清同治四年、五年,即1865、1866年,时任清政府海关总税务司的英国人赫德(Robert Hart,1835—1911),和时任英国驻华使馆参赞的威妥玛(Thomas F.Wade,1818—1895),先后向清政府总理衙门提交《局外旁观论》和《新议略论》两项文件。《局外旁观论》以为,中国的“外情”如边界、传教、通商诸项,都已与外国订有条约,如照约办事,则“内情”得以“民化而国兴”;如不照办,则不免有动兵之举,国乱之灾。他提出迅速解决潮州进城问题和田兴恕问题,又提出中国学外国铸钱、造船制车、制电机等事。威妥玛的《新议略论》认为,中外能否长保和好,全看中国能否“内改政治、外笃友谊”。他恫吓说,如各国的“要务”受险,就难免干预保全,如此,则中华天下将不能一统自主。易危为安之道,在于速借新法,兴利除弊,求与外国和睦,实行遣使,开设铁路、电线,开采五金煤炭等。赫德,特别是威妥玛的文件,引起了清朝统治集团内部一阵惊扰。当时,太平天国中央政权虽已复灭,但余部和捻军的斗争 Qing Tongzhi four years, five years, that is, 1865, 1866, then the Qing government’s Department of Customs and Excise Department of the British Hart (Robert Hart, 1835-1911), and then the British Embassy Counselor Thomas F. Wade, 1818-1895), successively submitted two documents entitled “On-Board Observation” and “New Proposal” to the Qing Government’s Yamen. “Off-site bystanderism” thinks that all the “extramarital affairs” in China, such as borders, preachers, and traders, have already made treaties with foreign countries. Guoxing “If you do not follow the example, you can not help but move the troops, the chaos of the disaster. He proposed that the issue of entering the city into the city and the question of Tian Xingshu be solved promptly. He also suggested that China should learn from foreign countries such as casting money, making shipbuilding vehicles, and making electric machines. Wertmah’s New Proposal holds that whether China and the United States can maintain peace and keep an eye on whether China can change its political ties with its foreign counterparts can change the country’s internal relations. He intimidated that if all countries are ”insured", they will inevitably intervene in the preservation. In this way, the Chinese world will not be able to exercise autonomy. Vulnerable to be on the road, is to speed by the new law, Hing benefit disadvantages, seeking peace with foreign countries, the implementation of deportation, the establishment of railways, wires, mining hardware coal. Hurd, and especially the documents of Waitot, caused a burst of disturbances within the Qing ruling clique. At that time, although the central government of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom was extinguished, the struggle between the remnants and the Nien army