With reference to the ramour that, unless the Emperor returns speedily to Peking there is an intention to place the Empire under the control of four high Chinese officials, thereby, as it were, partitioning China amongst her own sons and not amongst the Foreign wwers, the following report is now circulating amongst the local mandarins:—{1) The Liangki wg and Min-Cha provinces to be under the Viceroy Liu of Nanking; (2) Hunan, Hupeh, and Szechuan to be under the Viceroy Chang of Wuchang; (3) Kuangtung, Kuangsi, Yunnan, and Kurichou under Viceroy T'ao of Canton; (4) Shantung, Shansi, Southern Shensi, Honwn, ud Chihli under Governor Yuan of Chinan.- Fivally, Northera Shensi, Kansu, Chinese Turkestan, Tibet, Mongolia (Ianer'and Outer), xnd Manchuria to be under the Emperor (the Empress Dowager and her Reactionsries, of course), who is to he given the liberty of doing whatever his Majesty may be pleased to command in the matter."
22nd May.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.