ang cannot be thought to have given much promise for the immediate futare of Ohina. When the late Emperor and Ein proas-Dowager passed away, the peaceful: ess with which (he success sion of the present Emperor w: effected, taken in conjunction wi other circumstances of the moment, seemed to cast some rays of hope across the outlook. joe" Peking and the provinces, it is true, little love and less senso of mutual re-spe bility were lost. But with parent adjustment of existing differences between Yuan Shih-kai and the late Grand Secretary Chang Chih-tung, more particularly in the reputed character of Prince Chun, the Regent, it was believed that a new power for had come into the counsels of the empire which could scarcely fail to produce beneficial result. Especi ally as regards the Prince Regent publio anticipations were stimulate ed by stories, industriously circalated in the native Press, of the hours that his Imperial Highness devoted to studying in order to fit himself for his high position; of the system that he had devised for bringing private complaints, or suggestions for the national good, direct to his own ears; of the secret expeditions that be was supposed to make, in disguise, among the people of the capital in order to learn thei condition. Such anecdotes all probability, but little value beyond the possible one of inaugarating © new current of th: in the nation towards the Throne. Bet there is no doubt that the spired with genuine ambitions for rince Regent is personally in-
good of China anda high sense the responsibilities of his Peston. Unfortunately it is too plain that he lacks the necessary strength to carry tentions into effect, powerless to break with the corrupt survivals of the past. The dismissal of Yuan Shih-kai in the first week of January, an event which probably caused more general consternation abroad than any act of, so to say, a peaceful character in the history of China's dealings with tae West, must be laid principally at the Prince Regent's door, oven if the jealousies of reactionary rivals were not less potent in that event than the Regent's desire to avenge the memory of the late Eimperor. Similarly the downfall ut Viceroy Tuan Fang, variously attributed to 8 private quarrel with Grand Coun-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.