The following items come from Peking is reported' that while the German Legation guard was outside Peking lately drilling, some of them desecrated the ancestral burying ground of Prince Ssu. When this was reported to the Prince, his Highness was naturally exceedingly indignant and at once issued orders to General Chiang Kuei-ti—one of Viceroy Yuan Shihktai's favourite and ablest ofticers—who is in command of troops temporarily acting as city gendarmerie, to take with him a detachment of his men to investigate matters on the spot. When H.E. Hu Yii-fen, who is now—Assistant-Commissioner Metropolitan Police and Public Roxds under Prince Ssu (who is Chief Comqwissioner), heard of this order, H-E. feeling sure that it would lead to a conflict between the gendarmerie, assisted by a body of Manchu fore gu-drilled troops belonging to Prince Su's Banner Corps, and the German Legation guard, hastened with all speed to Prince Su's residence and earnestly pleaded with his Highness to countermand his'order for the calling out ofthe troops. At the same time HE. sent to inform the German Minister of the behaviour of his Legation Guard at the family cemetery of the Ssu clan. In due time came a reply from the German Minister'espr. sing et at the incident and informing Hu Yii-fen that the guard had been recalled to the Legation. This of course settled matters, but it is stated that Prince Ssu is still angry at the indignity put upon his ancestral burying ground God fs wrsthtul st ELE Hu Yi-fen, whom he accuses of too much timidity.—It is an open secret in Peking that the Empress Diwager enjoys having the vernacular papers published in Peking, Tientsin, and Shanghai, read to her every day, and it is said that the duty falls upon Prince P'u Lun, 4th Order, who is properly speaking heir presumptive to the Throne to dose. Itis thought that Prince P u Lun' daily presence in the Empress Dowager's Palace will lead to something very good for him in the near future.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.