NEWS OF THE WEEK
THE French Ministry decline to issue a " Yellow Book" on Tonquin, because negotiations are still advancing, but have issued a kind of pamphlet giving a history of their progress. It is most unsatisfactory reading. It appears that the Foreign Office did, on September 6th, ask the Chinese to open the town of Man Hao, in Yunnan, as a depot for trade, to declare Tonquin from that point down to Sontay "neutral," and to leave the reit of Tonquin, including the Delta of the Songkoi, to them. Moreover, the neutral zone was to be governed by Anamite Mandarins, Anam being French, and French troops were to have right of entry into it at will to "repress any disorder." This offer, which was almost impudent, was peremptorily rejected by the Chinese, who on the 16th inst. proposed terms which involve the evacuation of Ton- gnin, and the opening of the Songkoi up to Sontay to the .00mmerce of the world. M. Challemel-Lacour in his turn declares these terms inadmissible, and suspends negotiations until the reinforcements have arrived, and "accomplished facts" shall have had their influence on China. The two Powers are, therefore, waiting, but not negotiating.
