[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
[August 17122648
OPIUM.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[29925]
No. 1.
SECTION CO
Reet 16 SEP 10
Sir,
China Association to Foreign Office.--(Received August 17.)
159, Cannon Street, London, August 15, 1910. IN pursuance of my letter of the 24th June last on the subject of the imposition of illegal taxation on opium at Canton, to which in your reply you stated that the Wai-wu Pu had undertaken to inform the Canton Viceroy that His Majesty's Government could not accept any regulations which enforced an additional duty on raw foreign opiura in a treaty port, my committee regret to learn that this official communication has been absolutely disregarded.
Not only has the Viceroy of the Two Kwang turned a deaf ear to the injunctions of the Wai-wu Pu, but has permitted the extension of the new monopoly, as will be seen by the following telegram received from the association's branch in Hong Kong
แ
Opium monopolists extending scope operation. For instance, office established near Lappa customs station imposing tax raw opium duly labelled in accordance with terms Cheloo convention. Similar agencies other customs stations agents adopting increasing harsh methods. Latest instance reported, two chests raw opium, duty (li-kin) paid here, seized in transit; owner of apprehended sent fettered Canton; obliged undertake to pay heavy fine escape imprisonment. Strong protest lodged by the consul-general yesterday. Urge Foreign Office actively support."
My committee understand that the Chinese Government have deputed an official to discuss the whole question with His Majesty's chargé d'affaires at Peking, and, in connection with this measure, a further telegram has been received from Hong Kong, in which it is urged that His Majesty's Goverment should demand the abolition of the new levy and monopoly pending the result of the discussion of the whole question of the conditions under which the opium trade is to be carried on during the remainder of the decennial period agreed upon for the gradual extinction of the traffic.
In view of the enormous losses, estimated by the opium merchants to be not less than 8,000,000 dollars (vide copy of letter enclosed), my committee most strongly endorse the request made by the Hong Kong branch. While it is certain that the Indian Government have fulfilled their share of the compact for decreasing the output of the drug, there are, as yet, only general reports with regard to the reduction of the area under poppy cultivation in China, and, though there is little doubt that this has been very considerable in some provinces, it would be well to wait for the results of Sir Alexander Hosie's investigations before accepting vague estimates or travellers' tales. In the meantime, it is only the barest justice that British merchants who have purchased the opium from the Indian Government on the faith of treaty stipulations should be protected from undeserved loss by their wanton infraction.
I have, &c.
G. JAMIESON, Vice-Chairman.
Enclosure in No. 1.
Sir,
Messrs. E. D. Sassoon and Co. to Acting Colonial Secretary Clementi, Hong Kong.
Hong Kong, July 4, 1910. WE have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 30th ultimo quoting an extract from a despatch received by his Excellency the Officer Administering the Government from His Britannic Majesty's consul-general in Canton.
We cannot agree with the statement made by Mr. Jamieson that the tax sought to On the be enforced in 1902-3 was of totally different nature to the present one. contrary, that of 1902 was in every respect similar, while a reference to the proclamation issued in 1903 would show that our grounds for objection were then not as strong as
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