The silver blade. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1895-1903, 1900-07-28

whose residence at the capital was neces-
sary to the transaction of business between
the two countries, affected US very deeply.
1T is the duty of the authorities con-
cerned to cause stringent orders for the
speedy arrest and punishment of the MUIR
derers to be carried out.
"Since the commencement of the attack
on Tientsin there are foreign subjects and
missionaries who have on account of local
disturbances suffered death or loss of
property through no fault of their own.
We hereby command the governor Of Pc
kin and the viceroy of Chilli to cause
investigations to be made by their re-
spective subordinates Of all such claims
except those rising directly from the said
attack, with view to their ultimate set
Element. Moreover, local outlaws and
rebellious subjects have Of late given
themselves up to burning, killing and
plundering, to the great disquiet Of our
loyal subjects. This is in utter defiance
OF law. We hereby command the said gov
errors general, governors and comman-
ders of our forces to investigate the situa-
ton and to take such measures for the
punishment of offenders and restoration
of order as the necessities of the case de-
mand. We hereby command this, our
general edict, to be made known for the
information of all it may concern. Re
spect this"
A significant statement in the above
edict is noted in that passage which d.
reefs an investigation of all claims tex
cept those arising directly from the said
attack" (attack on Tientsin) with view
to their ultimate settlement.
This appears to make plain not only that
! the Chinese government will settle claims
for actual losses, but that it has now for
mally decreed an exception of the claims
arising directly from the attack on TEN
tsin. 1t seems to indicate that the Chi
nese government holds that the attack on
Iientsin was unwarranted.
Fighting mt Wei Hal Wei.
st. Petersburg, July 24.-Two encoun-
tiers are reported to have taken place be-
tween British and Chinese forces near Wei
Hal Wei. The latter, it was reported, were
repulsed after a stubborn encounter. No
dates are given.
Credited to Prince Tuan.
Washington, July 24.-The state de-
partment made public the following:
Inc state department has received a
dispatch from Mr.. Goodnow, the consul
General at Shanghai, saying that Prince
Tuan wires that an officer of the tsung Ii
yamen saw all the ministers ON the 18th;
that none was injured and that no attack
was at that time being made. He does
not say to whom the dispatch of Prince
Tuan was addressed and it is to certain
extent at variance with the dispatch of
Mr.. Conger of that date, describing the le-
gauons as being under fire at that time.
The above dispatch was shown Minister
WI this afternoon. He said he had no
explanation to offer, but said he placed no
dependence on any Of the Shanghai dis
patches. He advanced the theory that
Prince Tuan, after all, might not belong to
the Boxers, but might be supporting the
government.
The officials of the state department,
after reading Goodnow's dispatch, express
the belief that a mistake has been made
in the transmission of the message, and
that the name Tuan should have been
Yuan, governor of the province of Shan
Tung.
Hancock VIII Go to Taku.
The war department is considering the
ACCESSIBILITY of sending the Hancock, which
sails from San Francisco July %, with
four batteries of artillery and 500 marines,
direct to Taku instead of to Nagasaki.
These troops were to have gone on the