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[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
C O 12402
OPIUM.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[March 25.3
523 APR 12
SECTION T
[12622]
(No. 35.) Sir,
No. 1.
Sir A. Hardinge to Sir Edward Grey.--(Received March 25.)
Lisbon, March 11, 1912. I HAVE the honour to report that I embodied in a note to the Portuguese Govern- ment the contents of your despatch No. 9 of the 13th ultimo, on the subject of the shipment of Indian opium from Singapore for Macao, to the effect that it had been decided to instruct the Governor of the Straits Settlements to prohibit the export of opium to Macao except on a certificate from the Portuguese consul at Singapore that it was required for the use of the Government opium farmer; and I did not fail to request that this decision might be brought to the knowledge of the Government of Macao.
reply from the I have now the honour to transmit herewith translation of a Portuguese Government, which states the destination of the 460 chests referred to in your despatch, and expresses the opinion that there is no reason for maintaining the prohibition of the export of opium from Singapore for Macao, as all suspicion of smuggling can be eliminated if the authorities in Singapore demand, for every shipment of opium to Macao, the production by the Portuguese consul of a certificate of the licence issued by the Governor of Macao.
I have, &c.
ARTHUR H. HARDINGE.
(Translation.) M. le Ministre,
Enclosure in No. 1.
Senhor Vasconcellos to Sir A. Hardinge.
Lisbon, March 5, 1912. WITH reference to the note which your Excellency was good enough to address to me on the 21st ultimo, I have the honour to inform you that, according to telegraphic information received from the Governor of Macao, the opium farmer there imported, via Singapore, 460 chests of Indian opium during the last four months, of which 180 were destined for local consumption and 130 for re-exportation to Mexico and Panamá, and 150 remaining in deposit under the superintendence of the Government.
The said governor asserts that no quantity of this opium entered Hong Kong or the Straits Settlements clandestinely; and he declares that smuggling into China seems to him to be impossible owing to the measures of supervision adopted, which are identical with those exercised at Hong Kong.
In view of this information I consider that there is no reason to maintain the recently imposed prohibition at Singapore on the exportation of opium for Macao, and I beg that your Excellency will bring to the notice of your Government the fact that, in order to remove any and all suspicion of smuggling in the opium trade between these British and Portuguese colonies, it is sufficient that the authorities of Singapore shall demand, for every shipment of opium exported to Macao, the production by the Portuguese consul, of a certificate of the licence issued by the governor of the latter colony.
I avail, &c.
AUGUSTO DE VASCONCELLOS.
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