The Sun

WRITING THE PROTOCOL.
Difficulties in Making the Chinese and French Languages In the Text Agree.
The Peking correspondent of the Echo de Chine says that the Chinese authorities were much gratified on the Palace of Ancestors being handed over to them by the French military authorities, to find that nothing had been touched and that all the relics of the dynasty had been respected by the French. Among the objects returned to the Chinese were half a million of pearls and the cases with the collection sent to France by Gen. Frey and returned by order of the minister of marine. The correspondent also says that the terms of the final protocol were fixed on August 15. The paper employed was fine Japanese paper, thick and of square form, furnished by the bishopric. The text was written in French and Chinese and long sittings were necessary by Messrs. Morrisse, Campbell and the other interpreters of the legations to resolve the little difficulties resulting from the juxtaposition of the two texts. It is known, in fact, that the Chinese etiquette demanded that the name of the emperor and other great personages should be put at the head of the lines in a manner to be above the context, and this rendered almost impossible an agreement between the two transcriptions. The sensational story about the meetings of the diplomatic corps having been suspended because Britain refused its adhesion to the question of the raising of the customs tariffs, says the Shanghai Mercury, is absolutely without foundation.