CO129-295 - Public Offices - 1899 — Page 463

fidential.

BRITISH CONSULATE,

SAIGON.

3rd. July 1899.

460

C0719

RECR

REC 7 AUG 39

My Lord:-

I have the honour to bring before Your

Lordship's notice, the manner in which the law con-

cerning Opium smuggling is carried out at this port

and I trust Your Lordship will pardon any apparent

for the matter cannot be

brusqueness on ry part;

plainly put, without some freedom of expression.

law reads thus:-

The

"Si des marchandises dont l'entrée ou la "sortie est prohibée, sont importées ou expor-

"tées

tees par mer ou par terre, elles seront con- "fisquées, ainsi que les batiments, voitures et

'animaux servant au transport".

It will be seen that there is no loophole whatever,

but the Customs do not carry out this law, for pur-

poses of its own, as will be seen later.

During

Majesty's

Secretary of State

for Foreign Affairs.