Tie American newspapers which reached us by the mail contain quite a Mitkiewica literature. That plenipotentiary's history has been raked up from childhood to the time when he is supposed to have fascinated HE. Li Hung-chang. We shall not here quote any of the numerous accusations which have been brought against him, but we may express surprise at the diligence with which many American newspapers applied themselves to discredit a man who, if he had done anything in China, had certainly done what would have greatly benefited many of his countrymen. "Had Count Mitkiewicz been a candidate for the Presidency or a seat in Congress the enlightened American press could not have done more to blacken his character. What their object could have been, except to pander to an evil curiosity, we cannot imagine. things gone well with the Concession or Agreement made in Tientsin immense benefits to American trade and industries would have followed, and the capitalists would have reaped a harvest beyond the dreams of avarice. English people in the East have sometimes been accused of allowing their business jean lousy to get the better of their national feelings, when the proposals or the goods of others of their countrymen have been preferred to their own, and even to have used arts and influences to undermine their rivals in the good graces of native officials. We daresay, too, that people of other nations have been charged with doing the same thing. But these things were done in a corner, as it were, and not openly and in the manner most certain to attract the attention of the world. But from the hour in which the bearer of Concessions, of photographs and letters from the Viceroy, of an Imperial Edi and what not, landed in San Francisco a large number of newspapers have been unearthing all sorts of scandals against the Count and some have even gone the impious length of questioning his nobility, for which purpose a telegram from Warsaw was obtained which, if it is true, entirely disposes of his pretensions. But on the day following the publication of this telegram a Professor—of what is not mentioned—named L. J. Boeck, of Philadelphia, came forward and stated that he was preceptor to the Count when he was a child, and is familiar with his career. Professor Boeck said that he entered the service of Russia as a professor of edncation many years ago, at Warsaw. There he met the present Count's father, who was General Postmaster of Poland, and one of the richest men in the capital, and at his palace he met the most The nobility of the agent of the Phila. scientific and learned men in the capital.
adelphia Syndicate is thus left in doubt it may exist or it may have no more reality than the position of Ma Kien-chang, "the imperial envoy" to America is described as a' distinguished Chinese diplomatist enjoying the fullest confidence of Li Hung-chang.
Some surprise has been expressed here and elsewhere at the ease with which Count Mitkiewicz obtained the objects of his mission to China, but that is explained by one newspaper in a way that is highly creditable to H.E. Li Hung-chang. "'The story, says this aper, of his strange influence over the hinese vice-regal representative and other prominent officials later on in China is simple enough. The father of the Count, also Count Mitkiewicz, was sent to China by the Russian Government over forty years ago to transact some business of a diplomatic nature, and he did it with such tact and skill that his name was well remembered by the Chinese. When Li Hung-chang, the Viceroy, met the son of the old diplomat he immediately recognised the name and asked if he was related to the old diplomat. Upon this comparatively ad slight footing rests, according to the Count's friend, the entire secret of his unusual influence."
Tt appears that the right of the Philadelphia Syndicate to dispose of the long distance telephone in China is disputed, and various law suits have been entered in the Courts. Mr. Wharton Barker is, however, represented as standing firm, and being quite prepared to meet all his assailants. One of those suits, " which it is believed is intended to "shut off" the Chinese telephone scheme, was entered at the Circuit Court of New York, the Judge of which signed an order at the instance of the Bell Telephone Ca. in one suit; and in reference to this Mr. Barker is represented to have said:—"I have carried on all the negotiations in an honourable manner and the whole matter has been settled. We have nothing whatever to do with Turnbull or any other telephone inyeutor, and I do not care to enter into a public controversy on matters brough up in comection with our negotiations."
It is the opinion of Count Mitkiewiez, at all events the newspapers make hin say, that England, France, the Bell Telephone Company and the Weston Union—a very formidable allianee—nare all combined to defeat the Barker Syndicate. English capitalists offered £300,000 to the Syndicate to yield their interests; which would have given a handsome profit in hand on all the large outlay which the mission to China incurred. The refusal of this tempting offer may have led to the appearance of the British Government on the scene, for another paper informs the American public that:—a well-known gentleman, who has spent the greater part of his life in the diplomatic service, said_this afternoon,—it is no wonder, that Eugland shawld throw obstacles in the way of the consummation of this grand American-Chinese scheme. I learn, too, that the English Legation people in this city have been instructed by their Home Government to spend any amount of money to thwart Count Mitkiewicz, The plot will fail, as the Chinese are shrewd enough to see through the whole thing." It is an article of faith with multitudes of Americans that the British Government. spends immense sums in coruption at home and abroad, and that the money for this is supplied out of the enormous funds from unclaimed estates on which it has laid hands, and which are rightly the property of American heirs of English noblemen and millionaires, who do not know the shocking mauner in which their inheritances are being dealt with. It is from this ill-gotten livord that the "any amount of money" necessary to defeat the Syndicate would no doubt have come.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.