CO129-228 - Acting Governor Marsh - 1886 [7-9] — Page 27

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something in the same direction, or a

our Indian trade might go

a lot of

there; & we would thus lose more indirectly, than we would gain from

opium Revenue,

I submitted to the Commission,

the following scheme, with the

Conditions

Conditions;-

1. China will arrange with Macao to take similar measures to what I propose, & see that they are honestly & fairly worked.

2. That the scheme should be abandoned if it was found to be injurious to us by removing lawful trade elsewhere, or that duties were charged in excess of 110 taels a picul as arranged by the additional article of last year, after leaving the Colony.

Scheme

Scheme proposed

Assuming that the Hong Kong Government is satisfied on the above points I would ask it to pass an Ordinance to the effect

1. That all opium coming into the Harbour should be reported to a Government Official, & that no Opium should be imported in quantities less than 1 Chest,

2. That no opium should be landed, transhipped, stored, or moved from one store to another, or re-shipped until a permit is granted by a Government Officer.

3. The establishment of a raw opium Farm, giving monopoly of sale for export of broken chests to a Farmer or his licensees, who would be obliged to keep registers of his sales & purchases, & be subject to Government inspection

4. The possession of raw opium, in the Colony, or Waters, in quantities of less than 1 Chest to be illegal unless it can be...