His Majesty's Government, the magnitude of our dealings in that principal article of import, which is to the extent of much over one half (estimated at a value of £6,043,000 per annum) of the trade itself, presume, ample justification for our assuming to address Your Excellency on a subject of such grave importance, not only concerning our governing interest, but as a matter in no lesser degree affecting also the future prosperity of the Colony itself in which we are interested.
2. There seems to exist considerable misconception regarding the Opium trade of this port, of which the Home Government are perhaps consequently under the presumption that they lack the means of obtaining accurate details of the traffic to enable them to form a correct opinion of the validity of the arguments adduced in support of the proposed Measure. We are constrained...