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contrary to the provisions of the agreement of the 8th May, 1911, the Wai-chiao Pu in a memorandum dated the 13th August, communicated the denial of the Kiangsi tutu that such restrictions had been imposed, and suggested that His Majesty's consul at Kiukiang could no doubt verify this.
A copy of the Wai-chiao Pu's memorandum was duly forwarded to His Majesty's consul at Kiukiang, who now reports that the statements of the Kiangsi tutu, which have also been made to him direct, are not in accordance with the facts.
Although it is true that the import of foreign opium into Kinkiang is permitted, its sale in the interior of the province is rendered impossible by the application of the new regulations, so much so, that since the 12th July no Indian opium has been delivered from bond at that port.
His Majesty's Minister is surprised that a simple perusal of the regulations them- selves (enclosed in his memorandum of the 26th June) was not sufficient to convince the Wai-chiao Pu that they infringed the provisions of the opium agreement, and that it was therefore the duty of the Ministry to insist on immediate steps being taken to exclude the trade in Indian opium from their operation. The Wai-chiao Pu, however, appear content to accept any excuse put forward by the provincial authorities.
In the first place, these regulations are promulgated by the provincial authorities and not by the Chinese Government, as required by article 7 of the opium agreement.
To restrict the transport of Indian opium to the places where official sale shops. have been established (regulation 3) is an infringement of the additional article to the Chefoo convention, under which such opium may be conveyed under customs transit certificate to any desired destination in the interior.
The imposition of a tax of one-sixth of the market value of an ounce on Indian opium in the port of Kinkiang (regulation 19) is an infringement of article 7 of the opium agreement. That such a tax is levied is proved by the copies of tax receipts enclosed herewith.
The fixing by the tutu, on his own authority alone, of a date for the prohibition of the import of Indian opium into the province of Kiansi (regulation 9) is an infringe- ment of article 3 of the opium agreement.
Apart from these obvious infringements of treaty in the regulations themselves, His Majesty's consul at Kiukiang reports that on the 2nd June the anti-opium bureau of the Ting-nan district in Kiangsi province seized a shipment of twenty-five packages of Malwa opium bearing customs certificates imported from Swatow by the Yueh Yü firm. The importer was arrested, and 540 dollars taken from him, while the bureau confiscated the opium and imposed a fine of 1,000 dollars.
Again, on the 11th August, Yen Hui-tê, of the Shêng Sheng Ho opium firm in Nanchang, was arrested, and twelve unbroken packages of Indian opium bearing customs certificates found in his possession were confiscated.
These flagrant violations of the additional article to the Chefoo convention have both been brought to the notice of the tutu, but no redress has been obtained.
His Majesty's Minister must therefore request the Wai-chiao Pu to send telegraphic instructions to the Tutu of Kiangsi without delay, requiring him to issue a clear notification that the anti-opium regulations recently promulgated in that province do not apply to Indian opium, and directing him to release the opium dealers referred to, and to return to them the monies and fines wrongfully exacted together with the opium wrongfully confiscated.
The action of the provincial officials in Chekiang in similar cases led to the formulation of claims for damages against the Republican Government, and Sir John Jordan would earnestly beg the Wai-chiao P'u to take such steps in this instance as will obviate the necessity for similar claims in the case of the province of Kiangsi,
Peking, September 5, 1912.
[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
C, O.
OPIUM.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[40494]
Sir,
No. 1.
33132
REG 21 OCT 12
(September 27.]
SECTION 1.
India Office to Foreign Officc.-(Rervived September 27.)
India Office, September 26, 1912.
I AM directed by the Secretary of State for India in Council to enclose, for the information of the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, a copy of a telegram from the Government of India regarding a reported Chinese Anti-Opium Bill, and to inquire whether any information on the subject has reached your department. If not, I am to suggest that inquiry might be made of His Majesty's Ambassador at Peking. The matter is of considerable urgency.
&c.
(Telegraphic.)
Enclosure in No. 1.
I
am,
LIONEL ABRAHAMS.
Government of India to the Marquess of Crewe,
September 24, 1912.
Have you any
PEKIN National Council is reported to have passed second reading Anti-Opium Bill for entire suppression of the opium trade, end of next year. information on the subject?
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