J, the Empress-Dowager 'Tze-hsi-tuanyu,'ete., ete., having regard to the fact that hitherto in all cases of summary executions of bandits no merey is shown fo all concerned, am filled with pity for the Rose deserved' their fate, still I am of oer creatures, and although they doubt-
opinion that some distinction should be made between leaders and followers, and that all members of a band of robbers when caught ought not to be executed teaman. Hence I hereby command the Grand Council, Board of Punishments, Court of Censors, and Court of Revision to make a joint report to me and see what ought to be done to show a merciful distinction between leaders and followers in 'a band of robbers or pirates when brought to their-trial.
[Note: It will have been observed from one of the decrees translated above that the Empress Dowager is anxious to induce the innumerable bands of robbers and pirates in China to join her new army, and in order to show that she is in earnest about it follows that decree with the present one expressing her wish to be merciful towards them. What all this points to is perhaps obvious to all who can read-between the lines since the coup d'état of the 22nd of September last.—Ep. N.-C. Daily News.]
27th October.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.