COPY.
To
His Excellency
Sir,
Enclosure No. 1.
C.O.
19662
RECH
3 JUN 07
&C...
Sir Matthew Nathan, K.C.M.G.,
Governor, &C.,
Hongkong, July, 1906.
254
At a time when the House of Commons has just passed a resolution "That this House reaffirms its conviction that the Indo-Chinese Opium trade is morally indefensible and requests His Majesty's Government to take such steps as may be necessary for bringing it to a speedy close" it seems to us that it will not be inopportune to present a humble address to Your Excellency, and the Government of this Colony, with reference to the system on which the traffic in Opium is conducted in Hongkong.
But before we do this we would venture to call Your Excellency's attention to the striking consensus of opinion which appears to prevail now in various parts of the world with regard to the use of Opium; in China more than one of the high Officials of the Empire have declared against its use, and have issued, or are about to issue, regulations to check it within their own jurisdictions; and the Viceroy of Nankin has undertaken to present to the Imperial Government a petition against the trade in Opium, which is now in course of signature by the missionaries at work in China.
The Government of Japan absolutely prohibits its use by its own people, and has passed stringent laws in order to eradicate its use from amongst the Chinese resident within its dominions. The Government of the Philippines, after an exhaustive inquiry into the subject conducted by a Commission specially appointed for the purpose, has decided to adopt measures