Copy.
No.2535/1921.
CONFIDENTIA
Sir,
601
Government House,
Hongkong, 12th August, 1921.
Een 13369
14
A Kon!
I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Confidential despatch of 7th July relating to the seizure of opium on board H.M.S. "Catro", and also of your despatch No.223/119/21 of 18th July on the same subject.
2. The practice of this Government in apportion-
ing rewards to informers for opium seizures is to pay a fixed sum for every tael of opium seized irrespective of the arrest of any owner or of the payment of any fine imposed. It was found that the alternative method tended to encourage perjury by witnesses who were determined to secure convict- ions at any cost. In certain cases of special importance where the actual amount of opium seized is small, a larger amount is occasionally granted as reward,
3. By the terms of section 49(1) of the Opium Ordinance No.4 of 1914 the fines and forfeitures go to the Superintendent of Imports and Exports and are to be disposed of "as the Governor shall direct". This includes the
actual opium forfeited.
4. A quantity of opium was seized some months ago on board H.M,S. "Moorhen" and the usual amount of reward was in due course paid to the Naval Authorities here.
5. The present scale of rewards in Hongkong is
Al per tael of good quality prepared opium and £3 per pound
of
The Officer Administering the Government,
WEIHAI VEI.