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-A VISIT TO THE CHINESE.--."k"--'-'…

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A VISIT TO THE CHINESE "k" EMPEROR A Berlin journal publishes the. following account from the gen of a. well-known Qerman kra*eller, *f an audience granted by the Emperor of China to the foreign Ambassadors at Peking. The writer (says the Globe) was the only non-diplomatic person present. Headed by the highest dignitaries of the Celes- tial Empire, our procession moved on between row? of Privy Councillors of. th$first class, bodyguards armed with bows and- airowfe, civic authorities hdld- ing valuable old swords under their; arms, and onarmed soldiers of the palace. We passed by the black tents with the little, pepping windows, in which the Ambassadors foregathered ,in former years before they were received by the Emperor. Silently and pompously we passed over the dark car- pet woven out of black camels' hair, and ascended some steps leading to the widely-opened1 folding doors of a builcfiftg, from the front wall of which the outside had peeled off, leaving the casing and timbers exposed to view, mouldy and worm-eaten Thus we reached the audience chamber, and wtere withip three paces of the Son of Heaven," Kouang Ban, the Ruler of the Middle Kingdom." He was seated upon a raised platform, approached (by five steps and three gangways, while from the right and feft two narrow paths also gave access to the dais. The latter and the balustrade were covered with red cloth and trimmed with yellow. On either sidel of the Emperor stood one of the Manchurian Princes, n^right, motionless, and with a stony stare,, as though he were keeping watch over a' bier. In this hall, the-" Hall of the Flowers of Litera- ture," the Son of Heaven sat before a table on the platform, so that only the upper portion ofhis body was visible. Upon the table lay a staff, frobablyJ of jasper, the Sceptre of Good Fortune. A small, square box, seemingly of very antiquecloisonné wok, was said to contahr the Imperial seal. There Svfere also upon the table the plate for preparing Chinese ink, a tray farMJtaused writing-br-asheo,,a,- rack for holding these brushes when in use, a box of Indian ink, and » vase of water for- making the writing fldid. All these articles were made out of precious stones of the second rank, such as jjasper, topaz, turquoise, and the like. It seemed as if the Emperor preferred to have these useful articles before him as the insignia of power, instead of the usual sword, sceptre, And orb. His Majesty looks older than-he really is. With sunken head and yellow face, he looked shyly at fche assembled diplomats, and his heavy eyes were lit.up for the occasion by opium or morphia. A sorrowful, weary, And rather childish smile played about ;his mouth; When his lips are parted, his Jpng, irregular yellow teeth appear, and there are great nollows in either cheek. His face is not entirely wanting, in sympathy; but rather betokens indifference, and from its features nothing of interest can "be read"; in fact, the Emperor impressed me as being eelf-restrainjed, cold,'apathetic, wanting in .capacity tworn out, and as though half-dead. I felt that whatever passed before his eyes had not the slightest interest for him, and that it mattered nQt in the least to him whether h6 understood the meaning of the cere- mony. I mAy, ^indeed, be wrong in-my judgment ahd it may be that the Emperor of China is a highly- intelligent monarch, educated, well-read, a keen student, and anxious for the welfare of his people. I may be entirely wrong,. but I cannot believe that I am. A man who wears a look as if life were a burden to him must surely he on the. downward grade; I must be bold enough to reproduce the V.Son of Hewren ".41>01 saw him-and as he struck me, and not as others would wish me totpicture him. For a quarter of an hour I stood only three paces from \.he Emperor of the Celestial Empire, and I watched him narrowly the whola^tinae- there, stole over me a feeling of. regretful sympathy, with this potentate, who governs more than 400 niillion4 of Eeople from the ruined chambers of fiis vast prison ouse. > After a deathly silence of some minutes, the Doyen of the Diplomatic Corps, Colonel Den^ Minister of the United States, read an address in English. Prince Kung had previously been made acquainted with the text of this address he inputted with difficulty the smaller staircase on the "right, bojh'ed very low, knelt before the'Ehiperor oh the left, touched the floor with his forehead, and trans- lated the address into th$Manchuriijn 'tongue. The "Son of Heaven ljsped' m JJlanchurian a few words, that could s'carcely be heard"; Prince Kung then interpreted these Imperial remarks to "the audience in Chinese, And finally the Dragoman of the Russian -Embassy gave1 them out iri very faulty "Prertcli. Prince Kung then shuffled backwards down the steps Df the throne. We drew back three paces, and, keeping our faces towards the Emperor, passed backwards in his presence through the front door, and tfaua quitted, the Hall of the Flowers of Literature." It may here be remarked that hitherto Ambassadors bad been obliged to leave this hall by a side door. The Emperor remained seated upon his throne. To have turned one's back upon him would Have lDeánt punishment by death.

— I A FAMOUS POLICEMAN, ,

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MR. GLADSTONE IN PARLIAMENT.

HIS KNOWLEDGE OF FINANCE.

HIS METHOD OF SPEECH-MAKING.

HIS LETTERS TO THE QUEEN.

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EPITOME OF NEWS.