459
despatch No.139. of the 4th. July
are equally inadmissible.
8. The importation of arms and
munitions of war from Hongkong to
China can be dealt with by pro-
clamation under a colonial ordi-
nance and the only practical dif-
ficulty appears to be that of
protecting the opium revenue.
After careful consideration
of the question Her Majesty's
Government have come to the
conclusion that the easiest and.
most practical solution of the
difficulty, and that which af-
fords the best means of ful-
filling their pledge to the
Chinese Government, would be
the establishment of a system
whereby the Chinese Customs duties
on opium imported into China from
Hong Kong, including the new
extension, should be actually
collected by the Government of
Hong Kong the whole proceeds
after deductions of the expenses
of collection being paid over
to the Chinese Government. This
would involve regulations under
which all opium imported into
the Colony must be imported in
bond, and none exported except
out of bond. It should at the
same time be stipulated that the
Chinese Customs Stations and
Officers must be removed from
the Colony and leased territory
or its immediate vicinity, in
order to prevent a repetition of
the difficulties and annoyances
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