82
means of ascertaining with certainty what portion of the opium boiled by him is exported, and what portion remains for local consumption.
It is estimated by some persons who are interested in the subject that the local consumption of opium in Hong Kong averages about three chests a day. This estimate is probably approximately correct, but it cannot be guaranteed. The amount of opium which the present farmer, whose monopoly commenced on March 1st, 1892, is allowed to boil for all purposes, whether of export or of local consumption, is limited to a maximum of 300 chests in any two consecutive months. He therefore cannot boil more than 1,800 chests in the year, and can boil that amount only if he boils the maximum of 300 chests in each period of two consecutive months.
I have, &c.
The Secretary,
Royal Commission on Opium, Calcutta, India.
G. T. M. O'BRIEN,
Colonial Secretary.
5559.
88
No. 85.
Si C. B. H. MITCHELL to the MARQUESS OF RIPON. (Received April 2, 1894.)
Fort Cornwallis, Penang, March 8, 1894.
(No. 70.) MY LORD,
In my Despatch, No. 36, of the 12th ultimo, I had the honour to forward the replies made to the questions propounded by the Opin Commission, by certain officers and others of the Straits Settlements and neighbouring States.
2..I asked Mr. Maxwell to prepare a résumé of those replies, and to add his remarks thereon, of which I enclose sopies. I need scarcely remind your Lordship that
Mr. Maxwell's long and varied experience in the Peninsula give weight to his
conclusions.
-
3. I am forwarding through the Viceroy copies of this paper for the use of Lord Brassey.
2956.
No. 33.
I have, &c.
C. B. H. MITCHELL.
PUBLIC RECORD
OFFICE
། ། ། ། །
61
سلساسانيا
Reference --
C.O. 882
5
SIR WILLIAM ROBINSON to the MARQUESS OF RIPON. (Received February 19th, 1894.)
(No. 11.) MY LORD MARQUESS,
Government House, Hong Kong,
January 16, 1894.
I HAVE the honour to transmit, for your Lordship's information, the enclosed copies of answers to the questions forwarded with your Despatch, No. 164, of the 12th October last, together with a descriptive list of the persons to whom I caused the questions to be submitted. Copies of the list and the answers, and of the report of the Colonial Surgeon for the year 1892, have, in pursuance of your Lordship's instructions, been forwarded direct to the Secretary of the Royal Commission on Opium at Calcutta.
whose names appear on the list were selected with strict impartiality from the various sections of the community with a view to obtaining the best possible opinion on all sides of the question. Those who have furnished replies are distinguished in the list by a cross (X), and the numbers opposite their names are, for facility of reference, written on their respective answers.
The
persons
In the event of any members of the Commission visiting Hong Kong, I shall be glad to afford them every facility in my power for conducting their inquiry.
In conclusion, I desire to express my entire concurrence in the answer returned by the Colonial Secretary to question 12, relative to the revenue derived from opium in this Colony. The financial side of the question is of extreme importance to the Colony, especially in view of the continued fall in the value of silver, which necessarily increases the unavoidable expenditure that has to be met by payments in sterling.
4263.
No. 34.
I have, &c.
WILLIAM ROBINSON.
SIR C. B. N. MITCHELL to the MARQUESS OF RIPON. (Received March 10, 1894.)
(No. 36.) MY LORD,
Government House, Singapore, February 12, 1894. WITH reference to your Lordship's Despatch, No. 272, of the 12th of October last, forwarding a list of questions regarding the consumption of opium in the Straits Settlements, I have the honour to inform your Lordship that the questions were submitted to 49 gentlemen, of whom 35 have sent in replies.
2. In accordance with your Lordship's instructions, I have sent 25 copies of the replies to the Secretary to the Royal Commission on Opium, Calcutta, and have the honour to forward herewith 25 copies for your Lordship's information.
I have, &c.
C. B. H. MITCHELL
Enclosure in No. 35.
MEMORANDUM by the COLONIAL Secretary, StrAITS SETTLEMENTS.
HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR,
I SUBMIT a hastily-prepared résumé of the general results of the answers received in reply to the questions circulated in this Colony on behalf of the Royal Commision on Opium, and I have added, in some places, facts which are within my own knowledge, remarks suggested by the statements of some of the witnesses, and opinions which residence of 29 years in the Straits Settlements has enabled me to farm. prefers to have made a special study of the practice of using opium, but it is a feature of Asiatic life which is more or less forced upon the attention of anyone who has to live and work among such a population as we have.
CONSUMPTION OF OPIUM.
I do not
1. Ia opium commonly consumed by people of Chinese, Malay, or other driatic raos in your Colong?
Opium is imported almost exclusively for the use of Chinese. It is, no doubt, from the Chinese that the Malays have acquired the habit. The consumption of opium in the Colony is very common, but it would be much more common but for the wholesome obeok of our excise laws. By making opium dear, we to some extent restrict its use. In the Colony, the sole right of imparting opium (except for re-export) and of manufacturing and retailing chandu, the prepared drug, is farmed out to a monopolist known as the opium farmer. The maximum retail price which he may exact is fixed by Government. It is at present $2.20 per tahil (1† os.) and per chi (one-tenth of a tabi!) 265 cents.
The prices at which the opium farmer retails chandu at present (1894) are as follows:-
Singapore
Penang
Malacon
#
Wholesale Retail
Wholesale
Retail
In town, wholserie
Do. retail Upocuntry, wholesale
$2.20 « tahil.
0.28 a chi. 2.90 a tahil.
0.20 a chi.
9.00 a tahil.
0.94 a chi.
1.70 a.tahil.
In the Native States the restrictions are less severe, for in all mining districts there is no monopoly of the right to retail and manufacture. A tax of $8 per ball of opium is
• Printed in C.-7478.
† No. 31.
• No. 84. L 2
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
| ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH——NOT TO