'18th June.
Tue news of the fall of H. E. Wong Pung-ho, which we were able to aunounce yesterday morning, and which is now confirmed from other sources, comes like a bolt from the blue. In an article which appeared in these columns last December, headed, "The Blind Leaders of the Blind," in which some account was given of the men who surround the Emperor, we wrote "Wong Tang-ho, the Emperor's private tutor, and among athar things President of the Board of Revenue, has long been regarded as an implacable anti-foreigner, but since the humiliation of China at the hands of Japan, lo has taken earnestly and conscientiously to the study of foreign affairs, though unfortunately he can only pursue that study in his leisure time, if the cares with which he is loaded leave him any leisure. When Prince Kang is too ill to come to the Cabinet or the Foreign Office, Wong Tang-ho has to act for him, as the Emperor has more confidence in him than in anyone else. He is believed to be a man of the best intentions, but he has never been in office out of Peking, and it is impossible for even the best-meaning man to act satisfactorily as the chief adviser of the Head of " Great Empire if he has never been able to acquire a knowledge of the
a lifetime to master." world, which it takes other statesmen Up till the morning of the 14th inst. Wong Tung-ho was reported to be the strongest man in Peking. He is an old mau, a Conservative of the Couservatives, but he was supposed to be honest, and really anxious to understand something of foreign affairs, and this desire helped to make him an obstructive, as he was disinclined to take any course until he understood where it led, and it was very hard 1 at his age and with his training to im understand, It must be said for him that he and Ching Hsin, his colleague at the Buard of Revenue, and Chang Yin-huan worked strenuously in putting through the recent Anglo-German loan, There is a report that Wong Tang-ho was denounced by four Censors on the charge of treason, and that the Emperor only spared him the, death sentence because he had been the Imperial tutor, but such a charge is contrary to all reason worth serious considera! the; that is known of the old statesman obstruction with which the Municipal! He was, as we have said, the intimate Council has been met. We do not even friend and mouthpiece of Prince ask the Chinese Government for a Kung, and it is noticeable that "Jeane" of the twenty equate miles or his fall follows so quickly after the so that we wish to add to the Fureign death of the Prince. There is an idea Settlements; we merely wish to have: that his retirement means the inaugur jurisdiction over it that it' may be {ration of a more liberal regime at and. provided with roads, to the benefit liberal regime to be introduced into properly policed, lighted, and drained, \Peking; but it is impossible for a
of Chinese and foreigners alike, the Fsuch a museum of fossils as the sovereign tights of the Emperor not being interfered with. The united Diplomatic Body ought to be able to get his for us, Peking Government is, without a complete sweep being made. The removal of one man, however eminent jand powerful, cannot effect any revolubrate organism as directs the destinies of China. Wang Weén-shao himself, who has been ordered up to Peking on Prines Kung's dying recommendation, is an old man, who took his metropolis tan degree in 1852, and whose capabiities "are not supposed to be more than respectable. Jung Lu, who takes Wang Wen-shao's place temporarily ab Vientsin, is 2 Mancha who has spent most of his life in military offices at the capital, but was at one time Tartar-General at Hsianfu, He became a favourite with the Ewperor soon after the Franco-Chinese war, and is regarded as one of tie most intelligent of the Manchus at the capital, It is many years since the post of Viceroy of Chihli has been filled by 2 Ma asabue, Tt appears from the decree in reterence to the Empress-Dowager that we print in another column that the dismissal of Wong ang-ho is a triumph for the Ewperor's aunt, She is back in power, all the high provincial officials being empowered to memorialise her directly. How she has managed to resume the reins, and how far she has been assisted by the death of Prince Kung, we shall probably learn by and ramonred that Prince Ching, the President of the 'I'sungli Yamen, is dead. He was Vice-President of the Ministry of War, He was originally a Prince of the 8rd order, or Beileh, and was raised to the 2nd order in 1893. He has held many offiens in Peking, and has never been out of the capital, except perhaps to the Eho Park, He has constantly been connected with the ''sungli Yamen, and was reported to be a fair-minded man, of somewhat narrow views, The reasons given in the Imperial decree, which will ha found in another column, for the dismissal of Wong are the unsatisfactory way in which he has performed his duties, and his obstinacy even in the Imperial presence. The Viziers of Oriental Em-perers are always liable to sudden ate if they fall as, safily as BLE. Wong has done, With the reten of the Empress-Dowager to power, the star of ELE. Li Hung-chang should be in the ascendant once more; but whether the change is really for if it can be answered in the affirmative at all.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.