Agents of the Catholics were going around marking such trees of different villages as appeared to be suitable for their building purposes. They placed their own price on the trees, and required the owners to dig them up and deliver at the place designated, a village about 100 li distant from this section, where their converts suffered losses last year, and where they propose to restore the houses and build a chapel with wood secured in this way, and from this distance. They made no discrimination as to who was the owner of the trees. The prices fixed wore only about one-third to one-half their narker value. I could not believe this report at first, but every one asked confirmed it, so thoro must be something in it. It is a most unwise course to take, and is sure to have bad results. It is reported that the Catholic priests predict further troubles before the opening of navigation. Such conduct as the above is sure to bring about conditions averse to peace, and may become the cause of serious trouble.
The Ladies' Audience.
The reception (in Peking) is over. Just a week has passed. The feeling, so far as T can see it, is no less strong now than before the event, that in accepting the invitation of the Dowager the ladies made an enormous mistake. They forgot the dignity and the honour of their nations as well as of themselves; forgot the sufferings of their murdered sisters at the hands of their host; forgot the effect of the condoning of such wickedness on the future forgot the things which indicate that the same spirit of destruction still exists and ig secretly preparing for other deeds—deeds similar to the past. One can but hang the head in shame at the thought of such utter misrepresentation ofthe heart of the mass of their sisters, both here and in the home lands, who mourn the loss of noble lives sacrificed, but new condoned by their pusillanimity. And the address! what can be said of it? It is weak!
tis pointless!—it is sickening in its attempt at pietistic sentiment!!! Various remarks of the Dowager made from time to time relative to this affair are afloat, and it is not wholly without reason to believe that there is quite as much truth as fiction in these rumours, especially as they ard believed and thought to have some her invitation to be accepted,—few others did., It is quite natural that she should believe, after such an episode, that foreigners are fools to be hoodwinked by a few presents, a few sweet words bedewed with tears, and a good spicing of edicts which mean nothing—or the "opposite of their face"—to those behind the scenes. Is th: Reform Party to be encouraged and upheld in its attempts to enlighten and improve the nation by the Foreign Powers, or not? This is the all-important question in relation to the future. The fate of China is in the hands of these Powers, and this Party, and if the latter is deserted, the former will have a day of reckoning. Even though it may result in China's " break up" at the hand of these same Powers, that will not be the end; and they will do wisely to consider the possibilities as well as the certainties involved in proving traitors to the Party of reform and progress.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.