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PUBLIC RECORD

OFFICE

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Reference :-

C.O. 882

en

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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receipts in 1884 amounted to no more than $113,826 as against $340,800, the amount annually brought in by the present farm. The same result would follow if we were again to revert to the issue of licenses. As soon as the revenue bad fallen off on the abolition of the farm, and the substitution for it of either a bonded warehouse systern or a system of licenses, the smallness of the revenue at stake would naturally be urged by those who desire the abolition of the opium revenue as a reason for giving up the revenue altogether. What would present serious difficulties when the revenue amounted to 3 or 4 lacs, which is a moderate estimate of the value of the farm, would become comparatively easy when the revenue had dwindled to 1 or possibly to i lac.

13. Next, the cost of collection would be indefinitely increased. Smuggling into the Colony is now prevented by the farmer at his own expense, and smuggling from the Colony into China by the department of the Imperial Chinese Customs, which is materially assisted by the provision whereby the possession by anyone in the Colony, except the farmers of raw opium in quantities of less than one chest is rendered illegal. If we issued a number of licenses we should, as already stated, create a corresponding number of centres for smuggling into China, and we should be put to great expense in watching them to prevent smuggling from the Colony, for it must be remembered that we cannot, merely by altering our system of collecting our revenue, divest ourselves of the obligation towards China which we contractea in 1886, and which did not exist when we last issued licenses in 1883 and 1884. Under the bonded warehouse system we should be put to the same or even a greater expense for the same purposes, and we should in addition have to maintain a revenue cruiser service and blockade ourselves in order to prevent smuggling into the Colony. The increased cost of collection would supply an additional argument for giving up the revenue.

14. Again, whatever efforts the Government might make it would certainly be uuable to prevent frequent and extensive smuggling, and the consequent demoralization of the people would be urged as yet another ground for abolishing the tax.

15. The service of prevention which is now performed by the farmer would, under the bonded warehouse system, devolve on the Government police, who would perform it far less efficiently, while they would become very unpopular if they endeavoured conscien- tiously to do their duty, and would be exposed to constant temptation not to do it. The abolitionists would not fail to make powerful use of the consequent argument in favour of abolition.

16. Finally, all the arguments that are now advanced in certain quarters against the Government's countenancing a so-called wicked and debasing traffic, and deriving pecuniary benefit therefrom, would be urged with redoubled force when the revenue had largely decreased, the cost of collection increased, and the demoralization of the people and the police could be alleged with a fair show of reason. The upshot of all these circum- stances would be that the Government would be compelled to abandon the attempt to collect a revenue from opium.

17. To resume, the substitution for the farm of any other method of collecting the opium revenue would result in a large increase in the local consumption of opium, vo- limited facilities for smuggling from the Colony into China, and (in the case of the adoption of the bonded warehouse system) extensive smuggling into the Colony, the breach of Treaty obligations towards China, a large loss of revenue, increased cost of collection, the demoralization of the people and the police, and at no distant date the euforced extinction of the opium revenue.

18. For the reasons which I have had the honour of stating I cannot too strongly im press on your Lordship the extreme importance of maintaining the opium farm in Hong Kong. I have purposely retrained from discussing the feasibility of suppressing the use of opium in the Colony, for even if the Government had the moral right to attempt to do this, the most superficial acquaintance with the local circumstances would suffice to demonstrate the futility of such an endeavour. Suppression could not be compassed by any measure short of criminalising the whole of the Chinese population, and constantly maintaining the island in a state of blockade and the town in a state of siege. The utmost that is possible is to keep the consumption within certain limits: that object is now attained, and can in future be attained, through the farm, and it cannot be attained in any other way.

19. In conclusion I would ask previous papers on the subject. beginning, and detailed all the

that this Despatch may be read in connexion with the To have set out the history of the question from the relevant circumstances and considerations, would have

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necessitated a Despatch of inordinate length, and for the sake of brevity I have been compelled to take up the question at the point which it had reached at the date of the Despatch under reply, and to confine myself to furnishing a report. of the nature that I conceive to have been desired by Lord Knutsford. But if through my reluctance to unduly trespass on your Lordship's patience I have failed in any way in this report to supply what is required, or to sufficiently elucidate any point about which a doubt may be entertained, or if any other particulars are needed in addition to those already in Lordship's possession, I shall be glad if your Lordship will give me the opportunity to furnish any further explanation and information that it may be in my power to afford.

I have, &c.

WILLIAM ROBINSON.

17080.

No. 30.

your

THE ROYAL COMMISSION ON OPIUM to COLONIAL OFFICE.

India Office, October 7, 1893.

SIR,

In reply to your letter, dated the 5th October 1893, I am directed to forward a paper of questions regarding the consumption of opium in the Straits Settlements and Hong Kong. The Chairman and the Members of the Royal Commission on Opium will be grateful if the Marquess of Ripon would allow the questions to be forwarded to the Colonial Governments, in order that answers may be procured from local witnesses of the classes described in your third paragraph.

I am also to say that the Chairman of the Opium Commission will be glad to receive further copies of the Colonial Surgeon's (Hong Kong) Report, one copy of which was forwarded with your present letter.

The answers to the questions, and the additional copies of the Hong Kong Report, should be forwarded to

The Secretary,

Royal Commission on Opium,

India.

Until the Commission shall have accomplished a part of their tour and inquiry in India, Lord Brassey will be unable to decide whether the Commission, or some of its members, should visit Singapore and Hong Kong. If such an extension of the Commission's proceedings is found to be necessary and practicable, the Commission will thankfully accept the Marquess of Ripon's offer to commend them to the good officer of the Colonial Governments.

Enclosure in No. 30.

am, &c.

C. E. BERNARD, Acting Secretary to the Royal

Commission.

QUESTIONS regarding OPIUM CONSUMPTION and OPIUM REVENUE in the COLONIES and DEPENDENCIES of SINGAPORE, PENANG, and HONG KONG.

(1.) Is opium commonly consumed by people of Chinese, Malay, or other Asiatic race in your Colony ?

(2.) What proportion, should you conjecture, of the adult males of each race are

Do women consume opium to any extent ? Do children ? (3.) What have you observed to be the effects of opium, moral, physical, and social, on its consumers? Is the effect the same on consumers of each race, or can you draw distinctions between the effects on consumers of different races.

consumers ?

(4.) Do consumers chiefly smoke, or do they eat opium, or do they drink a decoction of opium F If opium is taken in two or all of these forms, can you distinguish between the effects of each P

(5.) Do the great majority of opium consumers become slaves to the drug, and eventually become "opium sots," or do you find the majority, or a considerable proportion, of consumers to be moderate consumers ?

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