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THE HONGKÒNG WEEKLY PRESS AND
[NOVBIABIT 23' 190
Ediot said, bad deigned to grant her con- of the Throne for the murder of the German | would follow that there would be great ad- sent that P'u CHUN, 800 of TSAI YI, PRINCE Ambassador in the streets of the capital, ministrative, obanges in the land. If there He has since been a exists any dissension over the succession, TUAN, should be adopted as the Heir Ap-lit le is known of him. parent. Prince TOAN was the most noto- | Supernumary Grand Councillor and a few such sweeping changes would be certain to rious of the reactionary crowd of counsellors months ago he became a member of the bring forth the fire out of the smoke, and on whom the Empress Dowager then relied. Commission of Constitutional Reform and of for that reason it is possible that no sudden But in less than two years TUAN's the Government Council, Prince CHING is and sweeping changes will be made. вод was deposed, for the result of not in the direct line of succession. He is Nothing much is to be feared, we think, the Boxer rising taught the Empress an Imperial Clansman, however, was created from the Auti-Manchu movement, which Dowager that the way of China's salvation a Prince of the second order in 1884 and of cannot be regarded as a powerful organisation, was along the pathssketched by the weak but the first order ten years later. For the last and her late Majesty's conversion to the intelligent Emperor whose authority_she quarter of a century the Prince haseen views of the Re'ormers has taken out of the had usurped; and since that time we have prominently identified with the Government, sails of the Anti-Mancha movement a of the wind which forced witnessed a succession of Reform Edicts and has held some of the highest offices in great deal
into favourable notice. For the which have embraced practically the the State. He has been President of the it whole scheme of reform which was announ- Tsung-Li Yawen (inler its old name as present, however, all is doubt and un- ced by the Emperor while he was under the well as under its new designation) a vice-certainty, all "in the lap of the gods," and influence of KWANG-Yu-Wet and his President of the Imperial Clan Court, there we must leave it, but not without a colleagues. The last decade has, to be sure, Grand Chamberlain, Director-General of hope that the country will be saved from seen marvellous changes in China, and in the Board of Admiralty, and has held many iuternicine strife which will retard that the arrangements which have been made bigh military appointments, including that progress and development which it is now for the succession to the Throne we may find of Comp'roller-General of the Army Board. The general wish in China to see steadily assurance that the Reformation will be He stoot high in Imperial favour, but was
advanced. advanced.
disliked by the late Emperor. Whether the dislike каз mutual we do not know, nor are we able to say whether these relations exist between the vete'an statesman and the late EMPEROR's brother,
As we have said, the son of Prince CHUN is an infant, but bis father, the Regent, has been prominently identified with the new policy. It will be recalled that Prince CHUN was chosen to proceed to Berlin on the expiatory mission to heg forgivena: 88 for the murder of Baron VON KETTELER. Since then His Imperial Highness has served as Grand Councillor and early ia the present year he was appointed a member of the Commission of Constitutional Reform and of the Govern- ment Cuncil. These facts in his career, slight as they are, give us hope of au enlightened rule and that the training the infant Emperor will receive will be such as to fit him for the tremendous res- ponsibilities which will devolve upon the ruler of an enlightened and progressive China.
THE REGENCY.
the
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THE SITUATION IN CHINA.
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(Daily Press, November 18th. The most sensational feature of the news emanating from Peking which we enabled to publish to-day is the rumour that Prince TUAN who was banished to lan- churia for life a few years ago his assembled troops and is now marching on Peking with a view to dispute the succession. Tois rumour which reaches us via Canton, must have come by telegram from the North. present unconfirmed from any other source, but that trouble is feared over the succession eems to be indicated by the orders to mass What force the troops near the capital. Prince TUAN is able to command in Man- churia is not clear, and it is, to say the least, extremely doubtful if the exiled Prince would secure much public support, should he return from banishment to claim the Throns for his son who wis proclaimed Heir Apparent in 1898 and deposed two years later. Meanwhile it is of interest to note that there app ars to be no truth in the rumour that H. E. YUAN SHIHI KAI has obtain. d
" "sick lea78,' Telegrams from Peking represent him as being at the Palace together with Prince Imperial CHING and H. E. CHANG CHIA TUNG. With these the three most influential men in China-surrounding the new Emperor and REGENT, and according them their loyal support, the enterprise, with which Prince TUAN is credited would be doomed to swift disappointment.
the present REGENT. If 80, this may to some extent er lain the apprehensions which are now whispered. It must be remembered, however, that Prince CHING is old and feeble. His age is seventy-two, and he does not appear to be over strong in health. His son, Duke T8A1-CHEN, was the special Ambassador to England ou occasion of the Coronation, and has occupied the posts of President of the Board of Commerce, Minister of the Presence, and went on a special mission to Manchuris in the winter of 1906. He resigned all appoint- ments in May 1907, and his since apparently been living a retired life. This talk of trouble over the succession naturally give a rise to speculation as to the attitude of the Army in such a contingency, and it is remarked as a coincidence which is probably more accidental than significant that YUAN SHI-KAI has obtained "sick leave." Prince CHING and YUAN SHIKAI were 88ociated together on the Army Reorganisation Council of 1903 and are intimate friends. That is all that can be said for the pres at on the subject. Possibly much depends on the initial acts of the REGENT. So long as the EMPRESS DOWAGER remained alive things very likely w ld have gone on as before with every prospect of ¡eace. The Court would have undergone v ry little change. It is to be gathered from the Elict announcing the choice of an Heir to Turning nw from these apprehensions to the Throne that HER MAJESTY had hoped the interesting series of Edicts which have to live long enough to supervise the training been published during the last few days, it of the infant for the great responsibilities is of especi I interest to note in the inst he will be required to undertake. But this Edict of the Emperor KWANG Hsv the wat not to he. The DOWAGER-EMPRESS quiet ascertion of his conviction that reform appears to have died within a
very few is necessary to the Empire's salvation, and hours of the EMPEROR. This dual demise that the schemes of reform which have been may be nothing more than a pure coincid. anaounced by Imperial Edicts are the out-
come of ence. but it nore the less fraught with
his reasoning with the late As was mentioned in yesterday's Daily serious possibilities. Prince CHUN has EMPRASS-DOWAGER. His Majesty's dying Press, there exists no law of hereditary been brought suddenly out of obscurity to wish was that the Empire may move steadily succession in China, and it is left to each become de facto the Supreme Head of the along the path of reform and that the people sovereign to appoint his successor from Empire, frie to exercise his own will, will be found ready for Constitutional Govern. among the members of his family. Prince unrestrained by those ideas of filial piety ment at the time appointed for the great TUAN's son had the first claim to considera- and respect which kept the late EMPEROR SO change. May we not infer from this that tion and ras, in fact, proclaimed Heir absolutely under the thumb of his Imperial mentally at least the late Emperor was not Apparent in 1898, but when, after the mother (by adoption) — reverence and the decadent that he was commonly sssum- Boxer troubles, Prince TUAN was banished fidelity extolled by CHANG CHIH TUNG ed to have beeu ? This death-bed confession for life, his son was deposed and has since in
the late
seems to bear out the opinion formed by Miss been living in Peking in honourable capti. EMPEROR's greatest qualities. The pre- CARL, who had mo t exceptional opport vity. Ignoring his claims, the next possible sent danger lies in this very freedom.unities of studying him, namely, that he was candidate for Imperial succession was the The Chinese have a saying a new Em shrewed and intelligent, well informed by baby who has now been proclaimed Emperor will have a new Court." It is natural wide reading, and a man who lacked not peror of China. Apart from the fct that to expect that a new Emperor, or the strength if he had wished to exert it. In the REGENT went on the disagreeable expia. Regent who acts for Lim, will have Ministers Western eyes his great failing has been that tory mission to Berlin to express the regret of bis own choice, and in that event it he has not asserted himself; while in Chins
(Daily Press. November 17th.j The death of Her Majesty the EMPRESS DOWAGER OF CHINA, following so closely upon the death of the EMPEROR, creates some uneasiness in the public mind as regards a peaceful succession to the Throne. While the EMPRESS-DOWAGER lived there was no reason to fear auy attempt to upset the arrangement proclaimed last Friday But now that the EMPRESS DOWAGER is no more the immediate future does not wear ao peaceful an spect. What is now thought possible is that Prince CHING way oppose the succession, not so much perhaps the nomination of the baby Emperor as the appointment of his royal father a8 Re- gent. Under the proclamation of last Friday the reins of government pass immediately into the hands of the late Emperor's brother, Prince CHUN, as Regent during the infancy of his young 80n whom the dying Emperor adopted as his son and heir to the Throne.
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