Woe publish in advance the full text of the Imperial Decree in which the services of Sir Robert Hart in mediating between France and China are acknowledged by the Empress In the 4th moon of last year (Alay 1884) We gave special authority -to Li-Hung-chang to consider and determine with' the French captain, Fournier, the conditions of trade in Annam. In so doing We had no other motive than to put aside the sword and give tranquillity to the people, Afterwards, when the encounter at Langson occurred, Wo had no resource but to employ Our troops, and Annam being an intensely hot and uncultivated region, the greater part of the officers and men succumbed to the pestilential climate whenever they encountered it. To these losses had to be added the lamentable sacrifice of life on both sides during the period of half a year, in which each party held their ground, while subjects of Our bar-parian tributary [or of a barbarian country], also came in contact with the point of the lance, whereat We were moved with great compass Ever since the twelfth moon, the Englishman Hart, Inspector General of Ci toms, on the ground that the two countries lly no cause of quarrel, was energetic in his requests that communieations might be resumed in accordance with the Tientsin Treaty, and, animosity being discarded, a good understanding be renewed, Paying respectful heed to the Divine quality of love for human life, and rever-curially bearing in mind the policy of Our Forofathers, who, when they sent their into the field, had regard to the conditions of season and of place in the matter of prompt or d, of advancing stationary, and did not adhere to ions of their preconceived "opi own; guided too, with all deference,' by the various Decrees issued in the 54t year of Chien Lung with regard to the withdrawal of troops from Annam when. the question of expediency was simi that of this Inter date,—Wo gave special sanction to these requeste, and called upon Li Hung-chang and others to conclude with Patendtre, the French Envoy, second and frosh Treaty, in ton articles, are determined places for trade on the Tonquin frontier and a good understand arrived at, France has now awn the whole of hor troops and the Pescador id we have recalled our and Yunnan mies within the frontier while all the captives taken have been restored in full by either side, From this time forth ote savage out skirts will be free from the scourge of war, and our seas will enjoy the blessings of In adjusting the turn of the scale in this latter from first to last the Court hus tched with scrutinising care the requirements of expediency, It has, in effect, never been Our wish to drive Our troops to extremity or to sully the honour of Our arms, and We give Our cordial support to the principle that. the smaller state must be kindly dealt with and the friendship of neighbours scoured. A od understanding having now boon to all in Our capital and Our provinces to lished, We boraby proclaim the fact the end that Our motives may be univer. sally made known,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.