2
to Treaty regulation, and I have therefore the honour to request your Excellency to telegraph without delay to the Governor of Kiangsi requesting him to abolish it.
I have, &c. (Signed) JAMES SCOTT
Inclosure 3 in No. 1.
Petition from Kan-chou Fu Opium Merchants.
CONFIDENTIAL.
No. 1.
SECTION 1.
241
Consul-General Scott to the Marquess of Lansdowne.~(Received July 30.)
Canton, June 27, 1903.
I HAVE the honour to inclose herewith copy of my despatch No. 21 of the instant to His Majesty's Chargé d'Affaires at Peking, reporting the establishment by the provincial authorities at Kiangsi of a new opium li-kin station at Kan-chou Fu,
SEVERAL firms of Kan-chou (Kiangsi), raw opium merchants, petition concerning a breach of Treaty by an increase in the opium tax, and beg the Consul-General to send a telegram with a view to abolishing the tax, and thus relieve traders in their difficulty.
We, the petitioners, have been dealing in opium at Kan-chou city, in Kiangsi. All of it came via the North River, in Kuang-tung Province, to its destination. Up to the present all has gone on quietly, and there has been no difficulty. Now a "wei-yüan" has come to Kan-chou, with orders from his superiors to collect a levy on foreign opium at the rate of 1 K'u-p'ing silver tael on every tael ounces of opium. The title "Subscription on Prepared Opium" would be appropriate, but for the fact that at Kan-chou there are no prepared opium shops, and therefore it is really a tax on unprepared opium.
I have, &c. (Signed) JAMES SCOTT.
Inclosure 1 in No. 1.
Consul-General Scott to Mr. Townley.
Canton, June 24, 1903.
By the Convention of Chefoo of the 13th day of September, 1876, "opium is to be free from any further tax or duty whilst in transport in the interior, provided the packages have not been opened, and that the Customs seals, marks, and numbers on the packages have not been effaced or tampered with.
Now, as this method of taxing at Kan-chou is on packages that have not yet been opened, it is evidently a new tax, and contrary to Treaty; and so we have to come together to beg you to help us in our need, and to telegraph soon to the Kiangsi Governor to countermand the whole levy, and so reassure merchants, which will be a good and fitting action.
We are, &c.
It would appear that a considerable quantity of opium finds its way from Canton to the provinces adjoining Kuang-tung on the north, traversing the main route through the well-known Mei-ling Pass. Hitherto, opium duly sealed and stamped has been allowed to circulate without further tax while the packages were unopened and passing from province to province. But the Kiangsi authorities would now appear to have devised a new tax styled the "prepared opium charge," and have appointed an officer at Kan-chou to collect the same. I have made careful inquiries, and find that there are no boiling establishments whatever at Kan-chou; and that this place is selected solely for its convenience in seizing and dealing with opium as it leaves Kuang-tung.
So far I have had no reply from the Viceroy beyond a formal acknowledgment of my letter, informing me that he had communicated with the Governor of Kiangsi by telegraph as requested.
Under the circumstances, I beg to lay the whole facts before you for such action as you may consider necessary, only adding that I see no hope of the Kiangsi Government giving a favourable reply to my representations through the Canton Viceroy.
I have, &c. (Signed) JAMES SCOTT.
Inclosure 2 in No. 1.
Consul-General Scott to Viceroy.
Canton, June 17, 1903.
I BEG to call your Excellency's attention to the fact that a Chinese official has established himself at Kan-chou Fu, in Kiangsi, on the borders of Kuang-tung and is there levying an impost on foreign opium under the designation of "prepared opium tax" ("kao-chuan”).
Foreign opium that reaches Kan-chou comes from Canton, and there are no boiling establishments at the place. Clearly, therefore, this new impost is contrary...