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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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ECO. 885

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No. 36.

THE HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR THE WESTERN PACIFIC to THE SECRETARY OF STATE.

SIR,

(No. 115.)

(Received June 11, 1912.)

[Answered by No. 112.]

Office of the High Commissioner for the Western Pacific,

Suva, Fiji, 9th May, 1912 In reply to your Circular despatch of the 7th of March. I have the honour to inform you that the Governments of the Solomon Islands and Gilbert and Ellice Islands Protectorates are prepared to agree that the International Opium Conven- tion which accompanied your despatch should be signed on behalf of those Govern-

ments.

2. I shall address the Resident Commissioner, New Hebrides, and the Agent and Consul, Tonga, on the subject, and I am taking steps to enact King's Regula- tions to give effect to the terms of the Convention, as far as is necessary, in the Solomon Islands and Gilbert and Ellice Islands Protectorates.

I have, &c.,

17962

No. 37.

BRITISH GUIANA.

F. II. MAY.

THE ACTING GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received June 11, 1912.) [Answered by No. 77.]

(No. 163.)

SIR,

Government House, Georgetown, Demerara, 21st May, 1912. In reply to your circular despatch of the 7th March,* I have the honour to state that this Government is prepared to adhere to the Convention signed at the Hague, for the purpose of regulating the trade in, and controlling the use of opium, morphia, and cocaine.

2. I enclose a copy of a minute by the Attorney-General with regard to the legislation necessary in this Colony to give effect to the Convention, and I shail be glad to receive a copy of any Bill which may be laid before Parliament in this

I have, &c.,

CHARLES T. COX.

connection.

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Medicinal Opium, Morphine, Cocaine, &c., are to be dealt with by pharmacy laws to confine their use to legitimate medicinal purposes. Their manufacture is to be controlled, the delivery to unauthorised persons is to be prohibited, and only authorised persons are to be allowed to import them, and they are not to be exported to other countries except when consigned to persons licensed for the purpose. (Articles 9-14.)

In this Colony we have an Ordinance dealing with opium, the Opium Ordinance, 1889 (No. 3 of 189). The definition of opium in Section 2 of that Ordinance probably includes raw and prepared opium as defined in the Convention. The provisions of that Ordinance carry out, I think, all the requirements of the Convention as to the import of raw opium, but it does not deal with the export of opium. I believe no opium is exported from this Colony or is manufactured here. But in order to comply with the Convention we shall have to make provision as to the production and export of opium.

The above Ordinance also applies to the import of prepared opium, but does not make any provision in the direction of "the gradual and effective suppression of the manufacture of, internal trade in, and use of, prepared opium.” (Ärticle 6.) Provision to this effect will have to be devised, and as opium is not manufactured here, the simplest way will probably be to forbid its being imported. The Ordin- ance, as above stated, does not deal with export, and we shall have to consider whether this Colony is ready to prohibit immediately the export of prepared opium." As we export no opium we shall probably have no difficulty in deciding to prohibit its export immediately.

As to medicinal opium, morphine, cocaine, &c., the only legislation we have is the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance. 1899 (No. 3 of 1899), and under that Ordinance the only restriction on the sale of opium and its preparations is that they must be labelled "poison" when sold. (Section 21 and Schedule 1.) There is no restriction as to the person to whom they may be sold. Legislation will therefore have to be devised to carry out this part of the Convention.

As the Convention has been adopted by Great Britain, legislation will have to be passed by the Imperial Parliament to give effect to it, and I think it would be well for us to adopt such legislation with any necessary modifications for this Colony. No doubt other Colonies will do the same, and there is an obvious advantage in having uniform legislation to effect an object common to all.

I think we had better ask to be supplied with a copy of any Bill which it is proposed to pass in the Imperial Parliament to give effect to the Convention.

T. C. R.

14 May, 1912.

15833

No. 38.

Enclosure in No. 37.

MINUTE BY THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL,

GOVERNMENT SECRETARY,

THERE are three classes of opium dealt with in the Convention: (1) raw opium, (2) prepared opium, and (3) medicinal opium, including morphine and cocaine, and different regulations are to be made with respect to each class.

Raw Opium is to be imported only at certain ports and by authorised persons, and is not to be exported to any country which has prohibited its entry, and its export is to be controlled to countries which restrict its import. (Articles 1-5.)

Prepared Opium is eventually to be suppressed altogether, and its import and export are to be prohibited, but countries which are not yet ready to immediately prohibit its export are to restrict its export in various ways. (Articles 6-8.)

• No. 2.

SIR,

COLONIAL OFFICE to BRITISH NORTH BORNEO COMPANY. [Answered by No. 118.]

Downing Street, 11 June, 1912.

WITH reference to the letter from this Department of the 31st of May,* and to previous correspondence on the subject of the International Opium Coffvention, I am to transmit to you, for the information of the Court of Directors, the accom- panying copy of a circular despatcht which has been addressed to the Governments of the Crown Colonies and Protectorates.

2. Mr. Harcourt would be much obliged if the Court of Directors would be so good as to arrange with their principal representative in North Borneo, for the supply to this office of the information indicated in the second paragraph of the circular.

• No. 29.

I am, &c.,

H. J. READ, for the Under-Secretary of State.

† No. 18.

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