(16)
farm as either legitimate or safe. It is not the legitimate profits on opium consumed in this Colony by the inhabitants of it and opium openly exported. The export trade has become limited and is chiefly in the hands of the Macao farmer, as he pays but $130,000 a year for the opium monopoly there. No opium farmer would now pay about half a million dollars a year if he had to rely solely on the revenue he derived from prepared opium consumed in the Colony, or openly exported to China, America, Australia, and elsewhere. Anything which stopped or seriously checked smuggling would render it impossible for the farmer to continue to pay the Government tax out of opium profits. It is not honest revenue and it is not revenue which can be relied upon for a continuance. On that ground alone it should be abandoned as quickly as possible, and the Government should be content to raise a less amount after a fashion which shall be at least honest and to be depended upon. It is not expedient for the legislature to sanction the continuance by the Government of its opium farm monopoly policy for an indefinite time or for a longer period than one or two years at the outside from March next, more especially as the Right Honourable the Secretary of State for the Colonies in his Lordship's instructions to the Singapore Government has at last ventured to express an adverse decision to the farming system, and which news has come to our knowledge within the last few days. This Council has not been informed whether any such instructions have been received here. Under the proposed law the Government could commit the Colony to its present opium policy for an indefinite period, whereas one year or two years should be ample time for the consideration of the opium farm system with a view to its abandonment at the earliest possible moment. Under all the circumstances I move that the next farm monopoly be limited to two years at the outside.
No. 188.
No.
SIR,
(17)
COLONIAL SECRETARY'S OFFICE,
HONGKONG, 1st February, 1892.
In reply to your letter of the 31st December last, requesting that the proceeds of the sale of certain Opium found by your Company's Chief Preventive Officer on board the Fatshan on the 30th December, and confiscated by the Government, should be handed to your Company for the purposes of its preventive service, I am directed by the Governor to inform you that His Excellency has determined that the proceeds of the sale of the Opium in question shall be paid into the Treasury, and that $50 shall be awarded out of such proceeds to the Officer who discovered the Opium.
I am, however, to add that this case must not be taken as a precedent, and that each case of this nature must be considered on its own merits as it arises.
I have the honour to be,
THOMAS ARNOLD, Esq., Secretary,
Hongkong, Canton & Macao Steam-boat Co., Ld.
Sir,
Your most obedient Servant,
W. MEIGH GOODMAN,
Acting Colonial Secretary.
SIR.
OFFICE OF THE HONGKONG, CANTON & MACAO STEAM-BOAT COMPANY, LIMITED,
HONGKONG, 31st December, 1891.
On the 30th instant, at 4 P.M., Mr. J. H. LOGAN, the Company's Chief Preventive Officer, found in the possession of two Chinese passengers on board the steamer Fatshan, six tins of prepared Opium, which it was evidently their intention to smuggle into Chinese territory.
The Opium was covered by the Opium Farmer's permit, but not being on the steamer's manifest, it was handed over to the Police together with the men in whose possession it was found.
The men were this morning charged before the sitting Magistrate, Mr. A. G. WISE; the drug was confiscated and now remains at the Magistracy.
The value of the confiscated Opium is, I understand, about $360, and as under Sections 38 and 39 of the Prepared Opium Ordinance, 1891, its disposal rests with the Governor in Council, I would respectfully ask that the drug be sold and the proceeds of its sale handed to the Company for the purposes of its Preventive Service, the maintenance of which entails on the Company a heavy annual expenditure.
The Honourable W. M. GOODMAN,
Acting Colonial Secretary.
I have the honour to be,
No. 206.
SIR,
COLONIAL SECRETARY'S OFFICE.
HONGKONG, 4th February, 1892.
I am directed by the Governor to address you with regard to complaints amongst the Chinese community as to the manner in which the Excise Officers of the Opium Farmer conduct their searches for Opium suspected of being smuggled on the persons or among the effects of passengers arriving in the Colony by steamer.
2. It has been suggested that sheds should be erected in which such searches could be made in comparative privacy instead of publicly as at present.
3. His Excellency is informed that one of the places at which the searches complained of most frequently occur, is the wharf known as the Canton Wharf, owing to the large number of passengers landing there daily, and as I am told that the Wharf in question is the property of your Company and the passengers in question arrive in your steamers, I am to suggest that you might for the comfort of those passengers be willing to erect on your wharf a shed in which they could when necessary be searched, as stated above, in private.
4. His Excellency would be glad to learn whether you see your way to adopt the above proposal.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient Servant,
THOMAS ARNOLD, Secretary,
THOMAS ARNOLD, Esq., Secretary,
Hongkong, Canton & Macao Steam-boat Co., Ld.
Sir,
Your most obedient Servant,
W. MEIGH GOODMAN,
Acting Colonial Secretary,
530
( 16 )
farm as either legitimate or safe. It is not the legitimate profits on opium consumed in this Colony by the inhabitants of it and opium openly exported. The export trade has become limited and is chiefly in the hands of the Macao farmer, as he pays but $130,000 a year for the opium monopoly there. No opium farmer would now pay about half a million dollars a year if he had to rely solely on the revenue he derived from prepared opium consumed in the Colony, or openly exported to China, America, Australia, and clseichere. Anything which stopped or seriously checked smuggling would render it impossible for the farmer to continue to pay the Government tax out of opium profits. It is not honest revenue and it is not revenue which can be relied upon for a continuance. On that ground alone it should be abandoned as quickly as possible, and the Government should be content to raise a less amount after a fashion which shall be at least honest and to be depended upon. It is not expedient for the legislature to sanction the continuance by the Government of its opium farm monopoly policy for au indefinite time or for a longer period than one or two years at the outside from March next, more especially as the Right Honourable the Secretary of State for the Colonies in his Lordship's instructions to the Singapore Government has at last ventured to express an adverse decision to the farming system, and which news has come to our knowledge within the last few days. This Council has not been informed whether any such instructious have been received here. Under the proposed law the Government could commit the Colony to its present opium policy for an indefinite period, whereas one year or two years should be ample time for the consideration of the opium farm system with a view to its abandonment at the carliest possible moment. Inder all the circumstances I move that the next farm monopoly be limited to two years at the outside.
No. 188.
No.
SIR,
( 17 )
COLONIAL SECRETARY'S OFFICE,
HONGKONG, 1st February, 1892.
In reply to your letter of the 31st December last, requesting that the proceeds of the sale of certain Opium found by your Company's Chief Preventive Officer on board the Fatshan on the 30th December, and confiscated by the Government, should be handed to your Company for the purposes of its preventive service, I ain directed by the Governor to inform you that His Excellency has determined that the proceeds of the sale of the Opium in question shall be paid into the Treasury, and that $50 shall be awarded out of such proceeds to the Officer who discovered the Opium.
I am, however, to add that this case must not be taken as a precedent, and that each case of this nature must be considered on its own merits as it arises.
I have the honour to be,
THOMAS ARNOLD, Esq., Secretary,
Hongkong, Canton & Macao Strum-boat Co., Ld.
Sir,
Your most obedient Servant,
W. MEIGH GOODMAN,
Acting Colonial Secretury.
SIR.
OFFICE OF THE HONGKONG, CANTON & MACAO STEAM-BOAT COMPANY, LIMITED,
HONGKONG, 31st December, 1891.
On the 30th instant, at 4 P.M., Mr. J. H. LOGAN, the Company's Chief Pre- ventive Officer, found in the possession of two Chinese passengers on board the steamer Fatshan, six tins of prepared Opium, which it was evidently their intention to smuggle into Chinese territory.
The Opium was covered by the Opium Farmer's permit, but not being on the steamer's inanifest, it was handed over to the Police together with the men in whose possession it was found.
The men were this morning charged before the sitting Magistrate, Mr. A. G. WISE: the drug was confiscated and now remains at the Magistracy.
The value of the confiscated Opium is, I understand, about $360, and as under Sections 38 and 39 of the Prepared Opium Ordinance, 1891, its disposal rests with the Governor in Council, I would respectfully ask that the drug he sold and the proceeds of its sale handed to the Company for the purposes of its Preventive Service, the maintenance of which entails on the Company a heavy annual expenditure.
The Honourable W. M. GOODMAN,
Acting Colonial Secretary.
I have the honour to be,
No. 206.
SIR,
COLONIAL SECRETARY'S OFFICE.
HONGKONG, 4th February, 1892.
I am directed by the Governor to address you with regard to complaints amongst the Chinese community as to the manner in which the Excise Officers of the Opium Farmer conduct their searches for Opium suspected of being sunggled on the persons or among the effects of passengers arriving in the Colony by
steamer.
2. It has been suggested that sheds should be erected in which such searches could be made in comparative privacy instead of publicly as at present.
3. His Excellency is informed that one of the places at which the searches complained of most frequently occur, is the wharf known as the Canton Wharf, owing to the large number of passengers landing there daily, and as I am told that the Wharf in question is the property of your Company and the passengers in question arrive in your steamers, I am to suggest that you might for the comfort of those passengers be willing to erect on your wharf a shed in which they could when necessary be searched, as stated above, in private.
4. His Excellency would be glad to learn whether you see your way to adopt the above proposal.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient Servant,
TROS. ARNOLD, Secretary,
THOMAS ARNOLD, Esq., Secretary,
Hongkong, Canton & Macao Steam-boat Co., Ld.
Sir,
Your most obedient Servant,
W. MEIGH GOODMAN,
Acting Colonial Secretary,
530
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.