'A Poking dispatch states that a number of Censors have sent up to the Throne a joint memorial denouncing the incapability of H. E, Tsen Ch'un-hsien, Viceroy of the Two Kuang provinces, as proved by his inability to suppress the Kuangsi insurrection -within the past twenty months or so, and calling for his immediate dismissal and punishment. It is believed that the Grand Council have merely recommended that Viceroy Tsen be cashiered, but have avoided the question of punishment in their report on the matter to the Throne. It would be a good plan for the Empress Dowager to send the Gonouncing Censors and the members of the Grand Council down to Kuangsi and seo what they can do to put down the insurrection in that province.
A Joint Memorial recently sent up to the Throne by Viceroys Yuan, of Tientsin; Chang, of Wachang, and' Tsen, of Canton, on the subject of the necessity. of immediate and drastic reforms in the government machinery of the country, and giving the reasons therefor, is said to have greatly touched the Empress Dowager, who readily agreed with the joint memorialists. According to the usual custom an Imperial Rescript was to be sent to the three Viceroys on the subject "and, as usual, her Majesty commanded the Grand Council to draw up the Rescript for her. 'The important issues. presen' by.the: three Viesroys, however, appeared to, be'too abstruse for the intellect of the old-fogies: for-they were, at—a.complete ce po P.
composing, the. Grand, Coupeil, todiaw up-an intelligent -Reseript showing that their Majesties understood and concurred iwith': the views of the me-|C! renalists. "Finally, after -mnch- besitetion, a -rough copy of the. intended Rescript twas drawn up, according tothe mental understandings of the composers, and handed up to the Throne for her, approval. After, apparently, vainly trying to understand what her Grand Councillors meant, the Empress) Dowager gave a contemptuous look at the trembling white-bearded mandarins kneeling below the Imperial dais, and) handed the paper to the Emperor with the; remark in loud tones—' Here, know more of this matter than the whole lot put together of these men do literary effusion." "His Majesty read the there; see what you can make of ti paper carefully, and then taking up a pen, wrote out another Rescript, more intel-eligible to his Imperial Aunt and di thoroughly and intelligently with questions propounded by the three brit cipal avd most enlightened 'Viceroys of the Empress' Dowager, who at once commanded her seal to be affixed to the document and ordered the Rescript to be immediately telegraphed to the three Viceroys. The'Empress Dowager is also reported to have said on that occasion of the Empire, display such lamentable If you who compose the highest Council (k'6-lion) ignorance on these all-important questions of the hour, how are we to make China pr and be the powerful and wealthy Empire she should be?"
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.