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appreciated our difficulties, but pleaded that they were helpless to take action.
any
effective
Yesterday his Excellency Liang Tun-yen promised to send a further telegram to the Viceroy, but doubted if it would produce more effect than those which had preceded it.
The enclosed letter from the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce will show the attitude which that body continues to observe with regard to this question, and as the matter is one which affects the interests of Hong Kong, and the Chamber's communications on the subject have been answered through the governor, I am forwarding a copy of this despatch to Sir F. Lugard in order that his Excellency may be in a position to realise how the matter stands.
Inclosure I in No. 1.
I have, &c.
J. N. JORDAN,
Consul-General Jamieson to Sir J. Jordan.
Canton, November 2, 1909.
(No. 114.) Sir,
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch of the 6th October, transmitting copies of certain correspondence on the subject of the restriction imposed locally on the wholesale trade in Indian opium, and instructing me to make further urgent representations to the acting governor-general against this vexatious interference with the still legitimate trade of British firms.
I had, prior to the receipt thereof, addressed a communication to his Excellency in the sense indicated, and I yesterday received his reply thereto. As you will see from the translation enclosed, no reference is made therein to any instructions from the Wai-wa Pu, and the attitude assumed generally is that my interference is
uncalled for.
I have accordingly addressed a further despatch to his Excellency, taking up the ground that the interpretation of the agreement between Great Britain and China for the suppression of opium rests with the representatives of the two Governments, and pointing out that prohibitive measures directed against legitimate British trade are in contravention of treaty engagements.
It is difficult to see what other argument one can employ, as his Excellency is so convinced that he is quite within his rights in dealing with the Chinese opium hongs as he sees fit.
I have to-day sent you a telegram reporting the action taken, which I trust will meet with your approval.
I have, &c.
Your Excellency,
Inclosure 2 in No. 1.
Consul-General Jamieson to Viceroy Yuan.
J. W. JAMIESON.
Canton, October 18, 1909. I HAVE the honour to refer to previous correspondence on the subject of the measures adopted by the provincial authorities for the control and sale of opium, and to inform your Excellency that I have received telegraphic instructions from His Majesty's Minister again to make strong representations with a view to determining the present unsatisfactory condition of affairs at Canton, in so far as the sale of foreign opium is concerned.
My predecessor's despatch of the 24th September traverses certain statements made by the Opium Prohibition Bureau, and I should like to add a few remarks of my own with regard to their report, which was transmitted in your Excellency's communication of the 17th September, 1909.
Paragraph 2 states that the late governor-general ordered all shops, as well as individual buyers, to take out licences.
It is a fact that a proclamation to this effect was issued, but owing to the intervention on the part of His Majesty's Minister, the same was not enforced, and the dealers were informed that they could go on conducting their business as before.
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Hence the latter are quite justified in asserting that no warning was given them, and that the imprisonment of one of their number and the closing of his premises was quite unwarrantable.
Paragraph 3 asserts that ten or more of the raw opium shops were obeying the regulations. Such is not the case. The opium hongs never agreed to the permit system, and were all along selling to buyers without permits. The bureau's contention that the regulations in no way concern foreigners cannot, I feel sure, be endorsed by your Excellency, as your Excellency must be aware that the Chinese Government have let it be clearly understood that they had no intention of interfering with the wholesale trade in foreign opium. Vexatious restrictions, therefore, which result in the complete dislocation of such trade, are contrary to the assurances given by the Imperial Government, and the enforcement thereof might not unreasonably be
construed as a breach of faith.
I have accordingly the honour earnestly to request that your Excellency, in the interests of the friendly relations existing between our two countries, take immediate steps to put a stop to this unwarrantable interference with British trade, and to set at liberty the dealer Liang Chih Hou, of the Ch'uan Fu Chang hong, who was some time ago arrested at the instance of the Opium Prohibition Bureau.
Sir,
Inclosure 3 in No. 1.
I have, &c.
J. W. JAMIESON.
Viceroy Yüan to Consul-General Jamieson,
Canton, October 31, 1909.
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch of the 18th October regarding the regulations restricting the sale of raw opium promulgated by the provincial authorities, in which you inform me that you are in receipt of a telegram from His Majesty's Minister instructing you to see that the restrictions on the sale of foreign opium are removed.
I find that the Opium Prohibition Bureau some time ago ordered all native opium shops to register themselves and take out licences. These regulations were issued, with the Imperial sanction, by the Government Council, to all provinces alike, and were not brought into being in Kwangtung alone. As regards the regulation compelling purchasers of opium to obtain licences before opium may be sold to them, it was issued under Imperial sanction, and the authorities of this province have no power to alter or abrogate it.
In your despatch you assert that "the opium hongs never agreed to the permit system, and were all along selling to buyers without permits." Even if what you say is a fact, it is clear that the Chinese opium hongs infringed the regulations, and the result, namely, the sealing of their shops and the imposition of a fine, is entirely their own fault.
Liang Chil Hou, the proprietor of the Chuan Fu Ch'ang long, was arrested on account of the infringement by that hong of the regulations in that raw opium was improperly sold to persons not duly licensed, and it is impossible that this offence should be condoned.
I have carefully studied the arguments embodied in your despatch, and find that the matter is one solely concerning Chinese merchants, and am surprised that you should be willing to apply for this man's release.
Great Britain has rendered great assistance in the suppression of opium, and has expressed her willingness to reduce the quantity imported from year to year. The Chinese Government is very grateful for this friendly attitude. The regulations, issued and sanctioned by the throne, for making searches and for restricting the trade are of the utmost importance for suppressing the use of opium. The various provincial authorities must therefore exert themselves to the utmost to carry out these regulations, thereby returning the kindness and generosity of your friendly nation.
Should China succeed in rooting out this cancerous growth of many years, it would, I think, be a source of pleasure to your country.
At present foreign merchants may continue to trade in opium with the opium hongs as before, but the searching of native opium shops is a matter concerning
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