Translation of an Official Despatch.
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An Official despatch published in the South Chine Journal of the Viceroy of Liang Kiang re the erection of an Opium Monopoly Office.
The Viceroy of Liang Kiang H. E. Tuan sent the following despatch to the Provincial Treasurer at Nanking and Taotai Seng Ding Ling.
I receive the regulations, in connection with the Opium Monopoly, passed by the Bureau of Revenue of Klang Nan that merchants are to be asked to buy the Opium and officials to superintend same and in reply I ordered the erection of an Opium Prohibition Office and an Opium tax office in Nanking and to make the Treasurer at Nanking their superintendent.
In the petition of the Bureau of Revenue it is mentioned that as the quantity of opium in the market is so heavy and it is difficult for the officials to have such a large amount of money to buy the Opium, it seems to be better to give the power of buying to merchants.
The plan is only for the sake of saving money. The prohibition of opium is ordered by our Emperor and in His Majesty's decree the time allowed for further smoking is very short. As I fear the buying of Opium by merchants will cause delay, it is most necessary that Government departments should be erected to buy and sell the Opium in order to fix and to lessen the quantity of opium gradually.
The Opium Tax Office should be thus abolished and be changed into a "Kiang Nan Opium Monopoly Office". I request the Treasurer of Nanking to be the superintendent and the expectant Taotai of Hupeh Seng Ding Ling to manage the office affairs. A sum of Taels 500,000 will be set aside by the Yue Ning Official Bank as Capital of the Office. The Head Office...