protested against the passing of the said Bill in any shape or form during the pendency of their. the said Bill if passed into law largely curtailing their rights and privileges and recently diminishing to a very serious extent the number of persons who would purchase prepared opium from them
their brew.
during the remaining 10 months of
behoove
The said Bill was introduced and passed into law on the complaint of the owners of certain steamers running between Hong Kong and Canton and that they were exposed to serious risk of seizure and detention, fine, and even of the forfeiture of their steamers with the loss of their trading privileges at Canton, because of the presence on board the said steamers of prepared opium, which was not entered on the manifest of the steamer as
and that the Open Yachts were interested in and actively participant in the smuggling of prepared opium into China.
This complaint on the part of these claimants was received and entertained and accepted as true and unquestionable without any opportunity being given your Memorialists, whose character was at stake and whose interests were
character was
seriously affected, of being heard in their own justification and defence or for the protection of their rights and interests. The Bill to amend the Prepared Opium Ordinance 1891 was prepared