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the Viceroy of the Liang Kuang provinces. He was in charge of
all the customs offices in the province of Kuang-tung. The
customs duties and their evasion - concerned him, partly as representing his government, but much more in the interest of his own pocket. Now it was estimated, in 1868, that, owing to smuggling, more than half the import duties on opium were lost to the revenue, and from other evasions of duty the Hoppo's
personal loss was probably much more. It thus became evident, as was announced by Viceroy Jui-lin, in a proclamation dated the 1st July, 1868, that preventive stations were needed along the short land-frontier in the Kowloon peninsular and accordingly "offices for the levy of the tax on opium" were established at kap-sui-mun, at Lyemun and in Kowloon, while the circumjacent waters were patrolled by armed boats. These measures were most obnoxious to the merchants of Hong Kong; and in July, 1868, a petition was presented to Governor Sir R.G.
MacDonnell by 112 Hong Kong firms protesting against this
"direct and high-handed attack upon the commerce of the island"
and stating that the effect was "as though we were at war with
China and the port blockaded". Thenceforwarded this episode
was known as "the blockade of Hong Kong". It lasted many
years and was very detrimental to trade.
3.
In general the Hoppo's right to take these preventive measures was admitted both by the British Legation at Peking and by the British Foreign Office. But whatever the
abstract right in the matter, a Chinese administration is
always attended by abuses, from intention or laxity of procedure
and these forced themselves on the notice of the Hong Kong
Community and intensified the objection to "the blockade".
T'o
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