CO129-294 - Governor Sir Blake - 1899 [10-12] — Page 592

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Consulate and needs no comment, from me. It is impossible

that this lawless and armed state of the people should

not in many ways, which it may be difficult to point out

but, which are none the less real, obstruct, and injure

British Trade, nor, in my opinion, can there be any doubt,

that the present deplorable state of affairs has in the

past, been largely induced, and unless the most stringent

action possible is taken by the Colonial Government, will

in a large measure in the future be perpetuated by the

facility with which arms and ammunition are procurable in

Hongkong. It would seem to me that no precautions the

Government can take can possibly interfere with the legitimate trade in arms. Large respectable firms engaged in

so profitable a business will be willing to comply with

stringent regulations and can afford to pay a heavy license

fee, which it is to be hoped will prove impossible in the

sale of the small disreputable shop whose main source

of profit consists, not in the fulfilling of open contracts

with the Provincial Authorities or with communities who

have received official sanction to import arms, but in

the sale of arms and ammunition in small lots to unauthorised persons, either to be smuggled into China in foreign steamers'