three years -
An important financial Change of this nature should not be made without giving the Secretary of State an opportunity of expressing an opinion on the proposed scheme, just as a matter of course that you should inform them that the matter has not been brought before us without allowing copy notice wrong the consideration of this question to be deferred until a period of the year which prevents your being placed in possession and acting upon my views, before the termination of the present License.
In the difficulty of an earlier period, Letter... the case, ...
have that accautioncel I have thought it best to Telegraph to you in the following words - Instead of Auction call for tenders for open Monopoly for one, two, three or four years. Do not accept longer terms unless considerably in advance of that offered for the shorter period.
My reason for adopting this course is that I find that the revenue derived from the Opium Monopoly has increased from $72188 in 1866 to $118444 in 1871 and I therefore hesitate to sanction the proposal to lease the Monopoly for three years.
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