For

the Police force..

I have the honor to be, My Lord.

Your Ladyship's most obedient

humble Servant,

H. S. Berkeley
Acting Colonial Secretary

Red.

D

Governor!

may

Date.

Hong Kong, 10th March 1873

W58 No 3717

No. 58 Date 1873 Mar 10 Last previous Paper No. 2295

DESPATCH.

RECEIVED

18 APR 1873

Opium Monopoly. Straits Settlements. Observations & states reasons for having leased the Farm to Si Pak Cheong.

No. 401 Date 22 From Governor To Earl of Kimberley

Ans 2054 April 30. 1873

Av. Meade

(Minutes.)

I cannot quite follow Sir A. Kennedy's arguments in favour of the course which

has been adopted.

The highest tender received was from an independent merchant and

is $14,800 in excess of any other offer. The tender is made for one or more years. After one year, the Government

had been accepted for entering into an arrangement with the farmer

for a period of 3 years on giving $16,000 more for the 2nd year & $12,000 for the 3rd. — J. M. Kennedy.

The object in making this arrangement appears to be to break down a combination, as he terms it, which

had held the monopoly for a long period

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