A few days ago there was a rumour in local native circles to the effect that Minister Te'ai Chun's recent action at Tokio of calling the Japanese police within the sacred preciuctsof the Chinese Legation raised such storm of indignation at Peking beau-e of HLE.'s lowering the dignity of China that numerous strongly worded memorials were presented to the Throne denouncing Minister Te'ai Chun. The result of this, no cording toa dispatch fro Peking, has been the sending of an Imperial Edict sternly censuring the Minister for his conduct, which will [probably lead to H.E.'sresignaion, What would Happen to Boxers if the Law were Fulfilled.
The law in China for ages, and the Manchus have never repealed it, in the case of "vagrants, Buddhist and Taoist standing, practising incantations, witchery, priests and others, regardless of soci] fortune telling by pretending to have the aid of false gods, strange contortions, etc., 80 as toatir the passions and credulity ut the people" is very stern and severe, The law's sentence against the leader of any such movement is death by strangulation, and the chief elder of the village, town or ward who, knowing of such a thing fails to report it to the authorities, is provide] with "x. garishment forty blows 'y flat-surfaced bamboo red," which is three times more inful in effect than the ordinary bam-00s generally used in the yamens. "The practice of incantations, fortune tellings, ete. by civil or military officials, yamen underlings, soldiers, Buddhist and Taoist priests who, taking advantage of their several positions are able to influence the ignorant populace around them render the persons guilty of such strange doctrines ble to strangulation, while the people who follow them lose all their civil rights and will be banished and made slaves of the Manchu and other troops garrisoning the cities of Chinese Turkestan and Kuldja." These are the law: of China in force at the present day, and if "by the practise of such incantations, witcheries, fortune telling, etc., et"'the populace are led to deeds of violence and bloodshed, the gull without distinction between I and follower, are to be summarily decapitated." The recent recrudescence of Boxerism every-{here =has forced the officials to look up the ws cited above, and some of them, it is Reported from the Yangtze provinces, intend soon to issue proclamations embodying these laws and warning the people that the letter of the law will be strictly enforced, and no Teniency shown to the guilty and their followers.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.