PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
mimi nimim C.O. 885
46
3. As, however, Art. 24 of the Convention provides that laws, regulations, and measures shall come into force on a day to be agreed upon, there is no necessity that the Order in Council should be issued at present:
4. With regard to the later of your two despatches, I would observe that the statistical information asked for in my circular despatch of the 16th of May* has not been supplied.
21103
SIR,
No. 75.
I have, &c.,
L. HARCOURT.
THE SECRETARY OF STATE to THE GOVERNORS. (Malta. No. 81.) (Gibraltar. No. 91.)
Downing Street, 23 July, 1912.
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of [your despatch, No. 50, of the 25th of Marcht] [Sir A. Hunter's despatch No. 53, of the 22nd of March‡] reporting that your Government agrees to the Hague Opium Convention being signed on its behalf.
2. I will address you in due course with regard to the form which any necessary legislation should take."
I have, &c..
L. HARCOURT.
47
2. It appears to me that it would be very desirable that, in informing the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs that your Government agrees to the Con- vention being signed on its behalf, I should be able to state that the Legislature of the Colony had passed an enactment to give effect to the provisions of the Convention. 3. The accompanying copy of a draft Ordinance* has been submitted to me by the Governor of the Gold Coast, and I have approved its terms, subject to the following amendments :~-~-
(1) In Section 11 the words "not being or having the status of a ship of
war should be inserted after the word "ship."
(2) In order to prevent any possibility of the growth of an export trade in opium, a section should be added forbidding the cultivation of the opium poppy (papaver somniferum).
(3) In view of Article 24 of the Convention, a section should be added to the effect that the law shall come into force on a day to be fixed by pro- clamation by the Governor.
4. I should be glad if you would invite the Legislature to pass the Bill, with the necessary alterations, at an early date.
[To Jamaica and Windward Islands only. 5. If this is done there will be no necessity for the preparation of a special enactment; and in view of the desira- hility of uniformity in this matter, I should be glad if the draft Bill could be passed.] [To Leeward Islands only. 5. You will, no doubt, consider whether the Bill should be passed as a Federal law or should be enacted separately in each Presidency.]
I have, &c.,
L. HARCOURT.
18254
No. 76.
19508
22 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC= COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO
SIR,
THE SECRETARY OF STATE to THE GOVERNORS.
(St. Helena.) (Falkland Islands.)
(Miscellaneous.)
Downing Street, [26] [24] July, 1912.
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch [No. 38 of the 2nd of May§][No. 57 of the 22nd of April||], with regard to the Hague Opium Convention.
2. I agree that no legislation need be undertaken at present to give effect to the provisions of the Convention, but I think that it will probably be necessary to pass legislation at a later date, and I will communicate again with you upon the subject.
18254
No. 77.
I have, &c.,
L. HARCOURT.
THE SECRETARY OF STATE to THE GOVERNORS.
(Bahamas.)
(Barbados.)
(British Honduras.)
(British Guiana.)
(Miscellaneous.)
(Jamaica.)
(Leeward Islands.)
(Windward Islands.)
Downing Street, 26 July, 1912.
SIR,
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of [your despatch, No. 77, of the 17th of May.] [your despatch, No. 55, of the 30th of March,**] [your despatch, No. 66, of the 6th of April.ft] [Mr. Cox's despatch, No. 163, of the 21st of May.#] Mr. Cork's despatch, No. 222, of the 12th of June,§§] [your despatch, No. 258, of the 22nd of June,[||] [your despatch, No. 86, of the 24th June,¶¶], with regard to the Hague Opium Convention.
• No. 18.
† No. 7.
†† No. 13.
No. 6.
§ No. 33. $$ No. 47.
No. 39.
‡‡ No. 37.
No. 56.
1 No. 31.
** No. 9. 11 No. 57.
SIR,
No. 78.
SEYCHELLES.
THE SECRETARY OF STATE to THE GOVERNOR. (Miscellaneous.)
Downing Street, 26 July, 1912.
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch, No. 88, of the 16th of May, reporting that your Government agrees to the Hague Opium Convention being signed on its behalf.
2. I will address you further at an early date with regard to any legislation that may be necessary to give effect to the provisions of the Convention generally. In view of Article 24 it is not necessary that legislation should be enacted forthwith.
3. There is, however, one point on which I consider it very desirable that imme- diate action should be taken. I learn from your despatch that opium is consumed by a limited number of persons in the Colony; and it would appear, therefore, that it is feasible to establish at once a system of registration of opium consumers, which will have the effect of preventing any increase in their number, and will eventually cause the disappearance of the consumption of opium, as provided in Article 6 of the Convention."
4. It will be necessary first to repeal Mauritius Ordinance, No. 2, of 1867, in so far as it applies to Seychelles, and to declare opium, its compounds and derivatives to be a poison under Section 18, xv., of Ordinance, No. 19, of 1899. You should then introduce an Ordinance to provide for the licensing of opium consumers. I enclose a copy of Weihaiwei Ordinance, No. 1. of 1909, which established a simple form of registration in that Territory, and I would suggest that the provisions of that Ordinance with regard to licences should be followed, so far as they are suit- able, with any adaptations that may be necessary to bring them into accord with local conditions in Seychelles.
5.
It is, of course, to be understood that no person who is not now an habitual consumer of opium should be given a licence, and that no licence should be issued after a certain date, which should be fixed by the Ordinance.
• Enclosure in No. 28.
‡ No. 43.