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III. Singular Proclamation, issued by the Foo-yueii, or Sub- Viceroy, of Canton, 

 December's, 1822. Translated from the Chinese by the Rev. Dr. MoRRrsox. 

 Communicated by Sir George Thomas Staunton, Bart. 



Read June 7, 1823. 



Ching, the Foo-yuen, has issued a very long proclamation, exhorting tiie 

 people, under his government, to industry, and to the practice of all the 

 social virtues. He states his object in eight words : it is, he says, to 

 " Encourage Industry, 

 Establish Education, 

 Praise Virtue, and 

 Repress Vice." 

 The effect of which " he hopes will be tranquillity amongst the poor, and 

 the prevalence of good manners and customs." 



" Ancient rulers (says the Foo-yuen), thought that, if one man was un- 

 reclaimed, it must be some fault in the Ruler." " I commenced life (adds 

 he) as a Che-heen magistrate, and in Canton province I served twenty years. 

 I was removed to Shantung and to Honan; and now I am placed here in 

 the situation of Foo-yuen, bearing also the office of Censor-general, General 

 Adviser of His Imperial Majesty, and a Captain empowered to call forth 

 the army of Canton. Music and women ; goods and gains ; revelry and 

 avarice have no charms for me. My only, constant, unremitted, heedful, 

 anxious desire (which I dare not decline to cherish) is, that I may look on 

 national affairs, as if they were my domestic affairs, and the affairs of the 

 poor people, as if they wei-e my own personal affairs. 



" Having had to give thanks to the Wise and Holy One, for appointing 

 me to be the soother of the people, I am well aware that, in all tlie dis- 

 tricts under my government, robberies and thefts prevail, and burn ; liti- 

 gations and imprisonments abound, and multiply. Polite decorum and in- 

 struction do not flourish ; and the public manners are not substantially good. 

 Without an increased and great effort to correct what is wrong, I sliall be 

 luiable to console the people ; and shall have no hope of rendering a re- 

 compense for the favour of my country. 



" Beside diligent attention to actual cases that come before me, and 

 constant deliberation for the public good, I deem it now right, on first 



