Copy.
Enclosure No. 19.
198
ir
Letter from Optum duild, Canton, to British Merchants, HongKong.
This is respectfully to state that it is difficult to describe
porda
the distrubance and harm caused to the general position by
Wing Un conspiring with outsiders and undertaking the management
of the Licence Monopoly. Yesterday we heard that when the British
Consul saw Taotai Hul, the Director of the Bureau for the Suppression
of Opium, he enquired only about the mode of levying (the fees); Taotai
Hui informed him that the levy was made on prepared opium. The Consul
did not say a word in opposition in regard to the fact that the lavy
as stated in the notice is a levy before the purchase (of opium) which
is in contravention of the Treaty. He only asked 2 or 3 questions
and immediately took his leave. This is due to the clerk in the
Consulate having received bribes and deceived the Consul, The notice
of the Bureau for Suppression of Opium atates that the purchaser of
raw opium for preparation is to furnish a security for the payment of
the fee levied according to the quantity to be prepared. It also
states that the various Prepared opium shops and smokers when purchasing
raw opium must first come to the Kwong Wing Un General Office of the
said Merchants to be entered in a register and to obtain a permit for preparing opium; the Board will further fill up and issue a permit
for purchasing raw opium before the raw opium purchased can be taken
away; and all is to be converted into prepared opium within the limit
by of 3 days, &C. What is meant "according to the quantity of opium to
be prepared ?". That is if a ball of opium is purchased, the said Company will reckon it at 50% which equals to 24 taels and the sum to be levied 18 $ 7.20. What is meant by "furnish a security for the
payment ?" These 2 words "furnish security" do not mean that security ) by a shop or person is required. What is actually required is that the sum levied is to be paid first as security before the permit for purchasing raw opium is filled up and issued, which means that money is paid first before the raw opium is purchased. The levy is made not at the time of purchase of raw opium but actually before. It is only a case of stuffing one's ears and stealing a bell (met. delusion). With
:
regard