CO129-204 - Acting Governor Marsh - 1882 [11-12] — Page 104

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any

little if very It may be added that on goods other than Opium there is

illicit trade carried on between this Colony and the mainland, and that no allegation has ever been made that foreigners are engaged directly or indirectly in smuggling of kind.

any

In conclusion the Committee cannot refrain from expressing regret that Sir JOHN POPE HENNESSY having had the fullest opportunities as Governor of this Island for five years of obtaining accurate information with regard to occurrences taking place and the state of affairs prevailing here during his term of office, should have been led to make statements, unfounded in fact and misleading in the inferences they are calculated to raise, which could not fail to damage the character of the Colony, the legitimate interests of which it might justly have been expected he would have been most anxious to defend.

Copies of this letter will be sent through His Excellency the Administrator to Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Colonies, and to the various Chambers of Commerce in the United Kingdom.

an, Sir,

Your most obedient Servant,

(Signed)

F. BULKELEY JOHNSON, Chairman.

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Extract from a Report by the Colonial Treasurer and Registrar General, dated 24th October, 1882.

101

In 1868, Sir THOMAS WADE said that "by the contraband trade of junks frequenting Hongkong and Macao, the Customs Revenue is defrauded in import and export duties little "less than 1,000,000 taels per annum.' Revision of Tientsin Treaty China No. 5, (1871), page 460.

"

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The Governor states that "the Hongkong Government gets at present $205,000 per 'annum from the Opium Farm, which is practically levying an ad valorem tax on it of more "than 100

per cent. to the Consumers," and that he agrees "with Sir THOMAS WADE that, by "the Opium smuggling from Hongkong into China, the Government of China loses at least a "million of taels of revenue per annum." (See H.M.'s Colonial Possessions C. 3094 of 1881.)

Putting aside the disparity in the Estimates of the amount of smuggling, there can be no doubt, but the geographical position of the Island does afford a basis of operations, and that a considerable amount does exist. The undersigned, however, ventures with all respect to point out that a comparison of the figures given by Sir TuOMAS WADE, on page 3 of Command paper 2716, China, No. 2, (1880), shows that not more than 3,357 piculs of Opium (leaving out Macao which takes up a large quantity) can be smuggled into China from Hongkong. The revenue on that in 1876, would have been less than $300,000. In 1875, there were left at Hongkong 21,670 piculs of the whole import. In the financial years 1875-1876, the Hoppo admitted collecting duty on what Sir THOMAS WADE estimates piculs 10,813 of that amount. Sir THOMAS WADE also allows 7,500 piculs for Hongkong boiling for export and local use, whilst the Governor's figures would lead to the conclusion that only 340 chests were boiled or prepared here. His Excellency states that the payment of the tax by the Opium Farmer of $205,000 is an ad valorem tax of more than 100 per cent., ie. the value of the opium used is at the most $205,000 or equal about 340 piculs. The capital of the last Company was $1,400,000, and, as a first return, shareholders got 12 per cent. interest on the Capital.

No. 2202.

COLONIAL SECRETARY'S OFFICE,

HONGKONG, 16th November, 1882.

SIR,

In answer to your letter of the 10th instant, relative to an Address said to have been delivered in Nottingham by Sir JoHN POPE HENNESSY before the Social Science Congress, I have the honour, by direction of His Excellency the Officer Administering the Government, Extract from a Report by the to transmit to you, as requested, the enclosed copies of Official Returns

bearing on the subject of the Address.

Colonial Treasurer and Registrar

General, dated 24th Oct., 1852.

Letter with enclosure from the

Harbour Master, dated 13th Nov.,

1889.

Return by Capt. Supt. of Police, dated 16th Nov, 1882.

I have the honour to be,

Sir,

Your most obedient Servant,

The Honourable F. BULKELEY JOHNSON,

Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce,

So..

&c.

Chairman,

St.,

FREDERICK STEWART, Acting Colonial Secretary,

(Copy.) No. 365.

SIR,

HARBOUR DEPARTMENT, HONGKONG, 13th November, 1882.

In compliance with your directions of the 11th instant, I have the honour to enclose a Return of the cases brought before the Marine Court since April, 1877.

The Return will shew the class of vessels employed in Opium smuggling, together with their crews and armament, but it must be borne in mind that all junks, whether smuggling or trading, are armed as are the vessels in this Return.

The vessels employed as smugglers have for some time been fast pulling boats which can creep along the shore unobserved, and if they are seen, the crews are enabled to land and escape with their cargoes.

I may remark that none of the vessels engaged in smuggling are regularly employed as such. If a man is desirous of smuggling Opium, he hires any vessel that he can get,