110
metropolitan and provincial officials civil or mili-
tary, substantive or expectant, of high or low grade,
who are addicted to opium shall be placed under the
supervision of a delegate appointed by their super-
iors and be directed to present a true statement of
the facts of their case; and without consideration
as to whether their craving for opium is heavy or
slight, they will be given six months within which
At the expiry of to give up the habit altogether.
this period they must apply for an officer to be ap-
pointed to examine them again, and enter into a bond,
which will be filed. If they become seriously ill
and fail to break off the habit within the stipulat-
ed time they may represent the facts to their super-
iors; in which case any hereditary title they may
possess will be transferred according to the proper
rules of succession to another to hold, and if they
are officials they will be retired with whatever
rank they may be holding.
they are holding back the facts and infringing this
rule by means of deception, they must be impeached
If it be discovered that
and degraded, as a warning against any such trifling
and deceit.
If the superior authorities are lax in examining
they shall be reported to the Throne for the determi-
nation of a penalty.
Further, all teachers and scholars in any schools
or colleges and officers and warrant officers of the
army or navy who are addicted to opium shall be dis-
missed within three months.
Article X. To enter into negotiations for the
prohibition of the import of foreign opium in order to
close the sources of supply.
The prohibition of the growth of opium and of its
consumption is a measure of internal policy which we
are justified in taking without further circumspec-
tion. But the question of foreign opium, which is
imported from other countries, impinges on our foreign
relations, and the Imperial commands should therefore
be sought to direct the Board of Foreign Affairs to
make a satisfactory arrangement with the British Min-
ister with a view to affecting an annual decrease with-
and
in
}