January 22.
Ir is plain that Peking is passing through extremely troublous times. The blessings of civilization, such as telegraphs and increased facility of communication, are often remarked to bring with them as many disadvantages as those they sweep away. But the truth of this saying must have become specially apparent to the Chinese Government since the fashion grew up in the provinces of sending delegates to the capital on every possible and impossible occasion. Regarded only a recognition of the central authority, such attentions might, no doubt, be considered flattering; but in the circumstances of the case the compliment is one with which the central authorities could more comfortably dispense. For example, the question of railways they may be said to have ever with them. But it is easy to imagine that neither blandishments nor protests from abroad have caused the Government a quarter of the anxiety that is being given to it by the representatives rom Hunan and Hupeh. The purpose that the delegation has in view follows the usual now familiar lines. The loan agreement with the four Syndicates must be cancelled, and the people of the provinces through which the line was to pass must be allowed to construct the railway themselves. There is nothing to show that the members of the delegation are genuinely representative of the collective will of Hunan and Hupeh; but there is equally no lack of precedent to suggest that the effect of their agitation may not be precisely the same as if they were. The loan agreement wouldappear, in any case, to be sofarimpeded from completion that the petition for its cancellation may, for the moment, merely be noted in passing. But in respect of, constraction by the provinces or by the Government, we touch the root of the matter. The Intter contingency is at least as obnoxious to the provincials as the idea of a foreign loan. And while the Government vainly holds up the ideal of unification of the whole railway system of the Empire under central management, the unfortunate official of the Yuch'uanpa to whom the negotiations are entrusted is threatened with assassination if he dares so much as to hint at such a heresy.
Far more serious, however, because the issues are quite new and incalculable, is the business that has taken the Provincial Assem-lies' delegates to Peking. The
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.