Tt has been a matter of notoriety that the Dalai Lama has evinced a great deal of reluctance to go to Peking although commanded to come by the Throne and repeatedly advised to do by the Governor of Shansi, to which province the Wutaishan Temple, where the Buddhist Pontiff has been residing for the best part of a year, belongs. In consequence of this reluctance and of the lawless conduct of his Lama retainers it was plainly hinted to the Pontiff by the Shansi authorities that he had better return at once to Tibet. Preparations were accordingly made by the Lamas to start for their homes, as i already noted in this column the other dey; when Grand Councillor Yuan Shih-kai's recent suggestion to the Throne to invite the rival Pontiff, the Panshén Lama, to Peking cametotheears of the Dalai Lama, and an immediate change of front seems to have been the result. According to a Peking dispatch, E. Pao Fen, the Governor of! Shansi, has telegraphed to the Central Government that the Buddhist Pontiff now begs to be allowed to pay his humble obeisances to their Imperial Majesties and has selected either the 17th or 25th instant as his date of leaving the Wutaisban Temple for the Capital. The Dalai Lama proposes to travel by sedan-chair or mole-litter as far as the City of Chéoting and there to take train to Peking. His retinue consists of two hundred and sixty-two persons, and he carries with him no Jess than one hundred and twenty cases! of sored books, Besides these the jatpontiff brings with him over two hun-cases of presents which he intends to offer their Majesties as a proof of The HE. Herald and S. C. &-C. Gazette. his devotion and allegiance. He will] vi make a stay in Peking of about one month and then will return to. Lhasa. In the circumstances it would seem that there will be no necessity now of inviting the Buddhist Ca-Pontiff to Peking as an, offset to the Dalai Lama's dilatoriness in obeying the Imperial behest to have an audience of their Majesties.
1B, SHEN CHIA-PEN, the enlightened President of the Court of Cassation, who has been occupied for the past few years, partly in conjunction with H. E. Wu Ting-fang (now Chinese Minister in Washington) in revising and compiling the criminal is, according to a Peking let leave to resign his post. and retire into private life. It appears that his Excellency expected to be promoted Senior Vice-President of the Ministry of Justice in recognition of his arduous labours and this omission has caused him some disappointment.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.