Three Missions in Peking and vicinity have decided on union in education work, namely, the London Mission, the American and the American' Presbyterian m. There is to be an arts school, a medical school, and a theological school. Each Mission will have direction of some one department, and provide the blunt, but be assisted by the other two missions. The union does not extend to evangelising work or ecclesiastical matters. Church union is too great for the missionaries as yet.
Provisions for the Empress Dowager.
For some weeks there have been dispatched to Paotingfu and beyond hundreds of car-loads of furniture, provisions, candies, lanterns, lamps, and oil for the use of the Court. There is no sign of economy, i vision made for the Empress Dowager and her satellites.
The Best News we have is that the Heir-Apparent has been put aside on account of being the son of the culpable and degraded ex-Prince Tuan, The son is to be given the rank of Duke. If this report is true, we have one of the best proofs of reform.
'1st December.
Reception of the Grand Secretary, Wang Wen-shao.
The Grand Secretary and Cabinet Minister, Wang Wen-shao, arrived yeater-day afternoon, He has been absent one year and nearly four months. Ho is the first of the High Ministers of State to return to Peking after loyal adherence to the Empress Dowager. Ho was received with as much honour as was Prince Ching. All the leading officials were in attendance at the station. The honour 0 much Cabinet Minister as being now Plenipo-tertiary. He wore his Yellow Jacket, which was bestowed on him by the Emperor a short time since. He is the only official left from the old days, when Prince Kung was in power and before Prince Ching had come to the front. Ho is persona grata with the foreign ful than the late Marquis Li It in re-Ministers, though r-garded as less power-markable that he, in his old age, and with a feeling of opposition to the war of last year, should have dared or cared to follow the Court in its hurried flight, and to associate with the reactionaries like Prince Tuan, General Tung Fu-hsian, Duke Lan, and Cabinet Minister Kang Yi. With his head still on, he is facility to please both sid Clessed with the genial men of his country, rather than those of strong will.
The new Edict on Education, whereby proper gradation is recognised in che new system of schools, with 2 corresponding attainment of degrees, the most hopeful sign we have had that reform is sincerely intended. When the hope is thrown out that students of the new learning can obtain literary degrees and so be admitted to official life, the great barrier to the adoption of Western, sciences at once disappears. The Im-'
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.