Excerpt from Present-Day Conditions in China: Notes Designed to Show the Moral and Spiritual Claims of the Chinese Empire The object of the following pages is to give in brief outline, not for the specialist but for the general reader, some particulars of the great and rapid movements which are taking place to-day within the Chinese Empire. Nearly every event referred to has happened within the last twelve or fifteen months. This fact alone reveals the rapidity and importance of the changes which are at present in progress. The chapters though only notes are designed to show the claims of China upon the sympathy of those who desire the moral and spiritual welfare of the Empire. If they lead the reader to a more careful and thorough study of one of the greatest movements of history, and to deeper interest in and sympathy with the Chinese people, and to efforts and sacrifice for their evangelisation, the object of this publication will have been realised. Just as we go to press, the Times of April 15 and 16 publish two remarkable telegrams from Dr. Morrison, their correspondent in Peking, stating that the Chinese Government have cancelled the Imperial rescript of March 15, 1899, which granted official rank to the Roman Catholic hierarchy, the priests to rank as prefect and bishops as Viceroy. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.