Show the clr to abron the birth of an heir to the chinese throne at this time is an event of more than ordinary importance to the peace of the empire kuang hsu is the first emperor of the present dynasty whose right of occupancy is not upon actual descent his predecessor tung chih died childless in 1875 after a reign of only one year ho left several brothers all having children among whom a strife at once arose as to the succession after several weeks of contention and intrigue a compro-mise was effected by which the young widowed empress and her unborn child were put to death and the present em-peror then two years old and the son of the seventh prince who was a was a brother of tung chih and him belf one of the contestants for the throne was chosen by a family council IB order to correct tho succession the dead emperor was supposed to adopt this infant as his eon and successor and an imperial decree to that effect was promulgated throughout the em wire kuang HRU has been an invalid prom his birth and his death at any time would occasion no surprise individualities |