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for its injection being carried on in China unless the Powers are willing to forbid their manufacture in this country by their respective subjects or citizens; and on the part of His Majesty's Government I beg to assure your Highness that, in the event of an agreement on the part of the Treaty Powers for the end contemplated, no time will be lost in enacting such a prohibition as regards British subjects.
With respect to the proposed duty of 5 per cent. ad valorem, I may observe that the duty imposed on morphia by the Tariff now in operation is 3 Haikwan taels an ounce, which amounts roughly to 200 per cent, ad valorem, and that the high rate of duty is believed to lead to smuggling on a very considerable scale. By reducing the duty, the temptation to frauds on the Imperial Maritime Customs will be removed, and the prevention of smuggling will no doubt be facilitated.
In bringing the foregoing proposals on behalf of His Majesty's Government before your Highness, I have the honour to state that I have addressed to each of my colleagues an unofficial note acquainting them with the conditions on which my Government are willing to consent to the adoption of measures for preventing the importation of morphia, except for medical purposes, and I trust that your Highness will recognize in these proposals a fresh proof of the friendly sentiments entertained by the British Government towards the Chinese Government and people.
I avail, &c. (Signed)
Inclosure 2 in No. 1.
ERNEST SATOW.
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4. That provisions should be made for the importation into China of morphia for medical purposes and of instruments for its administration, in accordance with the conditions laid down in Article XI of the British Treaty, and that on such morphia and instruments a duty not exceeding 5 per cent. ad valorem should be imposed.
I take the liberty of observing with regard to condition (2) that the Chinese Government cannot effectively prevent the manufacture of morphia and instruments for its injection being carried on in China, unless the Powers are willing to forbid their manufacture in this country by their respective subjects or citizens, and on the part of His Majesty's Government, I beg to assure you, sir and dear colleague, that in the event of an agreement on the part of the Treaty Powers to co-operate for the end contemplated, no time will be lost in enacting such a prohibition as regards His Britannic Majesty's subjects.
With respect to the proposed duty of 5 per cent. ad valorem, I may observe that the duty imposed on morphia by the import Tariff now in operation is 3 Haikwan taels an ounce, which amounts roughly to 200 per cent. ad valorem, and that the high rate of duty is believed to lead to smuggling on a very considerable scale. By reducing the duty, the temptation to frauds on the Customs will be removed, and the prevention of smuggling will no doubt be facilitated.
In bringing the foregoing to your notice, I have the honour to state that I have addressed to the Chinese Government an official note informing them of the conditions on which His Britannic Majesty's Government are willing to consent to the adoption of measures for preventing the importation of morphia except for medical purposes. I avail, &c. (Signed) ERNEST SATOW.
Sir and dear Colleague,
Sir E. Satow to Foreign Representatives.
Peking, March 1, 1908. IN the month of July last, the Shanghae Commissioner of Customs issued a notification declaring that the general importation of morphia and of the needles or instruments for hypodermic injection was now prohibited, with the exception that physicians and druggists were at liberty to procure supplies for medical purposes, on payment of duty, under special permit. Such special permits would be granted to all qualified importers on their signing bonds before their Consul guaranteeing that their intended importations of morphia or of instruments for its injection were either for the use of hospitals, or, if for sale, were to be sold only in small quantities, and on receipt of a requisition signed by a duly qualified foreign medical practitioner.
The notification was evidently based on Article XI of the British Commercial Treaty of 1902, and Article XVI of the United States' Treaty for the Extension of Commercial Relations of the 8th October, 1903, but it ignored the further stipulations contained in the former of these, that the Article would not come into operation until all other Treaty Powers had agreed to its conditions, and that the Chinese Government on their side would at once adopt means to prevent the manufacture of morphia in China.
In order to maintain the respect due to Treaty engagements, it became my duty to point out to the Chinese Government the irregularity committed by the Imperial Maritime Customs, and in consequence of my representations they agreed to withdraw the notifications.
His Majesty's Government having thus obtained satisfaction on the point of procedure, are nevertheless desirous of hastening the adoption of the measure contemplated by Article XI of the British Treaty of 1902, which is supplemented as regards the means of hypodermic administration by Article XVI of the American Treaty of 1903, and they have authorized me to inform the Chinese Government that His Majesty's Government would be willing to consent to the prohibition of the entry of morphia and of instruments for its injection into China on the following conditions:----
1. That the Chinese Government should, in the first place, obtain the consent of all the Treaty Powers.
2. That they should take effective measures to prevent the manufacture in China of morphia and of instruments for its injection.
3. That sufficient notice should be given beforehand before the prohibition comes into force, in order that the importers of the drug may be protected from the injury which would result from the measure being sprung upon them.