have just been informed that the Grand Council received yesterday telegrams from the Viceroys and Governors of the Liangkiang, Two Kuang, Hukuang, and Min-Che provinces stating that they had received reliable information that the Reform Party, who are being assisted by Chinese abroad and numerous secret societies hostile to the Manchu "dynasty, intend to proceed to active rebellion the moment Kuang Hsii is superseded on the Throne or if news is resolved of his Majesty's death. The acting Viceroy of the Liangkiang provinces farther confidentially reports thit no less than 140,000 Hunanese in his jurisdiction are showing symptoms of restlessness and are ripe for rebellion,,|and are being kept quiet by the influence of one man, the ax-Viceroy Liu, who isa Hunanese. The acting Viceroy, therefore, recommends either that Viceroy Liu be restored to his old post or another Hunanese be placed in the Nanking Viceroyalty. When these telegrams arrived a secret Council was held before the Empress Dowager at once, and amongst other matters Jung Lun was aked as to the fidelity of the Grand Army under him. It is reported that his reply was that, if a rebellion arose on account of the Emperor's deposition, or if matters resulted in a race war, neither he nor his Commanders of Corps could guarantee the troops from, at the last moment joining their countrymen, the Chinese in the Grand Army numbering nine-tenths of the whole. Lo this reply Princes Ching and Tuan (father of Pu Chun, the Heir Apparent) sneeringly answered that they and their Manchus of the Peking Field Force and Banner Corps were quite sufficient to fight not only the Chinese but also any other probable enemy. It is expected that this will farther dimi Jung Lu's influence with the Empress Dowager.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.