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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
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C.O. 882
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Enclosure 10 in No. 27.
EXTRACT FROM MINUTES OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.
Wednesday, February 22, 1893.
Present:
His Excellency the Governor (Sir C. C. Smith, G.C.M.G.)
His Excellency the General Officer Commanding (Sir C. Warren, G.C.M.G., K.C.B.) The Hon. the Colonial Secretary (W. E. Maxwell, C.M.G.)
The Hon. the Resident Councillor, Penang (A. M. Skinner, C.M.G.)
The Hon. the Resident Councillor, Malacca (D. F. A. Hervey, C.M.G.)
The Hon. the Attorney-General (J. W. Bonser.)
The Hon. the Colonial Treasurer (E. E. Isemonger.)
The Hon. the Auditor-General (H. Trotter.)
The Hon. the Colonial Engineer (H. E. McCallum, R.E., C.M.G.)
His Excellency the Governor informs the members that he has summoned this meeting specially for the consideration of the Secretary of State's Despatch of the 9th April 1892, on the subject of the opium farming system.
His Excellency reads the Secretary of State's Deepatch to the Governor of Hong Kong, of the 9th April 1892, and lays before the Council minutes on the correspondence which have been written by the General Officer Commauding, Colonial Secretary, Resident Councillor, Malacca, Treasurer, Auditor-General (as Acting Resident Councillor, Penang), and Colonial Engineer, and by Mr. Harwood, as Acting Attorney- General, and Mr. O'Brien, as Acting Auditor-General.
It is decided to divide the question into three branches for discussion.
(1.) The farming system.
(2.) Restriction of consumption.
(3.) Opium smoking shops.
As to (1.) The farming system.
The Resident Councillor, Penang, is at first inclined to think that the Government could manage the business as well as the farmers can; but, after he has heard the dis- cussion that takes place and the opinions of the other members, he does not press his opinion.
The Attorney-General thinks that, if revenue is to be raised from opium, the farming system is probably the best for collecting it; but at the same time he points out that getting so much of the revenue from opium places the finances of the Colony in a precarious position.
The general opinion is that the farming system is by far the best, and in fact the only practicable, system; that no advantage could be gained by the Government taking over the business, but, on the contrary, there would be great disadvantages. The Govern- ment would be unable to deal with smuggling and illicit traffic in the same way as the farmers, and there would be consequently a great loss of revenue, without any restriction of consumption, and also great risk of corruption among the servants of Government.
As to (2.) Restriction of consumption. The question whether it the maximum price at which chandu may be sold is discussed.
advisable to raise
The Resident Councillors of Penang and Malacca, the Treasurer, and Auditor- General are opposed to increasing the price, the Resident Councillor, Penang, considering that it would drive Chinese out of the Colony. The Colonial Engineer thinks the price might be raised a little. The Attorney-General would raise it a little if it could be done without danger. The Colonial Secretary thinks the limit should be fixed as high as possible, having regard to what is going on around us in other countries. He is not prepared to say now whether, in this view, it is possible to raise the present limit. The General Officer Commanding concurs with the Colonial Secretary.
As to (3.) Opium smoking shops, The question is whether it is advisable to reduce the number of such shops.
His Excellency the Governor informs the Council of certain statistics which he has caused to be prepared, of the numbers of shops in each Settlement, and the numbers of persons using the shops for opium smoking in proportion to the population.
The Colonial Engineer, Auditor-General, Treasurer, Attorney-General, and the Resident Councillors of Penang and Malacca are of opinion that the policy of Government should be to keep the number of shops down as low as possible, having regard to the requirements of the population.
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The Colonial Secretary and the General Officer Commanding think the number of opium shops should not be limited.
All the members are agreed that there should be more strict Government control over the opium shops and more care exercised in regard to the issue of licenses, and that the fariners should not be allowed to nominate the holders of licenses for such shops.
The Attorney-General is asked to introduce a section in the Bill now being prepared to amend the Excise Ordinance to secure this stricter control; to raise the fee to be paid for a license to such amount as the Governor in Council may fix, subject to a maximum of $25 (the present fee being $12), and to provide that it shall be paid into the Treasury. The Council is also of opinion that a rule should be made that only male Chinese shall be admitted to licensed opium shops.
The Resident Councillor, Malacca, proposes that opium smoking in brothels should be prohibited. The proposal is discussed, and the majority of the Council is against any interference in regard to institutions which have been specially removed from the control of Government.
5673.
No. 28.
SIR WILLIAM ROBINSON to the MARQUESS OF RIPON (Received April 7, 1893.)
(No. 59.)
EXTRACT.
Government House, Hong Kong, March 6, 1893. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of Despatch of 26th January last, calling my attention to unanswered Despatches.
The opium question which forms the subject of the Despatch of 9th April,t is one of so great importance to the Colony, both from a revenue point of view and otherwise, that I desire to defer expressing a final opinion about it until I have had further time to consider it in all its bearings. As at present advised I see very serious objection to attempting to substitute for the farming system any other method of collecting a revenue from opium, and I do not consider the present number of licensed smoking divans at all in excess of legitimate requirements. On this branch of the subject I annex a copy of a report by the Registrar General, and of the returns therein referred to, I take this opportunity of informing your Lordship that a convenient searching. house has been provided at the cost of the Government, as suggested in the Secretary of State's Despatch of 8th April 1892.
Enclosure in No. 28.
REPORT by the REGISTRAR-GENERAL and CAPTAIN SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE. HON. COLONIAL Secretary,
HEREWITH returns showing the number of opium divans 1st and 2nd class in Victoria and the villages of Hong Kong. From these returns it will be seen that there are in Victoria 24 first class divans with 404 beds and a daily average number of visitors amounting to 1,310, and 100 second class divans with 1,486 beds, and a daily average number of visitors amounting to 5,016. In the villages there are eight divans.
In the accompanying returns will be found also the following figures :-
Victoria.
Daily number of persons frequenting divans per 100 of total population Daily number of persons frequenting divans per 100 of adult male population 6.89 Number of opium divans, per 10,000 of total population Number of opium divans per 10,000 of male adult population
4.37
8.56
13:51
Villages.
Number of opium divans per 10,000 of total population Number of opium divans per 10,000 of male adult population
• Not printed.
U 76470.
+ No. 28.
K
2.46
4:03
No. 24.
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