The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1900-11-10
OOVIeEn EMPRESS
MUST Be RETIRED
POWERS DO not WANT HER
TO RESIDE AT CHINESE
CAPITOL.
Two Other Requisites Guilty
Chinese ofncials at Pao Ting
Flu Have Been Sentenced
to Death.

WASHINGTON. Nov 2-It was stat
ed today in quarters well yersed in Chi
nese affairs thar outside of the questions
OF indemnity punishnsuts. etc, now IN
der negotiation at Pekins- there are three
vital and far-reachins questions TO b.
determined. viz First the removal OF
the empress dowager. personally and
through the influence of her advisers
from all participation in the Chinese gov
eminent: second. the creation OF an in
demnity fund By the increase of China's
customs revenue. either by the payment
OF the duties in gold instead OF depreci-
ated silver as at present. or else by dout-
ling the present silver duties from /, per
cent to 10 per cent ad valorem: and third.
the establishment of a minister of for
eign affairs in place of the old and cum
bersome system of the Tsung- amen
The demand for the retirement of the
Empress dowager is said TO result from
the conclusion. now generally accepted.
that the imperial government OF China
was responsible for the Boxer uprising.
As the empress dowager was the ruling
authority of the imperial government
| during the uprising, this responsibility
| is brought home directly TO her. There Is
understood 10 be no purpose. however
/ to visit upon her any personal punish
ment or indignity. but merely to so form
the reconstructed government as to ex-
| clude her from all participation in il.
| Ii is deemed advisable for that reason
! that she should remain permanently away
| from Picking. and that her advisers also
/ should be kept away from the seat of
! government
/ The plan of doubling China's customs
/ duties has arisenfrom the need of finding
| a source TO pay war indemnities. which
the various powers demand. 1t appears.
| however. that the increase of duties has
heretofore been brought to the attention
of the United States government by Ia
Hung Chang. This was during his visit
to Washington a few years ago. when II
was represented that the per cent was
| fixed in 1853 by the treaties with the
United States and other countries and
was payable in silver at which time silver
was worth as much as gold But with
! the changed value between silver and
gold. Ii Hung Chang pointed out that
China's ) per cent duty in silver actually
Melted only about > ID per cent. Judged
by the prevailing gold standard. The
matter was not pressed at the time.
China's present customs revenues are
said TO he already pledged to meet inter
est and principal of Chinese loans. so that
il will require some entirely new source
to meet the indemnities. In case the en-
larged duties are determined upon. it Is
understood that their collection will be
placed under the supervision of the pow
ers. at least until the indemnities are paid
The plan of substituting minister OF
foreign affairs in place of the Tsung-lI
Yamen has long been contemplated. as
foreign representatives have found it very
difficult to deal with this mixed body
and to locate responsibility upon it par
ticularly during the Boxer troubles.