monopoly being placed in the hands of a single individual. As regarded the amount of Revenue alone, the second sale of the farm in 1846 produced only £ 3900, as compared with £4,275
in 1845.
The annexed Petition from the
among many others,
Chinese Inhabitants was, among many received against the monopoly in the hands
of
a
single person, and a general opinion prevailed
in the Colony that instead of being restricted.
to
one
every
individual, it would be far preferable
ow
account to grant Licenses to as
many
as
applied for them, at a fixed rate:
Reports
were
accordingly required from
various quarters for the information of the
Government, and
I beg to enclose the most
detailed and able of these for Your Lordship's information . It is from the Acting Chief Magistrate of Police, Mr. Hillier
After mature consideration of the subject, it was at length determined, that at
A2.
No 3.
172
the close of the annual period of the farm, at the end of this present month, Licenses should be granted for the retail of Opiums, under the quantity of a whole Chest, at the following rates. For retailing Raw Opium_ $30 per month.
For Refining, Preparing, and selling
Prepared Opium ..
20
12
For keeping an Opium Smoking Shop _ . 10
This
arrangement seemes calculated to obviate the serious objections existing against
individual monopoly, and thor
months there
may
be
the
though for the first
· some diminution of Revenue,
it has been calculated by those best able to
judge, that the Colony will be ultimately
gainer
in
this respect.
A certain loss
wa
a
anticipated from the resale of the present
strict monopoly at the usual period.
now
The Revised Regulations which I have the honor to forward
were
framed under Ordinance Nr. 5, in the same manner as those
previously sanctioned, and they passed the
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