9th Tune.
Ove of. the conditions of peace to be imposed on China was the suspension for five years of official examinations in all towns in which foreigners were massacred or cruelly treated during the Boxer outbreak. Possibly this condition was less acceptable to the Chinese than some of the others, nevertheless this matter might have been speedily settled if the British Minister ha not differed from his coadjutors on some points. Mr. Rockhill refers to this in his communication to Mr. Hay, dated Gth June, 1901, in the following terms The only serious obstacle in the way of a complete settlement of this question is the British Minister's refusal to agree to allow the metropolitan examinations to be held and candidates from provinces in which no anti-foreign trouble occurred to come up for them.
Copies of the correspondence exchanged between the represen: tatives of the Powers and the Chinese plenipotentiaries on this subject up to 6th June, 1901, were forwarded to the U.S. Government by Mr. Hay who, at the same time, expressed the hope that the British Government would finally agree with the other Powers that to allow these Jast-mentioned examinations within the limitation mentioned would be advisable and just.
On 8th June, 1901, Mr. Rockhill, in accordance with the instructions received from his Government, made a formal proposal to the representatives of the Powers to submit the question of the indemnity to be asked of China to the Arbitral Tribunal of The Hague. Three days later the Diplomatic Corps held a meeting to consider the question of the revenues to be set apart by China for the payment of the interest and amortization of the indemnity debt. Many divergent views were held in reference to some of the proposals made, the suggestion to revise the regulations in force concerning inland navigation by foreigners for purposes of trade, so as to
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.