{This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government
CHINA TRADE.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[34671]
No. 1.
39508
RECE [Octline 29] NOV 07,
431
SECTION 2.
(No. 424.) Sir,
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received October 21.)
Peking, September 4, 1907. ON receipt of your despatch No. 275 of the 11th July, inquiring whether a Proclamation of the Consolidated Opium Tax Bureau of Chihli was issued with the direct or indirect authority of the Chinese Government, I requested Mr. Hopkins, His Majesty's Consul-General at Tien-tsin, to report upon the status of the Bureau and whether the Proclamation was ever disavowed by the Viceroy of Chilli.
From Mr. Hopkins' reply, copy of which I have the honour to inclose, you will see that the Bureau unquestionably has an official status and that the Proclamation has never been disavowed.
(No. 51.) Sir,
I have, &c.
(Signed) J. N. JORDAN,
Inclosure in No. 1.
Consul-General Hopkins to Sir J. Jordan.
Tien-tsin, September 2, 1907. IN reply to your despatch No. 29 regarding a Proclamation issued by the Consolidated Opium Tax Bureau of Chihli, inquiring what is the official status of this Bureau and whether the Proclamation was ever disavowed by the Viceroy, I have the honour to inform you as follows:---
17
The full title of the Bureau is "Chibli ch'tan shêng t'u yao t'ung shui fên chü. It is situated at a place called Ch'ang-hsin-tien, west of Peking, in this province. As you will note from its title, it is a branch bureau, the head office being in Hupei, under the control of a High Commissioner for the collection of the tax on native opium for the whole of China. The present holder of the post is his Excellency K'o Feng-shih. Most unquestionably this collectorate has the most official status. The Proclamation has, so far as I can learn, never been disavowed by the Viceroy Yuan Shih-kai. Indeed, it would not be in his power to take such a step, the Bureau not being under his control.
I have, &c. (Signed) L. C. HOPKINS.
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