Parkes and his companions. In these trying circumstances the tact and resource of Prince Kung won the admiration of his opponents, but the occasion did not admit of any concessions. Prince Kung returned those prisoners who had survived their ill-treatment, for which some expiation was exacted in the destruction of the Summer Palace, and surrendered one of the gates of the capital. Residences in the city were assigned to Lord Elgin and his French colleague and the Hall of Ceremonies was appointed for the exchange of the ratified copies of the treaty. This act was accomplished on Oct. 24th, and a fortnight later the whole allied force was withdrawn from Peking, leaying Sir Frederick Bruce as the first British Minister at the Chinese Court to arrange with Prince Kung the conduct of diplomatic relations. A new department, called the Tsung-li Yamên, was formed, and opened its doors with the year 1861, under the presidency of Prince Kung. Some few months later Prince Kung was called upon to deal with a graye dynastic crisis caused by the death of his brother Hsien Fêng. Two of the Princes, together with the Minister 肅順 Su Shun, seized the Regency, to the exclusion of the Empress Dowager and Prince Kung; but as the Imperial funeral procession neared Peking, the conspirators were promptly arrested. Su Shun was executed, and the Princes were allowed to commit suicide. For his services in this matter Prince Kung was appointed President of the Imperial Clan Court and received the title of 議政. Not long afterwards he experienced his first rebuff at the hand of fortune. On the 2nd April 1865 an edict appeared stating that he was dismissed from his posts "for having overrated his own importance." Five weeks later he was re-instated in all his offices except that of President of the Council. He experienced a second rebuff in the year 1874, when his nephew, the Emperor T'ung Chih, degraded him, nominally for "using language in very many respects unbecoming," but really
