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bouring stores, Messrs. Butterfield & Co.'s go- down, Messrs. Mackenzie & Co.'s godown, Mr. Detring's house, Mr. John Dickinson's house, Grand Stand, Racecourse, Mr. Ballauf's house, Mr. Ash's house, Mr. Montell's house, Mr. Ward's office.
Also the whole of the Chinese houses on the opposite side of the river; all Chinese houses and small shops in Tze-chu-lin, and all Chinese houses in and around the Foreign Settlements,
Taku Road and Extra Concession.
CHANG CHIH-TUNG'S DESIRE FOR PEACE.
The Foreign Office having carried out its promise to consult the Yangtze Viceroys before negotiating for peace, the following is reported to be Chang Chih-tung's despatch on the sub- ject to Mr. Pelham Warren, H. M. Consul. General at Shanghai :
Ever since the commencement of disturbances
in the North, trade on the Yangtze, both foreign and native, has suffered greatly thereby, and since the entrance of the Allied forces into Peking the hearts of all men have been greatly disturbed. In consequence of this, therefore, the members of the outlaw Kolao Hui (society) have repeatedly risen on all sides, under the pre- text of "protecting the Empire," creating dis- turbances, setting fire to houses and pillaging the countryside. Although the high authorities of the Liangkiang and Lianghu provinces have sent troops to suppress these risings (I regret to say that) so long as peace is not determined upon so long will the hearts of the masses be Great Britain has had tradal inter- course with the riverine and maritime ports for several tens of years and it has been owing to
uneasy.
her efforts that trade has increased now to such a huge and flourishing extent there. Hence if Great Britain does not take the initiative at an early date in bringing about peace with the other Powers, the chances are that the increasing dis- turbances of these outlaws will spread to other ports and bring about a repetition of what occur- red at Tientsin, in which case it is to be feared that it will take more than several tens of years to restore them to their original flourishing condition of trade.
THË HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
AN IMPERIAL DECREE.
The N.-C. Daily News publishes a transla- tion of what it calls "a most extraordinary de cree," which on or about the 2nd instant H.E. Li Hung-chang received via Chinanfu. It was forwarded to him by the Grand Council, purporting to have been issued by the Emperor himself. The decree is dated the 19th of Aug ust-at the time the Refugee Court was to be at Huailu, south of the Chilhli-Shansi borders. It means, says our contemporary, that the Em- press Dowager is concocting a deep-laid scheme to make the world believe that, shut up inside the Palace, she had not the slightest knowledge of what had been going on during the reign of terror in Peking in June, July, and part of August, and that the upshot, resulting in the capture of Peking by the Allies, was a veritable surprise to her and the Emperor. But how can the Em- press Dowager deny what fell from her own lips at the Grand Councils held in June last when attacks were first begun against the Legations? What about the slaughter of the high Chinese Ministers who tried to prevent the Reactionists from murdering the people in the Legations? The whole thing would seem like a big joke were we not aware that the decree below has a deep pur pose in it and that an attempt is to be made to lay the entire blame on some high Ministers and Viceroys who are to be denounced for taking the whole affair of the war on their own shoulders, while at the same time they kept the Empress Dowager so ignorant of what was go- ing on that when the Allies approached Peking her flight came as a great surprise on her. The following in the text of the " Special Secret Decree to Li Hung-chang":
"When on the 15th August the Foreign
troops fiercely attacked and entered the Capital for the purpose of seizing the 'Forbidden Precincts of the Palaces and matters began to be very dangerous, We, the Emperor, were forced under the circumstances to escort H.I.M. the Empress Dowager, Tze-hai-tuan-yu, etc., etc., on a temporary journey to the West.
"Now these troubles arose through the mu- tual enmity, followed by battles, of the masses against Christian converts, which the Govern- ment had difficulty in suppressing. This mat- In 1894, during the Chinese-Japanese war, ter we have already explained in detail in letters Great Britain was unwilling to be early on the in our own hand to the various Governments, field and send men (to China), and the result and owing to this the said Governments offered was that Russia was allowed to get ahead of to suppress the troubles for us, saying that they Great Britain (and complete her scheme in re- meant no harm to this Government. [The gard to Manchuria). Russia is, indeed, at the foreign Governments] have, instead, acted in present time, in the zenith of her prestige and the present manner, which clearly shows that power; if therefore, Great Britain (again) he- they do not consider themselves in a friendly sitates and acts as a mere spectator, many phases country. This is contrary to our original in the situation will happen, and though the understanding. What is more (they seem to high authorities of the Liangkiang and Liang- have forgotten) this Government has, from first hu will do their best in regard to the safety of to last, regardless of everything else, done of the Yangtze, yet if fighting continue for a its best to give complete protection (sic) to long time, outlaws everywhere will take ad- the various Legations in Peking, and never vantage of the complications and rebel, the once failed to treat them courteously and status quo will be threatened with destruc- kindly. In view of this, therefore, we ought tion and restoration rendered impossible. All all the more not to be treated in this man- our efforts will be as nothing and only assist ner. Yesterday we had already appointed the scheme of partition of other Powers. This, Yung Lu, Hsu Tung and Duke Ch'ung Yi to I know, will not tend to the advantage of Great remain in Peking (and attend to matters there). Britain. But in the case of Chins opposing But in view of the circumstance that at the herself against seven or eight great and power-present moment the foreign troops are flushed ful nations, what harm would there be in suspending hostilities for a few months? Great | Britain has always considered trade to be of the first importance and her desire has always been to benefit our country as well; moreover, I have to acknowledge the very friendly intentions of the British Foreign Office in asking for the opinions of the Viceroys of the Liangkiang and Lianght and the information that the policy (as regards China) of the United States and Japan is the same as that of Great Britain. I have recently received telegrams from the various Powers, the language of which seems to be friendly. I venture therefore to ask you to speedily transmit this to the British Foreign Office with the request to take advantage of the present conditions and initiate peace negotia- tions with the suspension of hostilities in the meantime; to invite the United States and Japan to join Great Britain and speedily telegraph to the other Powers requesting them to appoint Ministers with full powers to meet Li Hung.ch
lose no time in opening Fortunate indeed peace ne will then
China with the
world.
|
[September 13, 1900.
the Empire. To show that H.E. was also most perplexed by it, says the Daily News, we trans. late below a telegram despatched by H.E. to Governor Yuan Shikai, at Shantung, which will explain our meaning →→
"I find, in reference to the secret edict, that all the telegrams I have received from the vari ous Foreign Offices as well as what I have read in the foreign newspapers concerning what happened to the various legations in Pering do not all agree with what is said in the secret edict. I therefore consider, under the circum- stances, that it will be most difficult to open and complete negotiations on that line. I memorialis ed yesterday, asking for the appointment of Prince Ching, Yung Lu, and the Viceroys Lin K'un-yi and Ohang Chih-tung as colleagues to bring about peace negotiations, and that our Minis. ters in foreign countries be commanded to ex- plain, in a friendly and, suave manner, mattere to the various Foreign Offices. As for the command that I should appeal to the various Consuls-General of Shanghai, I may say that, with the exception of certain Consuls who have called on me, the rest have not done so and seem to entertain other opinions. But those whom I have seen and asked to telegraph the matter to their home governments, they replied that they have no authority to negotiate for peace here. But I intend as soon as matters olear up for the better to take steamer to Tien- tain and Peking where opportunity, may be seized to open negotiations in company with. my colleagues."
THE GALE.
inst. led us to expect rough weather within the The meteorological reports issued on the 8th next few days. Further evidence that this expec» tation would be realised was forthcoming on Sunday and Monday. At a quarter toll on Monday morning the Black Ball, signifying that the typhoon was within 300 miles to the South, was hoisted, and at half past four in the after noon one typhoon gun was fired and a strong gale from the east was reported. As the day wore on a typhoon seemed imminent. junks and small boats went into shelter and the larger vessels got ready for the ordeal. The ferry boats stopped running about eight o'clock: in the evening. During the night a very strong wind blew, and it continued until towards noon on the 11th inst.
The
The water was too rough on the 11th-inst to allow of the ferry steamers coming to Pedder's They accordingly made their way Wharf. to the pier at the East Point Sugar Works, where the passengers arrived· drenched to the skin. Among them was Mr. A. Fuck- eera, army and navy contractor, who had a narrow escape from death. On the launch reaching the pier he stepped out, but missed his footing (the launch rocking considerably) and fell into the water. He was in danger not. merely of drowning but of being crushed to death between the launch and the pier. For- tunately the coxswain drew ahead, and Sanitary- Inspector Michael threw a fender to Mr. Fuck eers, which the latter clutched and was thus
with conquest, it is to be feared that negotia-drawn aboard. tions of a friendly nature will not be easy.
11
Now, Li Hung-chang is a loyal and impartial Minister and his fame is well-known to foreig- ners, who believe in him. Now since the affairs of this country have got to the present pitch we wonder to what a state of patriotism and anger they have not driven him. We there- fore hereby command him to make all haste and to the best of his ability devise every means of restoring peace to his country, and to do this either by telegraphing to the Foreign Officers of the various countries, or consult personally with the Consuls-General in Shang- hai. We, the Emperor, look to him (Li Hang- chang) to ward off this great disaster, and we earnestly hope that he will succeed."
[Translator's Note:-The last characters, "earnestly hope" have never been used by an Emperor in Chinese history, the sentence being generally used amongst equals, and are meant to show that Kuang Hsü asks the service of Li Hung-chang as an equal in distress and not as a command.]
The whole of Praya, East bears evidence of the gale. Several dust boats, which are always deserted by the coolies on the approach of bad weather, were dashed to pieces, and' the wreckage is strewn all about: Then some half- dozen houses which are being erected along Praya East came to grief. They had reached - the fourth and last storey, but had not been roofed in. Catching the inside walls the wind blew one down after the other, but left the front wall standing.
At about five o'clock on Monday evening an exciting scene was witnessed at Kennedytown. A night-soil boat got water-logged and sank just off the Prays, and the crew-three in num- ber-were seen struggling in the water. Ser- geant Dymond, of the West Point Police Station, caught sight of them, and with the assistance of some German sailors from a boat lying at the kerosene wharf managed to get them ashore.
On the 11th inst. word was received that the No. 2 police launch was stranded at Tai-ho, The above decree was sent out by Li Hung-having broken her propeller, and the No. 1 launch chang to the other Viceroys and Governors of was sent to her assistance.
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