Hong Kong is one of the largest ports in the world, over 90 steamers and vessels of all descriptions enter and leave the port in one day, and an enormous Chinese passenger traffic centres here; passengers from Canton, Macao and the cities, towns, villages and bays on the East and West coasts for 300 miles on either side of the Colony passing through Hong Kong in Steamers and Junks. According to the Returns published by the Harbour Department for the year 1893 there departed from Hong Kong during that year 3,387,569 passengers.
Of these, a very large percentage smuggled opium and when passing through the Colony purchased prepared opium in quantities, large or small, for their use on the voyage or for their personal requirements in their boarding houses.
A very valuable portion of the Opium Farmer's privilege consists in the right to sell prepared Opium to such persons and in the fact that the Opium Farmer's Certificate was and is a complete protection to them while in the Colony or in the waters thereof. The Government when granting the Farm well knew that this traffic existed and that it constituted an important part of the business of the Farm and that the supply of prepared opium for the use of the residents in Hong Kong alone, would not enable the Farmer to pay for the privilege the enormous sum of $340,800 per annum.
On the 12th day of April instant there was introduced into and read a first time in the