds it mentioned that he "submitted himself to rightful authority at the same time with the rebel leader Hwang Kin-sze." The fact, he states, is simply that he was made prisoner by the insurgents in 1853, and kept in detention by them for something over ten days, at the end of which time he effected his escape, whereupon he enlisted as a volunteer with the military forces. There is no truth in the story that
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.