558
THE HONGKONG
Government Gazette.
Published by Authority.
No. 48.
VICTORIA, SATURDAY, 23RD NOVEMBER, 1872.
VOL. XVIII.
No. 219.
GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.
The following Report from the Commissioners appointed to enquire into the Operation of Ordinance No. 2 of 1858, "for licensing and regulating the Sale of prepared Opium," is published for general information.
By Command,
Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 18th November, 1872.
REPORT.
CECIL C. SMITH, Acting Colonial Secretary.
The Commission appointed by His Excellency SIR ARTHUR KENNEDY to enquire into the working of the Opium Monopoly, and the Operation of Ordinance No. 2 of 1858, beg now to submit their Report.
Judging from the papers submitted to the Commission, it appeared to them that the most important portion of the enquiry was, if possible, to arrive at the quantity of Opium prepared by the Monopolists themselves, or those holding Licences under them, in the course of a year, so as to ascertain whether a sufficient amount was paid towards the revenue of the Colony, commensurate with the amount of Fees collected by them, allowing them, of course, a fair amount for expenses of conducting and protecting their Monopoly, as well as interest and risk of capital necessary for the undertaking. With this view, the first step taken was to collect, as far as they were obtainable, statistics of the export, in the usual authorised manner of prepared Opium, to California, Australia, New Zealand, Honolulu, and various ports on the West Coast of America, where Chinese are located. These statistics, which appear further on in this Report, do not, in the opinion of the Commission, represent the entire quantity exported, as from information gathered from a number of sources, there can be little doubt, but that very considerable quantities are exported in an unauthorised manner, that is to say, concealed among the baggage of Chinese Passengers, to avoid paying freight in the first instance and with a view afterwards of smuggling into the port to which they may be destined; this more particularly applies to California, as from what the Commission have been able to gather, there is but a small quantity taken in that way for the Australian ports.
The Commission then proceeded to examine witnesses consisting of a Chinese, not interested in the Opium trade, but who had means of obtaining information respecting it; a member of the Chinese firm known as WO-HANG, engaged in the Opium trade, and a former lessee of the Monopoly, three members of the firm or guild at present holding the Monopoly, and three members of different Foreign firms, trading in Opium. The figures obtained from the first named source of information, and the witnesses examined, vary considerably and are given as follows:
Extract from Manifests of Steamers and Ships, obligingly furnished by the various Agents in the Colony.
To Australia, in 12 months, Taels 651,600 To California, Taels 446,200 * 50,000 Taels 1,147,800 To Portland, Oregon, Honolulu, Dunedin, Tientsin, &c., about, Total Gross Receipts supposing that Monopolists Fees are duly paid.