Wilkinson, H. M. Consul at Ningpo, sent a very interesting dispatch to Lord Salisbury, detailing the excellent measures he had taken, in the absence of a gunboat, for the security of foreigners at his port, with translations of the very sensible proclamations issued by the Taotai at Ningpo, and a memorandum showing that from the 26th of June to the 6th of July, inclusive, 17,361 native passengers arrived at Ningpo from Shanghai by steamer. It is difficult not to admire the assurance with which Li Hung-chang from time to time directed the Allies to drop their warlike operations and appoint negotiators (o confer with himself, The meritorious efforts made by Mr. Carles to persuade the Chinese Government to respect the sanctity of the Legations are duly recorded in his dispatches, and there is an amusing sentence—considering the real grave of the situation—in the Viceroy Yi In's reply of the 15th of June: "I previously received a note from the Taangli Yamen stating that on the 12th June the Empresa sent the four Ministers Ch''i, Chao, Hsii, and Na to the various Legation to inquire after the health of the Ministers' wives, and request the Ministers to order the troops on their arrival to remain peaceably in their Legations, in order to cons friendly relations, At time the Yamen said all the Legations were quiet, and the various Consuls need not he suspicions ur uneasy, on account of the difficulty of communication between Tientsin and Peking."
On the 28th of August an important Aispatch was cent by Lord Salisbury to Sir Charles Szott, in reference to a communication made to our Foreign Office by the Russian Chareé d'A affaires in London, in which the intentions of the Russian Government: in narthcast China are formulated, It is as follows Lessar said that from the beginning of the troubles in China the efforts of the Imperial Government had been directed, firstly, towards protecting the Russian Representatives and their nationals in Peking against the rebels, and, secondly, towards assisting the Chinese Government in their straggle against the revolt, in order promptly to re-establish order in the country.
When the other Powers interested decided to send troops to China with the same object, the Imperial Government nrapased. as a basis of common action, the following fundamental principles 1.—The maintenance of the agreement between the Powe:
2.—The maintenance of the existing system of Government in China The exclusion of ereryth lit cad to the partition of the Empire; and 4.—The establishment, by common! effort. of a legitimate central Power. capable, in itself, of assuring order and security to the countr With regard to thee principles, M. Tescar said an agreement had been come to between nearly all the Powers. The Imperial Government, having no other object in view, remained faithful to these principles, and intended in the future strictly to adhere to the programme laid down therein The propre events, such as the attack by the rebels on Russian troops at wehwang and the hostilities committed by the Chinese along the Russian frontier, including the bombardment of Blagovestchank without any provocation, had forced to occupy Newchwang and to send into Manchuria. These temporary y dictated by the absolute necessity of repelling the aggression of the Chinese rebels, and not with interested motives, which are absolutely foreign to the policy of the Imperal Government. the pacification of Manchuria was attained, and the necessary measures had been taken to insure the security of the railroad, concerning the construction of which there was a formal understanding with the Chinese Government, cmbodied in the Concession granted to the des Chemins de For de la Chine Orientale," Russia would not fail to withdraw her troop: from Chinese territory, provided that such action did not meet with obstacles caused by the proceedings of other Powers.
It was clear, M. Lessar said, that the rights of foreign States and international Companies interested in the open port of Newchwang or always reconstructed by Russian troops remained inviolable and assured.
M. Tessar went on fo say that as the Legations had been rescued and there was no Government at Peking, Russia proporad to withdraw her Tegation and her troops to Tientsin. "Directly, however, the legitimate Chinese Government had resumed the reins of power, and nominated Representatives furnished with full powers sufficant to negotiate with the Powers, Russia in concert with the other States would proceed to appoint Representatives, and would di patch them to the place chosen for the pourparlers of the negotiations."
On the 18th of July Consul Fraser at Hankow sent a long dispatch to Lord Salisbury in which he recounted the arguments used by Mr. Ku Hung-ming (Kan Hong-beng), Chang Chih-tung's Secretary, in favour of the Empress Dowager. An extract from it will show how the Emperor's usurping aunt is regarded by Chang Chih-tung, but not so strongly, Tt seems that their anxiety is not only for her personal safety, but they are also anxious that she should not be removed from power, while to most of us it seems impossible that she can be allowed to govern China again, either in the name of the Emperor or in her own name. Mr. Fraser writes Mr. Ku began by expressing the anxiety of the Viceroy and his allies as to the treatment likely to be meted out by the Powers to the Emperor and the Empress Dowager, impressing upon me that any personal indignity would of course drive Their Majesties to commit suicide. I replied that I saw no reason to fear any disrespectful treatment, as Their Majesties were protected by their rank and station.
He proceeded that what was feared was bodily restraint of any kind; and I rejoined that I did not suppose a cell with a
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.