The Government has once more found it necessary to apply
strong pressure to the Chinese Court. Two English mission- aries were recently murdered in Hunan, either with the con- nivance of the local Mandarins or through their neglect, and Sir E. Satow demanded redress. The Chinese professed the deepest regret, and executed a few " men of no account," but none of the officials were punished or removed. Sir E. Satow therefore refused to attend an Imperial reception at the Summer Palace, which was attended by all the other Ambas- sadors, assigning as his reason the failure of the Court to do justice, and has, moreover, ordered four armed steamers to Hankow to bring the local authorities to reason. All these steps appear justified, and there is little doubt that the Chinese will yield; but the constant repetition of such incidents is most regrettable. We must defend the lives of our subjects and enforce the treaties which protect them; but we appear unable to devise any permanent means of doing it. We cannot reach even the purses, much less the persons, of the great officials responsible, and they do not care how much their subordinates or their subjects may suffer for their negligence.
