The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-07-24
WANT TO HEAR FROM M'DoNALD.
British Omcinls Do Not Believe State
ments Made by Chinese.

LONDON, July 23.-In the House of Com
mons to-day the parliamentary secretary of
the Foreign Office. William ST. John Brod-
erick communicated certain statements of
the Chinese authorities with regard to the
safety of the legations at Peking, and said
the Chinese minister declared them to be
unharmed Mr.. Broderick read the text of
the several edicts of July is. Commenting
on Minister Congers dispatch TO the De-
partment OF State of the United States, Mr..
Broderick said that, though the dispatch
was of the same date as the edicts' assur-
ance of safety. the latter was not borne
out by Mr.. Conger. Consul Warren had
telegraphed to the governor of Shan-Tung
to know how a message from Peking
reached him in two days, and why there
was no message from their foreign minis
ter. Sir Claude Macdonald The Governor
ha6 replied that the United States minis
ter's message was sent by the Tsung Ii
Yamen Chinese Foreign ONCE by mes
senger travelling eco lis roughly 200 English
! miles) day. Iii is a Chinese mile.) 81
assure you,' the Governor of Shan-Tung
| had added, ''there is no telegraphic COM
munication. / cannot explain why Mac
Donald has not telegraphed, but beg you
| not to be anxious about the ministers. for
| they and the others are all living and un-
| harmed. OF this I've already had several
reliable messages"
Mr. Broderck continued: Seeing that
| over month has elapsed since any COM
munication reached the government from
| the British legation, and the Tsung Ii
| Yamen is communicating by messenger
with various Chinese authorities, her Maj
esty's government feels that 1t cannot
give credence to any statement or DEGREES
| attributed to the Emperor or Chinese gov
ernment. unless they are fortified by letters
| signed and dated by Sir Claude MacDon-
aid or other English officials, or by some
| cablegram in our cipher"
According to the translation read by Mr..
| Broderick, the imperial edict opens as fol-
| lows: I'm the Confucian philosophy,
| spring and autumn it is written. ENJOYS
| should not be killed. How. then, can il be
| supposed the thrones policy is to connive
| at allowing people and troops to vent their
wrath foreign ministers?" The edict
| then gives the assurance already made
| known to the public.
In the House of Commons to-day the Sec
retary of state for India. Lord George
| Hamilton, announced that the maharaja
OF Gwalior had offered the government a
| fully equipped hospital ship. upon which ii
| is proposed 10 spend twenty lakhs of ru-
pees. for service in China. as a mark OF
| deep loyalty to the Queen. The offer was
| accepted. Lord George Hamilton also tes-
| tilted to the governments great apprecia-
ton OF the generosity of those who are
| sending the Maine TO China.
| The House of Lords this evening passed
to its second reading the bill empowering
the Queen to prohibit the expectation of
| arms and ammunition or either to any
| country where there is reason TO believe
that these or others may be used against
the British forces or foreign forces CO.
4 operating with them"