2. Do they keep up any preventive service, or incur any expense for the purpose of protecting their rights, or do they use any other means than those employed in England by holders of Spirits licences for their protection?
The present holders of Licences do not keep any preventive service, nor in any way incur any expense to protect their privilege - neither do they trouble themselves about it. Only in two instances have they given information to the Police of illicit trading. Under the former system expiring July 1847, a preventive Service was maintained by the holders of the License.
3. Is the Salt brought here sold on the coast or in the River and is the certificate of weight given by the licensed weigher here of importance to the Junks?
3. Almost all the salt is shipped from the East and West Coast, those with Port Cargo Clearances take it direct to Canton, those without such Port Clearances cannot take it and it is brought to Houghing or the Taipa for sale to smugglers, the latter take it through the Bocca Tigris Westward to Showan in Shuntak district, some is taken to Whampoa in lorcha and some to Tong-Koong, and Tseung-sheang district. The Certificate of weight given here is merely a receipt for so much money for a certain quantity of salt, which is given by the seller, the weight being marked on the certificate. This certificate or receipt may be of use in Houghtong but it cannot be of any service to the smuggler inside the Bocca Tigris, Chinese would not purchase on the faith of any document.
4. Are any of the Stalls in the markets assessed?
4. The whole of the property in the markets is assessed: if the Stalls...