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The Peking Gazette. 1899 TRANSLATION OF THE PEKING GAZETTE. FOR 1899. SHANGHAI: It E PH IN TED KRO.M THE u NOltTH-CHINA B K1ULD AND SVFhEMK COUKT AND CONSVLAVv GAZETTE. 1 9 0 0 . ABSTRACT OF PEKING GAZETTE. 1 8 0 9 . 1st January. to increase the powers of all Tartar IMPERIAL DECREE. Generals, Viceroys and Governors of pro­ P ‘u Liang (Imperial Clansman), Vice- vinces and make them ex officio members of the Tsungli Yamen so that they may President of the Board of Revenue, is ， hereby commanded to proceed to the decide matters without loss of time wiiile province of Shantung to superintend at the same, time they are also expected to the distribution <»f relief funds to the communicate with the Princes and Minis sufferers from the Yellow River inun­ ters of the Tsungli Yamen thereanent. dations. He is commanded to appear in (3) The three posts held by P (u Liang who is now to go on a missi n to audience for his final instructions on the Shantung, viz: t'-e Junior Vice-Presidency 3rd instant. of the Board of Revenue ; the Lieutenant- 2nd January. Generalship of the Alanchu Borde. ed Red IMPERIAL DECREES. Banner organisation ; and the Commander- (1) Hsii Ch‘i is appointed Chancellor of ship of the Red Banner Corps of the the Supervisorate of Instruction of the Imperial Guards, are hereby given ad Heir-Apparent. interim to Tsing Jui, Yi Kung, and Hsiang (2) Yeh Ta-chou is appointed Taotai of P (u, respectively. the Kao-Lien Intendancy of Kuangfcung 4th January. province. (3) Yii Keng (Manchu), Junior Director No papers of interest. of the Imperial Stud Court, is hereby 5th January. inted a Minister of the Tsungli IMPERIAL DECREE. en. “ THE OLD WAY TO BE OBSERVED 3rd January. ALWAYS." IMPERIAL DECREES. I, the Enip es< Donager, have read with (1) A decree cashiering a number of surprise and indignation a memorial from incapab e military officers in Kansu, in the Censor, Hsu Shill-chia, in which lie response to a memorial from Tkao Mu, denounces the practice of plurality of posts Viceroy of the Shen-Kan provinces. to the single individual Minister, and asks that “ a chinge be made in the old regula­ APPOINTMENT OF ex officio MEMBERS OF tions which now are a burden on the State." THE TSUNGLI YAMEN. For over 200 years, ever since the reign of (2) Tartar Generals, Viceroys and Go­ the Em[，e: or Yung Ching and the institution vernors of the maritime and riverine pro­ l>y him of the Grand Council, it has been vinces of the Empire having under their the practice of this dynasty to select the jurisdiction the treaty ports, naturally have ablest men from the Grand Secretariat and considerable additional work in relation to Six Boards to fill posts in the said Council, international intercourse, while those of and, in consequence, this has now become the inland provinces are constantly appeal­ an instifcut on of the dynasty. With re­ ed to in cases regarding disputes between ference to the Tsungli Yamen also, it has Missionaries and their converts against the been the practice to select only men from masses. In this connection the high pro­ the Six Boards who have shown fitness vincial authorities often seem to be inclined for the special、vork required to fill the to shirk responsibility and trouble by responsible posts therein, and so far the sending all such cases to the Tsungli practice has always been found tn work Yamen to be dealt with, thereby frequent­ admirably. Our high Ministers thus ly causing much delay before any arrange­ selected, have always been patriotic enough ment can be arrived at. To obviate thia to accept extra work without extra re­ I，the Empress Dowager, have now decided muneration, and have ever doner their duty [J an, 6—8. to their Sovereign. How ia it then that with any call, official or unofficial, that I now. find a Censor writing in such a may be required of the masses. strain ? Although a Censor’s duty is to 8th January. memorialise the Throne on all subjects he IMPERIAL DECREES. must yet carefully consider what such (1) The solemn sacrificial ceremonies to subjects shall be and not talk at random. be held in the Imperial Ancestral Temple I forgive the above-named Censor his near the end of this year, namely, 28th misdemeanour this time, but shall expect day of the 12th moon (8th February) in the future that, unless he has proper shall on the present occasion be super in­ proof of what he writes upon, no Censor tended by Ts >i Hsiin, Prince Chuang, 1st shall hereafter memorinlise the Throne, as he will be held responsible for his charges. Order. A DISTASTEFUL INNOVATION. 6th January. (2) Chiin Liang (Manchu), a sub-Chan- IMPERIAL DECREES. ccllor of the Grand Secretariat, thinks that a recent innovation of mine will lead easily (1) The decree cashiering General Sung to misunderstandings between my Minis­ Ch‘ing, promulgated in 1895 for misconduct ters in Peking and the high provincial of his subordinates in the late war with authorities, and therefore prophesies that Japan is hereby cancelled and he is restored there will trouble in the future instead his former rank and titles. of simplifying matters as I intended. (2) By extra grace of the Empress Dowa­ Under these circumstances the memorialist ger, General Sung ClPing, Provincial Coni- prays that I recall my decree and allow mander-in-Chief of Szechuan, and General things to go on in the old way, etc. The Yuan Shih-k^xi, expeefcan' Vice-President other day, in consideration of the numerous of one of the Six Boards, are hereby delays made by the Tsungli Yamen in granted the privilege of riding on horae- settling international trade lit Rations • ack within the Precincts of the Western and disputes between missionaries and Palace-gates, and of using the Palace the masses, I decided that, to remedy barges in the lakes. matters, power should be given to 7th January. Tartar Generals, Viceroys, and Governors of provinces, as ex oiicio members of the IMPERIAL DECREES. Tsungli Yamen, to sntfcle all such disputes (1) Huang Shao-clii is appointed Junior off-hand, apprising the Tsungli Yamen Director of the Supervisorate of Instruction pari pcissu^ by telegraph, of what was of the Heir-Apparent. being done, so that this department may AN INTERDICTION ON WHOLESALE have proper information of what is goi'g EXTORTIONS. on’ throughout the Empire. I decided this (2) I have received a memorial from the way because I felt that the high provincial Censor, Yii Cheng-ko, complaining < f the authorities being on the spot could have recent move atnongsb local officials in every information at first hand and so could Shantung and Szechuan provinces to en­ decide in a much quicker manner than if, force the collection of subscriptions for the according to the old custom, the Tsungli Ghao Hsin Bonds from the masses, accord­ Yamen, many miles away, had to be first ing to the amount of land held by them. communicated with ; while the time taken This，says the said Censor, has stirred up to investigate and settle matters would be considerable discontent amongst the people interminable, giving the litigants much of the t 、vo provinces above-named, and he pn*per cause for comp’aint. I see nothing therefore prays that a decree be issued undesirable in my decision and if only the prohibiting the pernicious practice, the high Mimisters and o伍cials do their re­ Chao Hsin Bonds being originally intended spective duties properly and be of mutual as a voluntary loan to the Government. help to ea h other, the saving of time As I have a suspicion that the practice aimed at could easily be accomplished. complained of above is not confined to Indeed the successful accomplishment of Shantung and Szechiuan alone, I hereby issue my object does nob depend upon the my comma-nds to all my Viceroys and innovation commanded by me, bufc really Governors to stop it in their provinces upon the calibre and conscientiousness also, and further orJa n that, henceforth, of the officials entrusted with these duties. this system of collecting subscriptions ac­ There is, therefore, no reason why there cording to the amount of land owned be should be any further discussion of the interdicted not only mure y as regards the said sub-Chancellor^ memorial which is Chao Hsin Bonds but also in connection hereby refused. J an. 9—11.] 3 9th January. which he owes to the dynasty in the present crisis. Let the said Viceroy, IMPERIAL DECREE. therefore, devote himself all the more to THE NEW YEAR CEREMONY OF ALLEGIANCE. his duties and exercise due care in tho In consideration of our ill health, we employment of his subordinate officers. are now compelled to command that the festivities usually observed by the Im- EMPRESS DOWAGER’S COMMANDS Court at the end of the old year E OBEYED AND THE ORTHODOX WAY the Court banquets held during FOLLOWED. the New Year celebrations, shall on ⑷ Liu K ‘im-yi，Viceroy of the Liang­ the present occasion be suspended. But kiang provinces, sends me a memorial the solemn ceremony of offering our asking my sanction that military Ghu- New Year allegiance on the first day of jen and licentiates be all compelled the month will be observed ; on which to enter modern schools to obtain a occasion we shall head our Princes, Nobles literary education in order to fit them for and high Ministers and proceed to the the study of modern military strategy, “ Summit of Imperial Supremacy，’ Throne military engineering, etc.
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