(1) A special decree in the name of the Empress Dowager commanding Viceroys and Governors of provinces to continue their search for really talented men who possessed the ability of bettering the con dition of the masses and had tact in dealing with them, and warning those local officials now in office that she intends to keep a strict eye on their conduct in future and that she will not allow her people to he oppressed. The soldiers of the army are also to be more kindly treated in the future and close attention must be paid to their proper discipline and instruction.
Note:—The tenour of the above and following decrees evidently shows that the Empress Dowager wishes to curry favour with the masses, for fear lest the benevolent government of the Emperor had touched their hearts and her coup @dat and usurpation of power be universally actively resented.—Translator.
Another special decree in the Em-ress Dowayer's name declaring that, in is eagerness to inaugurate Reform in his Empire, the Emperor had not ken into ' account his actual health and bodily strength so that he was soon bewildered, clever as he doubtless was, by the multiplicity of memorials presented to him and thus easily led away from the true path by interested persons. She then reiterates her command forbidding the future presentation of memorials by any one unless permitted by law, an further declares that the various innovations so far sanctioned are sufficient for the country, while there seemed to be no more new ideas worthy of taking up, since in looking over the majority of memorials recently presented to the Emperor she had found no new suggestions of value, those containing anything tangible or worthy of imitation being merely repetitions of suggestions already previously recommended since token up by the Government on
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.