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 No agreement could be reached as to the audience, and Mr. Ward was told that consequently no other business could be transacted at the capital. He claimed that, as the British treaty provided for the exchange of its ratifications at Peking, under the most favored nation treatment he was entitled to have the American treaty exchanged there also. But the Chinese answered that the British treaty was not yet in force, and hence its privileges could not be availed of by other powers. As the American treaty was silent respecting the place of exchange, Mr. Ward was forced to accept the Chinese proposal to make the exchange of ratifications at the mouth of the Peiho.

The commissioners, however, agreed to one exception to the resolution to allow no business to be transacted by Mr. Ward at the capital. The President's autograph letter to the emperor, which should have been delivered at the audience that never took place, was upon the emperor's appointment received by Kweiliang, one of the treaty commissioners, who, Mr. Ward writes, was "the emperor's prime minister, and the second man in the empire to the emperor himself. It was received by him with every mark of respect—elevating it above his eyes, he placed it upon a table, under a guard of honor, until it could be conveyed to the emperor."

The minister and his suite, while outwardly treated with civility, were kept virtually as prisoners during their stay at the capital, their quarters being guarded by soldiers, and no one permitted to communicate with them. Anticipating the visit to Peking, the Secretary of State had solicited of the Russian government the