At a meeting of the Grand Council early this morning before the Empress Dowager the subject of the demand of Italy for the cession of Shamén (San-mun Bay) was discussed with great animation, The Empress Dowager showed such determined opposition to the demand that not a single Grand Councillor dared to propose even some sort of a compromise to the question. An edict was subsequently sent to Governor Liu of Chékiung commanding him to report upon the number of disciplined and modern armed troops available with him, and authorising him to call upon both the Viceroys of Nanking and Foochow for extra troops. The high Ministers at Peking know that if China gives in now there will be no end of demands for territory made by other countries.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.