Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 22, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 January 1901 — NOTE SIGNED AT LAST. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

NOTE SIGNED AT LAST.

Joint Agreement of Power* Acceded To by Chinese Empress. The final step in the peace negotiations in China was taken Sunday at Pekin, when Earl Li-Hung-Chang signed the joint note of the powers, affixing his signature below that of Prince Ching, who signed Saturday, and , thus' rendering China a party to the terms of the treaty comprised in the note. It is feared that the aged Chinese statesman will never recover from the illness which is now attacking him and t;his is now found to be Bright’s disease. Earl Li signed the document while in bed. The instructions to Li-Hung-Chang and Prince Ching to sign the preliminary note of the powers came in the shape of a telegraphic edict, which was practically a duplicate of the first edict re-

ceived some time ago, ordering the Chinese peace commissioners to attach their signatures to the note, but which the Dowager Empriss sought to rendei r void by another edict, ordering her representatives to withhold their signatures. Upon the receipt of these instructions Prince Ching asked the Japanese, who are guarding the imperial city, for permission to enter the palace there for the purpose of obtaining the seal. The permission was granted. The commissioners later signed the notes of the several ministers. The Chinese commissioners have, learned that Viceroy Chang Chib Tung, who caused all the trouble that resulted in the Dowager Empress’ forbidding the signing of the note, has changed his mind about the advice he gave the Empress.

This change was brought about by his reading the telegrams sent by Li-Hung-Chang and Prince Ching to the Dowager Empress in reply to the edict forbidding them to sign. All messages between Singaa-Fu, the seat of the court, pass through Hankow, the official residence of Chang Chili Tung. He sanr copies of these dispatches, and then realized that he hail made a mistake which might possibly result in punishment for himself for badly advising the throne, which is a serious crime in China.

KARL LI-HUNG-CHANO.

PRINCE CHING.