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ANTI-DYNASTIC TROUBLE IN
HONAN.
(Daily Press, 24. December.) The Peking correspondent of the Times wrote from Hapkow at the beginning of November that the Yangtsze Valley was at present peaceful and the country had resumed its normal condition. Appearances undoubtedly tended to show this, and it cannot be said that there have been any outward signs of disturbance since the time when Dr. MORRISON wrote. Nevertheless, news now reaches us from Shanghai of the discovery of an extensive anti-dynastic conspiracy, one of whose objects was to attack the Imperial party on its way from Kaifeng to Peking. It will be remembered that on the 20th November, during the celebration of the Empress Dowager's birthday at Kai- feng, an unsuccessful attempt was made to destroy the Palaces and their inmates by
fire.
[December 31, 1901.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
current in Chinese official circles in Shang- the Press in nations pretending to a higher hai was that the Empress Dowager (and civilisation it has never exceeded the limits presumably the Emperor KwaNG Hsu with of fair and respectful comment; and at the her) would make a ten day' stop at Chenting worst of time has been loyal to the Em- and a further halt of a fortnight at Paoting-peror himself, while outspoken with regard fu. It may now be hoped that the scare to the intrusive government that tried to over the Kaifeng discoveries may lead to an supersede him. This good work is evidently abandonment of this dilatory programme b ginning to bear fruit, but as long as these and an advance of the Imperial party with black sheep block all the avenues of ap- all possible speed to the capital.
proach comparatively little is to be hoped for. Let us, however, trust that at last the
THE EMPRESS DOWAGER AND Emperor, feeling himself supported by his
HER FRIENDS.
acces-
(Daily Press, 27th December.) Although the Dowager TZE'HI has so far yielded to pressure as to depose her intended successor and protégé PU CHUN, the process of repentance in the minds of the Emperor's subjects has by no means gone far enough. | The assumption of the airs and prerogatives of royalty on the part of this low-born lady After the failure of this attempt, some
would be farcical were they not indicative of the incendiaries (the number of captures that there is still mischief in the air. She is uncertain) were arrested by the Honan still clings to her discredited favourites, YUNG LU, LU CHUAN-LIN, and the pretend provincial officials, and torture was at once
It is applied with a view of extorting confessiou. ed eunuch, the infamous LI LIENYIN.
secret that YUNG LU is as 10 One of the conspirators, aged eighteen years
as ever only, at last broke down and amid the sible to the charms of sycee curses of his comrades related the plot. To was the departed LI HUNG-CHANG; and this "confession "all were forced to append there is equally little reason to disbelieve their signatures. According to the account that there. is no music so sweet to the received by the North China Daily News one Dowager's ears as the chink of silver, and part of this confession declared that a that there is no quarter too degraded for numerous body of men had been specially her to accept it thence as a gift. Deprived of detailed to destroy the Chenting-Peking.L, Prince CH.NG has been desirous as Railway-if all else had failed-and take far as lay in his power of undoing the evil up some of the rails as the Imperial train work of his late colleague, but finds it came on, whilst other bands of armed men difficult in the face of the Dowager and her had been ordered to fire at the Imperial confidant YUNG Lu: in fact there is every train wherever chance offered on the way reason to believe that, in the secret councils In the mean time, it appears, a search made of the two, the death of the Prince was in the house where two of the men were already determined on; and it was only the captured revealed a quantity of correspoud-personal pluck of Prince CHING, and the ence between members of the society, and also a number of detailed reports on the strength of the garrisons of almost every. walled city in the Empire, their capability of resistance, the character of the men and their officers, etc. The most important "find" of the occasion, in the eyes of the mandarins, our Shanghai contemporary's information states was some dozen and a-half volumes containing the names of members of the two secret societies con- cerned in the projected rebellion against the Manchu dynasty, namely the Kolav Hui and the Tatao Hui. The immediate consequence of these alleged revelations has been that Viceroy YUAN SHIKAI has taken very prompt measures to guard the ailway line from Chenting to Peking with encamp- ments of all his available troops, on both sides of the line along its whole extent, nt the same time ordering mounted troops to scour the whole countryside within fifteen on either side, scatter any party of men, exceeding two or three in number, and arrest any suspicious characters in sight at the time of the passing of the Imperial train. These preparations by YUAN SHIKAI are calculated to be fully adequate to meet any threatened danger on the journey, and meanwhile there is fortunately provided another argument for the Court to hasten to the shelter of the walls of Peking. Though it is quite possible that the magnitude of the conspiracy has been much exaggerated, no doubt seems to be entertained that the setting fire to the Palaces at Kaifeng was not meant to be the only attack on the Imperial family. At first it was said that the Empress Dowager was the object of the attempt, but the Chinese authorities evid- ently hold it to extend to the destruction of the reigning dynasty. Previous to the reception of news of the plot the report
|
fear of exciting an open revolution, that determined them to permit his return to Peking. His new colleague is a man of a different stamp; through his official life WANG WEN-SHAO has been marked as a man who from a Chinese point of view has been distinctly honest. He did not, when reform was in the wind, pander to the new fad, and has not, now that reactionary methods are in vogue, turned face about. With all this, WANG is old and the in- firmities of age have distinctly told on him, so that he has not the strength or energy to resist what he knows to be inadvisable. In such a case the retention about the person of the Dowager of two such individuals as YUNG Lu and LI LIEN-YIN cannot but be pro- duective of evil to the state. The Dowager herself is probably well aware that she has proved a failure, and would be willing to permit herself to fade gradually out of active interference with affairs of state, so long as in outward show her dignity is not assailed; and such seems to be the view of the Em- peror himself, who evidently is not in favour of proceeding to extremities. YUNG LU and Li LIEN-YIN, rendered cowards by the force of that conscience they have for so long repressed, instinctively are doing their best to prevent such a solution of the difficulty, and the Dowager cut off from wholesome advice listens to their flatteries. So affairs, which a few weeks ago were beginning to brighten, are thrown back into their old groove. Fortunately public opinion in China generally is beginning to make itself felt in Peking. The Dowager has frequently attempted to suppress the native Press, but it, more or less supported by the provincial governments, has hitherto shown itself independent of Peking and bas not feared to tell disagreeable truths. With a moderation worthy of imitation by
subjects generally, will pluck up heart of grace sufficient to clear the precincts of the Palace from the unworthy crowd who during the Regency succeeded in monopolising the right of entrance.
P.RACY IN THE CANTON DELTA.
(Daily Press, 28th December.) It is with lively satisfaction we hear from Canton that the suggestions thrown out in this column on the 11th instant with regard to the suppression of piracy in the Delta have borne some good fruit. Vice-Admiral Sir CYPRIAN BRIDGE, who has been up to Canton, saw His Excellency the Viceroy when there and took the opportunity to urge upon that official the desirability of taking action in the direction suggested, and the outcome of it all is that the Viceroy has coinmissioned two torpedo boats as a com- mencement, with the intention of forming a regular flotilla for the suppression of piracy on the rivers, and has issued instructions that they are to be officered and, we believe, partly manned, by foreigners, the whole force to be placed under the direction and control of the Imperial Maritime Customs. This is a good beginning, and it should prove the inauguration of a new dispensation on the waterways of the Two Kwang. The Customs preventive service has managed to reduce smuggling to very narrow limits, and there is no reason why, under the same able direction, the hydra-heads of piracy should not be scotched. It is as much in the interests of the Imperial Revenue that piracy should be stamped out as that smuggling should be prevented, for in either case the revenue suffers. If trade becomes impossible owing to the insecurity of the waterways, the revenue falls off as materi- ally, if not more so, as it would if smuggling
The
went unchecked. We hear that the Customs- officials at Canton, though saddled with a new responsibility and additional work, are much gratified to find that at last a workable scheme has been sanctioned for the purpose of restoring order to the rich districts watered by the Canton and West Rivers and their affluents. much tried inhabitants of this wide region will also rejoice when they see the pirates hunted from the rivers, and these great highways rendered safe for the producer The effect of security and the trader. would soon be felt in the market both for imports and exports, while the passenger traffic would also receive an important stimulus. Nor would the effect be con- fined to the immediate vicinity of the waterways. The capture and dispersal of these banditti would also prove a relief to the other districts of the Two Kwang, as the same bands that swoop down upon the river craft also attack the villages and small towns further inland during intervals when the official quest has waxed a little warmer on the rivers than usual. Customs direction of the campaign against piracy will, we doubt not, be marked by They will strike system and method. boldly, and when and where least expected. Hitherto spies have kept the brigands well
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