27th Dec.
Unper telegraphic instructions from TLE, Li Hung-chang, who finds time amid his peace negotiations to do a little reformer-hunting to please his imperial mistress, a reputed follower of Kang Yii-wei named Kung Chao was kidnapped in Hongkew on Saturday by emissaries of General Yen without any warrant, and driven into the city and handed over to the Taotai, We understand that a warrant was subsequently procured and stamped by the Senior Consul, but this evidently does not legitimatise the previous outrage. Tt has been arranged, too, that in cases where similar warrants are granted, the accused must be brought to the Mixed Court before the magistrate and the foreign assessor, and a primd facie case made out against him. In the present matter the Council have appealed to the Senior Consul and the British Consul-General for assistance in getting Kung Chao returned to the refection oF the municipal police.
is only fault, as far as we know, is that his name is on the list of the hundred reformers proscribed by the Empress Dowager, who promised some time ego that her _proseription should not persevered with, and we trust that a the Consuls will see to it that the City authorities are not allowed to violate with impunity, at the instance of Li Hung-chang or any other creature of the Empress Dowager, the regulations drawn up for the (geo of peaceable Chinese in the Foreign Settlement. Nobody wants Shanghai to be an Alsatia, but we must vigilantly see to it that the Chinese authorities are not allowed to openly seize or kidnap Chinese or any other residents within our limits, except with the safeguards that have been heretofore agreed to, The best effect would be produced if the foreign authorities would send to the Taotai's yamen one or two companies of troops from the garrison and demand the rendition of Kung Chao.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.