CO129-028 - Bonham - 1849 [1-3] — Page 219

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8.

I would here remark that by the terms of the Lease under which ground is held in this Colony, no landholder can relinquish his allotment without the sanction of the Government. It might perhaps, should Your Lordship be pleased to extend the term on which the lands are at present leased, to 999 years, be worthy of consideration whether Her Majesty's Government should not permit landholders at all times to surrender to the Government their Lands, together with any Buildings that may be thereon.

9.

Mr. Campbell then proposes that the Government should abolish the License on the sale of Opium under one chest. This, if acceded to, would cause a loss to the Government of about $500 per annum. At present no person can sell Opium in less quantities than one chest or 40 balls, without a License. Such Licenses are granted at 30 Dollars each per month; there are at present 7 licensed dealers, and the Government derives from these Licenses $2,520 or £525 annually.

On the 6th Instant, when I made enquiry on the subject, a whole chest of Patna Opium was worth $440; the licensed retailers were selling it at $11.70 cents per ball, which gave them a profit of 70 cents, or nearly three quarters of a Dollar on each ball disposed of. At Macao, where this system does not exist, Opium will probably be always somewhat cheaper, say $30 to $35 per chest, when sold in retail, but the wholesale price will remain the same; at all events, it will not be affected by this source of Revenue. This is the real amount of the grievance.