A Peking native correspondent in writing on the future policy of the Manchus considers that if the Foreign Powe that, their hostile operations in the during last year, and a part of this, suc-couded in striking terror into the hearts of the people actually in power in the Government, as well as forced a wholesome awe of the foreigner amongst the masses in the interior, will be greatly disappointed, for the Manchus are doing all they can in making the people of the empire believe that although the Allies may have been successful at first at Tientsin and Peking last year, their successes were but temporary, having been eventually compelled to evacuate the capital. The flight of the Court to Heian is explained to the masses mur of Inspection" aver the eounthe precedent made by Ch'in the first Emperor of the in dynasty who, 1 formed the whole of C Empire for the first time in the history of the country. "There had never been any such tour made by the present dynasty, and so the sent to join the Nanyang Squadron in the
lack 6f system, the presence of the Peiyang ships in the Yangtze was made the pretext of compelling the Viceroy at Nanking to pay the expenses of maintenance of these cruisers, which being unacceptable to the Southern Administration the latter tried to decline assuming the expenses and responsibilities of the Northern. As this could not be done properly at the time the Southern officials did the next best thing dismissed the great majority of the officers and crews, those remaining acting the part of care-takers more than' anything else. It is now rumoured from Peking that certain officials have suggested to the throne to turn over all the ships of the Peiyang Squadron to any Foreign Power or Powers who may wish to take them as part payment of the Chinese Indemnity (!) "Further, that-it is alleged that a certain high Rus Mandarin ix already in commiunication with the Russians to turn these vessels over to them on the terms above noted—with what result remains to be seen.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.