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convened for any purpose by the local Notables, or in any respectable concern of life, so that it may be clearly shown that they are outcasts of society,
Article 4. To prohit opium houses, in order to purify the abodes of pollution.
Before the time limit is reached upon which the probibition becomes absolute it would naturally he hard to suddenly prohibit the existence of shops for the sale of opium. But there it a class of opium dens which offer a continual temptation to youths and the unemployed to frequent. These places are in every respect noxious, and should be prohibited by the local authorities, one after the other; a term of six months being fixed for the complete cessation of this calling and the substitution of another trade. If the time limit is exceeded they should be compulsorily closed.
Eating-houses and restaurants must also not be allowed to furnish opium for the use of guests, nor must guests be permitted to bring smoking appliances with them, under penalty of a heavy fine. Shops for the sale of pipe-stems or bowls, opium-lamps, or other smoking appliances, must also be given one year's time by the local authorities within which to close business, under penalty of a heavy fine. In any place where an excise is levied per lamp in opium-dens, such levy must be discontinued within one month.
Article 5. To closely inspect opium-shops in order to facilitate preventive measures. Although it is not possible to forbid at once the existence of opium shops, steps must still be taken to compel their gradual disappearance, and under no circumstances can any new shops be allowed to open. All shops in any city, town, or village which sell the raw drug or prepared opium must be severally inspected by the local authorities, who will draw up a list of them in the form of a register, and issue to each a licence which will constitute their permit to carry on this trade. Once the inspection has been made, no additions to the number of shops will be allowed.
Whenever persons come to such shops to buy opium, raw or prepared, the shop- keeper inust examine the customer's licence before he serves him, and without so doing must not sell any of the drug.
At the end of the year these shops must make a bond fide statement in writing to the local authority of the amount of opium, raw and prepared, which they have sold. The local authority will register these returns, and reckon up the total amout sold in his district by all the shops together, so as to show the amount of decrease in each year and for the purposes of comparison, provided always that within the period of ten years the sale shall be entirely stopped. If the time limit be infringed, the shops will be compulsorily closed and the stock in hand be confiscated, besides the imposition of a fine of at least double its value.
Shops which from time to time drop out of the business must surrender their licences for cancellation. The licence must not be kept, under penalty of a heavy fine.
Article 6. To manufacture remedies for the cure of the opium habit under official
control.
There are many good remedies for curing the opium habit, and the high provincial authorities should appoint efficient and experienced medical officers to make a careful study of these, with a view to the selection of a number of prescriptions (suitable to the natural conditions of each particular locality) and the manufacture therefrom of pills or medicines, provided that such pills or medicines shall not contain opium-ash or morphia.
Such remedial medicines should then be bought by the local authorities, who will distribute them among the local charitable institutions or medicine-shops for sale at the original price, while poor persons will be allowed to obtain them free of charge.
The gentry and tradesmen will also be allowed to manufacture such remedies according to prescription for free distribution with a view to spreading this benefit more widely; and any person who can be shown to have promoted such distribution by his personal exertions or exhortation, and to have succeeded in breaking others of the opium habit thereby, shall be awarded honorary recognition by the local authorities.
Article 7. To allow the establishment of anti-opium Societies in order to promote
this good movement,
There have recently been several instances of public-spirited individuals who have combined with others of their own class in founding anti-opiam Societies, and in mutually
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assisting in exhorting the abandonment of the habit. Such enterprises deserve the highest praise; and the high provincial authorities should direct the local officials to take the lead among the respectable men of standing in each place and develop the establish- ment of such Societies, so that with each addition to the number there will be an additional centre of activity. But such Societies must only be allowed to concern them- selves with the single question of giving up opium, and muust not discuss current politics or questions of local government, or other subjects not related to the abandonment of the opium habit.
Article 8. To charge the local authorities with the duty of leading the movement among the local gentry and heads of guilds, in order that it may prove really operative.
The present measure depends entirely on the local authorities taking the lead among the gentry and heads of guilds in giving proper effect to its provisions. Success can only be attained by a loyal and conscientious effort in this direction. The high provincial authorities must therefore carefully examine each year into the reports of their inferiors, and study the returns of the number of consumers originally recorded and the number of abstainers, besides seeing whether due activity has been shown in the supply of anti-opium medicines, and in promoting the formation of anti-opium Societies. By comparing these various records, they will be in a position to apportion praise and blame as due. They should also draw up an annual Report for transmission to the Council for State Affairs, and to serve as a basis for examining the operation of this measure.
As regards the city of Peking, the officers in charge of all police stations, the Captain-General of the Peking Gendarmerie, and the Governor of Peking (Shuntien-fu) will be responsible for the due execution of these provisions.
If, before the expiry of the term of ten years, it can be shown that there are already no opium smokers in any particular jurisdiction, the local authority shall be recommended for promotion.
In carrying out the survey of opium-bearing land, the inspection of opium dens and opium shops, and the issue of certificates and licences, as well as in the registration of smokers, the strictest injunctions must be imposed on the official assistants, clerks, and servants, that no exactions whatever will be permitted, under penalty for infraction of this rule, and upon information duly laid of the punishments prescribed for extortion.
Article 9. To strictly forbid the smoking of opium by officials, in order that an
example may be set for others to follow.
The complete prohibition in ten years of the use of opium applics to the general population. But the officials must set an example to the people. If they have such a rice, how can it be expected that they shall lead the people straight?
Now, it is desired to make this measure effective, and, with this eud in view, it is absolutely necessary to start with the officials, and make the time limit for them more severe and the penalties for non-compliance more heavy, so that, as grass bends to the wind, the people may comply with their example,
From henceforth, all metropolitan or provincial civil or military officials of high or low grade who are over 60 years of age, and who are so strongly addicted to the opium habit that they cannot break it off, will be put out of consideration, as if they were of the common people, and treated leniently.
All Princes, Dukes, and other hicreditary Nobles, Presidents and Ministers of Boards and Metropolitan Yamens, Tartar-Generals, Governors-General and Governors, Military Lieutenant-Governors, Deputy Lieutenant-Governors, Provincial Commanders- in chief and Brigade Generals holding substantive appointments are the recipients of the Imperial favour to no small degree, and of exalted rank and standing. No deception or pretence on their part must be permitted in this matter. Any of these who have been in the habit of smoking shall be permitted to memorialize the Throne direct, praying for a limit of time to be fixed for them within which to give it up. During such period they will for the time being not be removed from office, but a substitute will be appointed to When they can show that they have given up the habit they will be allowed to resume office, but it must be clearly understood that no excuse of illness will be entertained as necessitating the further use of the drug beyond the appointed time. All other metropolitan and provincial officials, civil or military, substantive or expectant, of high or low grade, who are addicted to opium, shall be placed under the supervision
act for them,
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