Chevalier Volpicelli, the Italian Consul, has received an answer to his request to the Acting Viceroy at Canton to transmit a telegram to the Italian Peking (in which the Minister is asked to mention some facts known to himself and Chevalier Volpicelli), this answer being that the Acting Viceroy cannot do so. Yuan Shih-kai, the Viceroy says, has only received his information from Peking by secret messengers; owing to the distance of Canton from the Capital he (the Acting Viceroy) cannot employ this means of communication. He repeats his assurances, however, that the Italian Minister is still alive and safe. As there was a rumour current in the Colony last night that Chevalier Volpicelli had received an important communication with regard to the safety of the survivors at Peking, it is as well to add that he informs us that he has received no such communication.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.