The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-08-15

| nation.
| At 4 O'Clock on the third morning af-
ter he reached Pekin. the ex-viceroy
was admitted to the presence of the
Son Of Heaven. The old statesman
with seventy-four years>of service be-
hind him, fell upon his knees and lay
PROSTATE with his forehead upon the
floor before the dissipated and meager-
witted young sovereign, and pleaded
| for mercy.
| The audience Is aid to have been
prolonged for two hours. which was
considered very remarkable. because
| the emperor seldom sees any one for
more than a few minutes. 1t is COM
monty supposed that he cannot en-
dure a long conversation, or even con-
centrate his attention upon a subject
for any length of time The audience
| was followed in a few days by an
| announcement in the official gazette
that, by imperial command, Ii Hung
| Chang would remain at the capital
and perform his duties as senior grand
secretary, a position to which he was
appointed in 1885 but had never ac-
tually filled. He was also named a
member of the Tsung-h Yamen. These
| aSSlSuIHtHlS WcIe
aging, and favorable to his restoration
to power. But few days later another
paragraph appeared in the official
gazette, which was considered ON
| inous, and excited fear that the
favors were not genuine. 1t announced
that, by orders of the emperor, Ii
Hung Chang would not be permitted to
address the throne alone, but must at
all times be accompanied by another
member of the grand secretariat, or the
Tsung-N Yamen. The significance of
this peculiar decree was readily under
stood by those familiar with Chinese
politics. 1t was plain that the enc
mics of the earl still had control OF
the official machinery, and fearing his
influence over the emepror, had ar
ranged to prevent him from exercising
1t i'm any manner without their know
ledge.
About this time Mr.. Hayashi, the
Japanese minister at Pekin, paid VS.
It to the temple Of the Sages ana
Righteous Men in Goldfish avenue, and
permitted his interview with Ii Hung
| Chang to be the subject of lengthy let
ters to the Tokyo newspapers. The
ex-viceroy was represented to De III
the depths of despair, and with tears
streaming down his cheeks bemoaned
his fate and the disgrace which he was
uniustly suffering. He compared his
humiliating position to that of the
MARQUIS Ito, the plenipotentiary of
Japan, with whom he had negotiated
the treaty of peace. While Ito was be-
inc honored by the gratitude of his
| tho DnnrDv1I of his
imperial master he was deprived of the
honors he had previously earned, was
the object of suspicion and contempt
and the victim of persecution from ms
associates in the government. But he
was determined to submit in silence
and await the vindication which he
believed that sooner or later relieve
| him from injustice
| The newspaper correspondents at
Pekin kept careful watch of the move
ments of the eX-viceroy, and report sew
eral visits which he Is said to have paid
to the palaces OF the empress dowager
at Eho Park, about ten miles from the
Forbidden City, where he must have
received grateful consolation. There
were rumors, too, that he had asked the
emperor to relieve him from all official
labors and responsibilities on account of
his age and infirmities and permit him
to enjoy rest and retirement at An-Hui.
his native place, down on the Yang
tsi, near Nanking, where his adopted
son, Lii Ching Fong, has recently erect
| ed magnificent mansion of modern
architecture. But If this Is true, and 1t
| does not seem plausible to those who
know LIS tenacty or purpose and In
| flexible determination, the emperor de-
| clined to release him, and he continued
| to perform his duties as senior member
of the grand secretariat.
This body, known in China as the Nui
Koh, was formerly the supreme eXecu-
tive power of the empire, superior to the
j grand council and subordinate to the
emperor alone but of late years 1t has
lost much of its prestige and has be-
| come a sort of adjunct to the council or
cabinet, merely transcribing and pro-
mitigating its DEGREES after they have
been approved by the emperor. The
grand secretariat is composed of four
persons-two Manchus and two Chinese.
Their duties, according to the imperial
statutes, are "to deliberate upon the
| government of the empire, proclaim the
| imperial pleasure and aid the emperor
| in directing the affairs of state" They
receive memorials and reports from the
several departments of the government,
lay them before his majesty, record his
instructions thereon and return them
to the appropriate officials with direc-
tions concerning the final disposition Of
the business to which they relate. In
order to expedite the transactions and
relieve the emperor Of labor they are
accustomed to attach to each document
brief memorandum of it's contents and
a decree conveying the orders of the en-
peror, which he is expected to sign with
his famous vermilion pencil. These pa
pers are laid before his majesty by one
or more of the grand secretaries every
morning, usually before daylight. for
the busiest hours of the emperor's day
are from to Z o'clock in the morning.
The grand secretariat are also custo-
dians of the imperial seal, which can
not be affixed to any document except
in the presence of a majority of it's
members.
1t will thus be seen that Ii Hung
Chang was in IL position to exercise
enormous power, provided his asso-
ciates were in sympathy with him. But
his Chinese colleague was Chang Chih-
Wang, brother of Chang Chih-Tung,
viceroy of Marking. his bitterest en-
emy and most jealous rival. 1t was
Chang Chih-Tung who refused him
aid during the late war, and kept a
fleet of ships tied UP in the Yang-tse
river when Ii was at extremities and
appealing for re-inforcements. The
Manchu members of the secretariat,
whatever influence they may WELD,
are men of SO little Importance that