Enclosure.
390
RECO
Rent S FEB 10
An Imperial Edict for the arrest of Hong Yau Wai which appeared in the Chinese Mail of 22nd December, 1899.
On the 18th day of the 11th moon (20th December) the following Imperial Edict was received:-
Of all evils which can influence the minds of the people in this world, none is greater than that which results from an imperfect understanding of right and wrong, of subordination and insubordination. Thus the punishment of death was meted out by ancient sages to those who indulged in false arguments and warnings were issued against unreasonable discussions, because they deceived the public and beguiled the people.
Since our succession in childhood to the Imperial throne, the Empress Dowager to whom we are deeply indebted has devoted herself unremittingly for thirty years to our education and upbringing. In the year Kap Ng troubles began to arise, in the affairs of the Empire and we fearing lest it should prove impossible to support the weight of responsibility imposed upon us by our loving mother, were full of perplexity day and night, and being desirous of continuing the enlightened and vigorous policy of our sacred ancestors, we were always anxious to secure the services of those capable of assisting in improving the Government. At this juncture Yung Tung Wo strongly recommended to us Hong Yau Wai whose abilities he declared exceeded his own a hundred fold. It was therefore never anticipated