On Wednesday, the Consul-General, accompanied by Vice-Consul Thyen, had an interview with His Excellency in the viceregal yumén which lasted from ten o'eluck in the morning till after midday, and ended with leaving all patties pretty much as they were. Ihave been furnished with the following report of the proceedings—not by the Consul-General, Lmay state, publ nid while I cannot guarantee who someliw seems to have no love for
that is is absolutely accurate, I believe it gives the general drift of what tok place.
PRELIMINARIES, The two foreign gentlemen entered the yanén alone, Although the Consul-General had brought an interpreter from Shai with he apparently had receiv invitation' to be present, so once more the Vicervy's men did duty as translators, The Hankow Taotai Yun—the gentleman who had the nhunagement of the Chou Han case—accompanied by Vu Tavtai—the same who settled the Wusueh and Ichang affairs—came over at an early hour, and had long preliminary interview with Hin Excellency, who was thus primed with all the information which these experienced agents had been able to extract from the Consul-General in the course of three anys' interviews, and posted up as to the best way of dealing with him, They also brought with them from the Hankow side a very fair spread of refreshments, includ the inevitable champagne and cigars which were laid out in proper fashion in the reception room, and then they. vanished into the background, GIVE AND TAKE, The Viceroy received his visitors gra-jough, and after the usual pre-began the ball by asking the sueral what he had come up to do this time. The OG. replied that he had come to enquire into the Sungpu case, and settle the matter properly. The' Viceroy wns delighted to hear this, and suggested that the sooner he went down t" Huangchow and began his quiry the better, as they had been waiting him there. " long time. When he returned they could have some further talk on the matter. The C.-G., over, had four points which he wished H.E, to agree to at the outset, these being: 1. The proper punishuieut of the guilty; 2. The payment of an indemnity 3. The degradation of the Macheng: magis-ate; 4. lishment. of the nin Sungpu. BLE, con-as not yet the time to He held that the proper way of proceeding was to enquire into the matter first, and then talk about the settlement of it. To settle it first and enquire into it afterwards was quite cotrary to right principles. The C,-G. replied that he knew what it was to fall into trap, but that this time he was and would not be caught napping again. If the Viceroy would agree to his four points, which were perfectly just and
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.