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a large and fixed lekin tay, the inducement to smuggle is greatly increased, and beyond all doubt
preventive measures will be unable to cope with the daring and Enterprise of smugglers. From time to time China has made Efforts to come to an understanding with the Colony of Hongkong, whereby she might obtain some control over the drug until Imperial revenue was collected, but from the nature of the case nothing Ever came of such proposals, and eventually what has been termed the "blockade of Hong Kong" was established by stationing Revenue cruisers all round the island.
These cruisers have always been a cause of trouble and serious annoyance to the Colony, and no representations have obtained their removal.
My brother was asked if he could suggest any method by which the Chinese Government would overcome its present difficulties and make the collection of the opium revenue fairly certain, and replied that the duty afforded so great an inducement to smuggle that he could only regard it as almost hopeless to suppress smuggling unless control were obtained over the drug until the lekin and import duty were collected; such control could only be obtained by agreement with the Indian Government. When asked if he believed
Treasury