agree

with the last words of

Mr Shibly'

Minute Thinke

suggest

ourthing

this complianculers

No. 418.

Hongkong.

reference.

Where poapetest clothing for p

Bd.

17.1

I think they have earned the compliment

I tossuld pay it to them

7

CPF

at ace

C.0.

475

039

11 JA 05

Government House,

Hongkong, 12th. December, 1904.

See

sir.

4-0555

With reference to my telegram of the 30th. ultimo, I have now the honour to report the circumstances in which the fee for the Hongkong Opium Farm which was let at $185,000 per mensem for three years from the 1st. March has been reduced to $170,000 per mensem for the 28 months commencing on the 1st. November, 1904.

2. Last June the Opium Farmers began to fall seriously in arrear in respect of their payments due on the 1st. of each month in advance, and increasing difficulty was experienced in obtaining these payments up to the month of September when the Farmers through their Solicitors applied for a reduction in the letter of which a copy is enclosed.

3. In this letter the Solicitors for the Opium Farmers put forward their reasons for the losses which they alleged their clients had suffered. The first was that the legislation in respect of Compounds of Opium, which formed the subject of my Despatch No. 361 of the 6th. of October was inadequate. Nevertheless, it is the fact that when the draft Bill in its final form was shown to the Solicitors of the Farmers by the Attorney-General in September, the only suggestion...

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

ALFRED LYTTELTON, K.C., M.P.,

Sec...

800-

800..

.....

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