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Companies. In section I a slight amendment was carried by a majority, adding the words "exceeding two taels in weight." I did not vote in favour of this but it is of no practical importance; for de minimis non curat lex.
Section 4, after amendment in Committee, is now so worded as to avoid any unnecessary interference with the Opium Farmer's monopoly of sale of prepared Opium during the currency of his Farm. The suspending clause, Sect. 5, was inserted at the desire of the majority of the Unofficial members, who seemed to feel that possibly the Secretary of State's attention having been directed specially to the Steamboat Company's Statement of the position of affairs, some considerations had not been submitted to him.
It seems to me that everything which could be said on the Opium Farmer's side of the question was said by his counsel, and that the Ordinance as passed is not fairly open to the greater part of the criticisms applied to the first draft.
It was because I anticipated great opposition to alterations of the Law during the currency of the existing Farm that I had ventured in my minute of 15th December 1898 to suggest that amendments should take effect when the Farm is next let.
I cannot assume that the Opium Farmer is privy to smuggling transactions which would infringe the Laws and Regulations, and it seems...