Our native correspondent at Peking, writ ive on the 13th inst., sandy us the follow: 5 notes gathered from reliable sources The Intelligence Departments of some of the Foreign Powers here have been often a source of wonder and, were it not u fortunately followed Sometimes by serious results, even amusing to those of us who try to keep a constant ware on current events in the North, and whose erea'est hopes lie in the earnest desire to see our country governed on modern, ised principles wd the speedy mau duration of a lasting peace and friendship with all Foreign countries. Returning to this subject of certain Foreign Tutelligence Departments—in the North anyway, whatever may have been accomplished by them in other continents—we, possessing certain knowledge of various matters affecting international relations, often wonder where these Foreign secret service men get their information regarding things so contrary to facts that it sometimes seems to us that these officers are either the most simple of men or that their sources of information were ignorant prejudiced per-ons whose reports were coloured with anything but truthful kuowledge of facts, Hence we find for instance, comparatively innocent men charged with criminal intentions whilst men whose hands were, figuratively speaking, dyed in the blood of unfortunate missionaries and converts allowed to go scot free. Look at the records agains' the infamous eunuch Li Lien-ying, the Grand Secretary and ex-Generalissimo Yung Lu, and certain Governors and Treasurers in the provinces In Peking also, acting "on information received" punitive vis ts were frequently made on perfectly innocent residents—Manchu: as well as Chinese—who had been accused by interested people of intentions of revenge and rebellion against the constituted "powers that be" in the capital. Many a ife was thus wantonly made away with; and many a quiet and happy home looted and destroyed and finally consigned to the flames by these punitive parties of Foreign soldiers just because "they had been told so. Details are too harrowing and shocking to relate, but the above will show what sort of "secret" information some of these Tntelligence Departments work upon. As with individuals so. wih sections of generally well-behaved and law-abiding resklents in the capital and populous flourishing villages and townships in the country side. The tle of wrong and undeserved "punishment" suffered is a long one.
Whilst punishments have been demanded on a number of Metropolitan and as the eas may be, we find several promin-ut resctionists of the first water in the capital who somehow or other lave escape the notice of the Foreign Representatives in Peking. Twill make no com: ments on these m-n, whom T beg leave to but simply give their records snee.
esummerof L 09:—(1)Na'Tang(Manehu), Vice-President of the' Boanluf Revenue. This " in company with ex-Prince Tun, joined the Tsungli Yamen Board Ministers on the 10th of June, 1900, Na Tans is a disciple of the tenets of Kang Yi and Li Ping-hong and keeps in constant comm mication with Lu Ch'uan-lin in Hsian and is em sidered by both Chinese and Manchus here to have been the chief person t" prevent the return of the Court to Peking, by manufsctu ing all sorts of alarmist ta'es to frighten away the Empress Dowager. Prince Ching has often been heard to comp'xin of Na Tung's conduct in spoiling the effect of all the memorials sent to urge the Empress Dowayer's return. The story now current in Hsian that Peking is sow divided into three parties, viz:—Prinee Ching's Party, Li Hung-chane's Party ad the Fore'gn or Reform Party, was originated in the brain of Na Tung and was the chief obstruction to the last-formed intention of the Empress Dowager to return to Peking at all cust, (2) Ch'én Keuei-lung, Gorernor_ of Peking, ant only recently appointed Pro-rial Treasurer of Honan. In the 2nd moon of last year (March, 1900) this man presented a memorial libelling in strong Janguge all Foreign nations and denouncing all Western studies in China, In July following he was appointed Imperial ministioner of Boxers in Shuntienfu (Peking Prefecture), and (3) Ch'én Pih, Censor of the Middle City of Pekin; This man was the author of the movement in July last to requ s the Chinese Government to issue regular pay and rations to the Boxers, as auxiliaries to the Imperial Army.
Finally, there is a clique at present in Peking who style themselves the Support-the Empress Dowayer, concerning es and underhand works in the capi al I hope to send you reliable news in my next.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.