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19.
Indeed if the legal advisers of the Opium Farmers were not of the same opinion it seems strange that they should not have sued the Government for breach of contract instead of referring the matter to the Secretary of State.
20. The Opium Farmers have standing solicitors and counsel and are usually ready enough to fight any case in Court when they conceive it to their advantage to do so.
21. I understand that after the expiry of the present grant compliance with all necessary sanitary requirements will be ensured by the conditions under which Divan Licences will be granted by the Colonial Secretary, but see no reason why in the meantime these Divans are to be allowed to indulge in overcrowding dangerous alike to the persons who frequent them and to the health of the community.
22. If the present Divans cannot suitably accommodate all their customers there is nothing to prevent new ones being opened although of course this may involve additional expense.
23. With regard to the Petition to the Legislative Council this was read by Mr. Whitehead and although Counsel was not heard the Petition itself fully set forth the case of the Petitioners.
24. As regards the prayer of the Petition to the Secretary of State, this is founded upon what, I trust, I have shown is the baseless assumption that Bye Law No. 3 is at once illegal having regard to the grant, and unfair in its requirements.
25. In conclusion I may add that the report of my speech in the Legislative Council set forth in the Daily Press of May 4th.
19.
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