531
SIR,
(18)
OFFICE OF THE HONGKONG, CANTON & MACAO STEAM-BOAT COMPANY, LIMITED.
HONGKONG, 20th February, 1892.
We have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your letters of the 4th instant, calling our attention 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, and suggesting that we should erect on our Wharves, sheds in which such searches might be made in privacy.
We beg to state that His Excellency the Governor has been misinformed when you write that the searches complained of most frequently occur on our Wharves; no such searches are permitted there.
In a letter which we addressed to the Government on the 22nd September, 1888, we drew attention to the treatment to which passengers arriving in the Colony by our Steamers were subjected at the hands of the servants of the Opium Farmer, but failing to elicit any response to our representation, we took the matter into our own hands, and as there did not appear to us to be any reason why the Opium Farmer should not comply with the strict letter of the law and have these searches conducted at a Police Station as the Ordinance provided, and in order to put a stop to the scandalous scenes which were of daily occurrence upon our steamers and wharves in consequence of the truculent behaviour of these Excise Officers, we prohibited them from further carrying on their searches upon our premises, and for the past three years no such searches have been allowed.
We believe that scenes similar to those above referred to may now be witnessed in the public streets in the vicinity of our wharves, and we can well conceive that it would be a great convenience to the Opium Farmer and add materially to the comfort of the passengers if the searches were permitted upon our wharves in comfortable sheds erected at our expense instead of in the open streets. But we regret that we are unable to fall in with the suggestion that we should provide this convenience for the Opium Farmer, and as regards the passengers—is this not rather a public than a private question? Our private contract with them begins when they come on board and ends when they go ashore.
We have frequently, during the past few years, addressed the Government in regard to the grievous wrong which we suffer through the Opium Farm and it would do no good to go into the matter again now. We will merely remark that although His Excellency Sir WILLIAM DES VOUX admitted that our grievance called for redress, we are in no better case to-day than when we first complained to the Government in 1888.
We entertain decided views upon the whole question of the Opium Farm, and we feel sure you will understand that our inability to assist the Government in the way desired arises from no intention to throw impediments in its way, but rather from the fact that by so doing we should stultify ourselves and our past actions.
As your letters addressed to our two Companies are identical we have taken the liberty of giving them a combined answer.
The Honourable W. M. GOODMAN,
Acting Colonial Secretary.
We have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient Servants,
THOS. ARNOLD,
Secretary, The Hongkong Canton & Macao Steam-boat Company, Limited.
BUTTERFIELD & SWIRE,
Agents, The China Navigation Company, Limited.
No. 406.
GENTLEMEN,
(19)
COLONIAL SECRETARY'S OFFICE,
HONGKONG, 17th March, 1892.
With reference to your joint letter of the 20th ultimo in which you state your inability to assist the Government by building searching sheds on your respective wharves for the passengers of your steamers to be searched by the Opium Farmer's Excise Officers, I have the honour by direction of His Excellency the Governor to enquire whether you will allow the Opium Farmer to erect sheds on your respective wharves, and allow such sheds to be used in the manner desired.
I have the honour to be,
Gentlemen,
T. ARNOLD, Esq., Secretary,
Your most obedient Servant,
Hongkong, Canton & Macao Steam-boat Co., Ld.
Messrs. BUTTERFIELD & SWIRE,
Agents,
China Navigation Company, Limited.
G. T. M. O'BRIEN,
Colonial Secretary.
OFFICE OF THE HONGKONG, CANTON & MACAO STEAM-BOAT COMPANY, LIMITED,
HONGKONG, 21st March, 1892.
We have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your letter (No. 466) of the 17th instant, inquiring, by direction of His Excellency the Governor, and with reference to our letter of the 20th ultimo, whether we would allow the Opium Farmer himself to erect sheds on our respective wharves and permit him to use such sheds as places for the searching of passengers arriving in the Colony by our steamers.
In reply, we much regret that our former letter appears to have conveyed to His Excellency the impression that our inability to assist the Government in the manner indicated was based merely upon the trifling consideration of the expense of building the sheds. Far weightier motives actuated our refusal, and if His Excellency will kindly peruse the correspondence upon the subject of Opium smuggling by the river steamers to Canton which has passed between the Colonial Government and ourselves during the last few years it will help him to a better understanding of the position we take up in regard to this matter and of our refusal to accord to the Opium Farmer the facility asked for.
As more convenient for reference we send herewith a printed copy of the earlier portion of the correspondence above referred to.
We have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient Servants,
THOS. ARNOLD,
Secretary, The Hongkong, Canton & Macao Steam-boat Company, Limited.
BUTTERFIELD & SWIRE,
Agents, The China Navigation Co., Ld.
از بردم من
531
SIR,
( 18 )
OFFICE OF THE HONGKONG, CAnton & Macao
STEAM-BOAT COMPANY, LIMITEJ).
HONGKONG, 20th February, 1892.
We have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your letters of the 4th instant, calling our attention to the manner in which the Excise Officers of the Opium Farmer conduct their searches for Opium suspected of being smuggled on the per- sons or among the effects of passengers arriving in the Colony by Steamer, and suggesting that we should erect on our Wharves, sheds in which such searches might be made in privacy.
We beg to state that His Excellency the Governor has been misinformed when you write that the searches complained of most frequently occur on our Wharves; no such searches are permitted there.
In a letter which we addressed to the Government on the 22nd September, 1888, we drew attention to the treatment to which passengers arriving in the Colony by our Steamers were subjected at the hands of the servants of the Opium Farmer, but failing to elicit any response to our representation, we took the matter into our own hands, and as there did not appear to us to be any reason why the Opium Farmer should not comply with the strict letter of the law and have these searches conducted at a Police Station as the Ordinance provided, and in order to put a stop to the scandalous scenes which were of daily occurrence upon our steamers and wharves in consequence of the truculent behaviour of these Excise Officers, we prohibited them from further carrying on their searches upon our premises, and for the past three years no such searches have been allowed.
We believe that scenes similar to those above referred to may now be witnessed in the public streets in the vicinity of our wharves, and we can well conceive that it would be a great convenience to the Opium Farmer and add materially to the comfort of the passengers if the searches were permitted upon our wharves in com- But we regret fortable sheds erected at our expense instead of in the open streets. that we are unable to fall in with the suggestion that we should provide this con- venience for the Opium Farmer, and as regards the passengers-is this not rather a public than a private question? Our private contract with them begins when they come on board and ends when they go
ashore.
We have frequently, during the past few years, addressed the Government in regard to the grievous wrong which we suffer through the Opium Farm and it We will merely remark that would do no good to go into the matter again now. although His Excellency Sir WILLIAM DES VOUX admitted that our grievance called for redress, we are in no better case to-day than when we first complained to the Government in 1888.
We entertain decided views upon the whole question of the Opium Farm, and we feel sure you will understand that our inability to assist the Government in the way, but desired direction arises from no intention to throw impediments in its rather from the fact that by so doing we should stultify ourselves and our past
actions.
As your letters addressed to our two Companies are identical we have taken the liberty of giving them a combined answer.
The Honourable W. M. GooDMAN,
Acting Colonial Secretary.
We have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient Servants,
THOS. ARNOLD,
Secretary, The Honghang Canton & Macao Steam-boat Company, Limited.
BUTTERFIELD & SWIRE, Agents, The China Navigation Company, Limited.
No. 406.
GENTLEMEN,
( 19 )
COLONIAL SECRETARY'S OFFICE,
HONGKONG, 17th March, 1892.
With reference to your joint letter of the 20th ultimo in which you state your inability to assist the Government by building searching sheds on your respective wharves for the passengers of your steamers to be searched by the Opium Farmer's Excise Officers, I have the honour by direction of His Excellency the Governor to enquire whether you will allow the Opium Fariner to crect sheds on your respective wharves, and allow such sheds to be used in the taanner desired.
I have the honour to be,
Gentlemen,
T. ARNOLD, Esq., Secretary,
Your most oberlient Servant,
Hongkong, Canton & Macno Steam-bout Co., Ld. Messrs. BUTTERFIELD & SWIRE, Agents,
SIR,
China Navigation Company, Limited.
G. T. M. O'BRIEN, Colonial Secretary.
OFFICE OF THE HONGKONG, CANTON & MACAO STEAM-BOAT COMPANY, LIMITED,
HONGKONG, 21st March, 1892.
We have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your letter (No. 466) of the 17th instant, inquiring, by direction of His Excellency the Governor, and with reference to our letter of the 20th ultimo, whether we would allow the Opium Farmer himself to erect sheds on our respective wharves and permit him to use such sheds as places for the searching of passengers arriving in the Colony by our
steamers.
In reply, we much regret that our former letter appears to have conveyed to His Excellency the impression that our inability to assist the Government in the manner indicated was based merely upon the trifling consideration of the expense of building the sheds. Far weightier motives actuated our refusal, and it His Excellency will kindly peruse the correspondence upon the subject of Opium smuggling by the river steamers to Canton which has passed between the Colonial Government and ourselves during the last few years it will help him to a better understanding of the position we take up in regard to this matter and of our refusal to accord to the Opium Farmer the facility asked for.
As more convenient for reference we send herewith a printed copy of the carlier portion of the correspondence above referred to.
We have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient Servants,
THOS. ARNOLDN
Secretary, The Hongkong, Canton & Macuo Steam-boat Company, Limited.
BUTTERFIELD & SWIRE, Agents, The China Navigation Coy., Ld.
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