The evening times., 1900-10-02

The Secretary of State was assured by
MinIste- Wu Ting-fang this morning that
the Imperial edict providing for the deg
radst:on and trial of Prince Tuan and 9TH
er & .:4eF leaders is authentic. II has been
charged that the edict was concocted in
Shanghai ana that it did not originate
with Es&peror Kwang Hsii. Mr.. Wu's ad-
vices in regard to the decree are from
Sheng the Director General of the Rail-
ways and Telegraphs at Shanghai, who
acts, says Minister Wa, as the channel of
communication between the central gov
ernrent OF China and its ministers
abroad.
Shengs despatch contains more details
of the decree than have heretofore been
given in official and press dispatches. IL
says that by the edict, which was issued
on September %. Prince Chwang. Prince
Yih. Secondary princes Tsai Lien and Tsai
Wing are deprived of all their respective
ranks and Offices: Prince Tuan is deprived
of office and is handed over to the Imperial
Clan Court which shall consult and de-
eide upon a severe penalty, and his saia-
ry is to be stopped; Duke Tsai Lien and
the president of the Censorate. Yang Men
are handed over to the said board. VINO
shall consult and decide upon severe
penaIrv. and Kang Vi. assistant Grand
Secretary and President OF the Civil
Board. and Chao-s -shu-chiao, President of
the Board of Punishments, are handed
over to the Board of Censors, who shall
consult and decide upon penalty.
The terms of the edict, 1t is said, are
satisfactory to this Government which has
Proceeded on the theory that more could be
accomplished by encouraging the Chinese
| Government to act in good faith than by
| coerciye measures
A telegram received at the State Depart
men, today from Minister Conger at Pc
| kin, confirms the announcement from St
/ Petersburg that the Russian Minister. NJ
/ de Giers. and the legation stan, had with
drawn from Pekin to TIentsin IN further
| ance of the Russian plan to Induce the Chi
! nese sovereigns and Government TO return
| to the capita! and begin negotiations for
! peace.
| Government. officials have little to say
| coneelLiu the terms OF The French pro-
posals fc4- a settlement OF the Chinese
| troubles, except in expressing qualification
| tat it is IN accord with the attitude as
sunled by :he United States in regard TO
| the punishment of the Boxer leaders and
| the initiation OF peace negotiations The
new proposal of France that the importa-
ton OF firearms and ammunition into Chi
ma be prohibited permanently. apparently
does not meet with favor il Government
circles, although officials ssr that they
have given no consideration 10 that propo-
| sition and will not do so until 1t has been
made by France to the United States.
Generally, the objection to placing a
permanent embargo on the importatisn n
| of munitions of war into the Empire is
| that it would be unjust to cut off SO
| large a proportion OF the worlds popu-
lation from the use of firearms, and that
the measure would naturally carry with
it the stoppage Of the manufacture ot
| guns and gunpowder in which the Chi
nese have become adept. Officials say
that they are not ready TO give any
opinion on the French proposal to raze
the Notifications between Pekin and tbs
sea and to maintain legation guards il
Pekir.
Qualification is expressed by high Off
ciaIs. who represent the views of the
Government. over the appointment oi
the Vieeroys of Nankin and Wu-chaHg
to assist Ii Hung Chang and Prince
Ching in the conduct of peace negotia-
tions with the powers. One official saiC
today that better selections than thes,
four could not have been made by ths
United States Government itself. Thej
were thoroughly satisfactory. Ii Hung
Chang and fS.ace Ching having showr
themselves to be opposed to the an /
foreign crusade, and the two Viceroy:
having conducted themselves, during
the critical period of affairs throughou
China, in a way that had excited tn.
| admiration Of the civilized world. TIL,
official went on to say that it was ns
easy task for these yfceroys u keel
their provinces orderly and to protec
foreigners during the Boxer troubles
but they had done SO against great odds
OF General Yung Lu, the fifth peac
plenipotentiary. no such complmentaI>
remarks are made in official circles, bu
! ~ NeiS tApl><iHSO IOddy lLe SONSi IL
ment has no positive evidence coEnectin
| him with the attack on the legations a
Pekin. despite the suspicious of the for
! eign ministers. Minister Conger, while h
had previously reflected by inference o.
Yung Lu, said nothing in the telegram re
ceived from him yesterday announcin
Yung LUIS appointment to negotiate peae
to indicate that the Chinese general wa
unsatisfactory. An official of prominenc
said today that there is reason to tclieT
that Yung Lu is not as black as he ha
been painted, and unless Minister Congo
makes protest against his acceptance
the Government will not object to him a
a plenipotentiary OF China
|
Sergeant Fordcn Dead.
Acting Surgeon Perley. in charge of th
naval hospital at Nagasaki, has forward
ed the following message to the War De
partment:
'eNagasaki, Oct. /.
"Adjutant General, Washington: