50
Enclosure 2.
C.0
57976
ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE.
5 NOV OF
Hongkong,
27th September, 1904.
Report on Ordinance No.10 of 1904.
I have examined the accompanying Ordinance, entitled
An Ordinance to amend The Prepared Opium Ordinance, 1891,
and I am of opinion that the Ordinance is one which is not contrary to
the Governor's Instructions.
The object of this Ordinance is to regulate the sale of
compounds of opium, especially opium pills and opium wine,
and to bring such articles under contribution to the opium
revenue. Such articles have hitherto, owing to the language of
the definition of prepared opium in the principal Ordinance,
escaped any tax or royalty; and apparently the consumption of
such articles has considerably increased of late, to the loss
of the Opium Farmer.
While affording the Opium Farmer proper protection, the
Ordinance preserves the trade in compounds of opium. It pro-