I, the Empress Dowager Tze-hsi-tuan-yn, ete., commanded the other day the Prince of Li and others to consider what should be done to procure the proper conservation of the Yellow River in the future and their reply is that I should appoint some high officer to proceed to the spot and report upon the matter. I hereby appoint Li Hung-chang to go to Shantung and in conjunction with the Director-General of the River, Jen Tao-jung, and Chang Shu-mei, Governor of shantung, make a complete examination of the embankments of the said river and report to me: what they consider should be done to them. They must find out some tangible and proper way to stop the farther ravages of this river and not recommend works that may turn out in the end chimerical and impossible. Moreover the conservation of the Yellow River means peace and happiness to the inhabitants of several provinces and their lives and prosperity will depend upon the measures recommended, hence Li Ann; chang and his colleagues should do th duty' thoroughly and diligently; T forbid each and all of them to push the responsibility of the work on one another's shoulders, and so bulk me of my real desires in this important matter of river conservation. They are further to draw up a solid and proper estimate of the amount of money required for the work and present me with a detailed report i regard to the whole.
(Note: This will be the first step of the Empress Dowager towards accomplishing her desire to bring her old-time favourite into the arena of practical politics again, and if all goes well Li Hung-chang will doubtless be appointed to some substantive post carrying power and influence. It is said of the Empress Dowager that she never yet failed in accomplishing anything she had once set her heart on.—Ep. W.-C. Daily News.}
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.