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discounted by the fact that people smoke opium at home. No effort is made to restrict the public sale of the drug, which still goes on as before. The medicines sold by the natives contain opium or morphia themselves, and the only medicines not containing these drugs are those sold by the missionaries.
Shensi. In this province, too, so far as the three reports received show, apathy reigns supreme. Reports from Lung-chou and Han-chung state that in both these places Proclamations have been issued, but that nothing further has been done. The Taotai and Hsien of the latter are both said to be heavy smokers. More opium in these districts has been grown this year than last. The officials show the usual calm indifference, and the answers to the questions referring to their action or attitude is always "No," "Nothing done," &c. At Ching-ning two Proclamations have been issued which strictly prohibit the cultivation of poppy, but here, too, the area so planted is not diminished and matters continue as before.
Kiukiang.
Further missionary reports from this Consular district show that little has been done by the local officials except to issue one or two Proclamations, while there seems to be a good deal of indifference on the part of the officials and gentry, some being addicted to the habit. An attendant of the Sub-Prefect has himself an opium shop.
Ningpo.
His Majesty's Consul reported on the 23rd July that with the exception of the issue of a few Proclamations nothing had been done in the province towards the enforce- ment of the Regulations. During a visit to Wenchow he learnt that Proclamations had been issued there fixing the 8th August as the date for closing all opium deus. The owners of the dens had thereupon petitioned that the date for closing should be postponed for two months, but the request was refused by the authorities. Two-thirds of the population there being said to be in favour of the closing, it was not thought possible for the owners of the dens to cause any disturbance.
His Majesty's Consul again reported on the 13th August that all the opium dens în Ningpo city and on the Settlement were closed on the 9th instant without disturbance, The result was largely due to the influence exerted by the "Shang Ya Hui," or, as they call themselves, the Self-governing Association," which was started at Ningpo at the end of last year, and to which most of the gentry of the neighbourhood belong. The Association has branches in most of the small towns and villages around Ningpo, and its aim is to keep order in all such places and to settle small matters which the officials have not time to attend to. The chief objects of the Association are the suppression of gambling, immorality, opium-smoking, processions and theatres, and robbery, and the foundation of elementary schools. They have written to and obtained the support of many missionaries on the ground that the Association is not at all anti-Christian, and that what it is trying to prevent is also prohibited by the Christian religion. In the present instance the Association has certainly made its influence felt.
Missionary reports forwarded at the same time are most discouraging reading, as the replies to most of the queries as to steps being taken in the local districts are in the negative.
Peking.
A native newspaper announces on the 30th June that Sir Robert Hart has presented to the Wai-wu Pu a Memorandum embodying a scheme for the suppression of foreign opíum.
On the 24th July another newspaper stated that Sir Robert Hart had given instruc- tions to Commissioners of Customs to send an officer on board all steamers, Chinese or foreign, arriving in port to prevent opium-smoking and to fine the captain heavily if any is discovered.
Opium Monopoly System.-The following newspaper extracts on this subject are interesting:-
July 7.It is intended to make the opium monopoly system adopted in Peking as a model for the whole country. The opium shops are to be all closed, and their stocks taken over at a price by the Government, which will prepare the crude opium for use and sell it in diminishing quantities."
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July 18.-"The Board of the Interior has sent orders to all Provincial Governments to study the circumstances of their provinces, with a view to trying the system of a monopoly of the sale of opium universally, so as to prevent the sale falling into bad hands and to further the sure enforcement of the prohibition."
July 23.The Home Office has drawn up a set of over forty Regulations for the intended Government monopoly of opium. They are at present under consideration by Prince Su, and when he has approved them they will be submitted to the Throne."
August 2-Owing to the difficulty of finding the money required for the establishment of the intended opium monopoly in Peking, Prince Su intends to memorialize the Throne to direct the Board of Finance to raise a loan for that purpose."
Shanghae.
Closure of Shanghac Dens.-The closure of all opium dens in Shanghae city and the extra-Settlement districts was effected in a successful and peaceable manner on the 22nd June. The guilds, whose antagonism was much to be feared, ultimately gave united support to the Taotai, and all the gentry and respectable merchants of all denominations were loud in support of the measure, which became a fashionable and popular movement. For the rest, there is no doubt that several thousand bad characters had come to Shanghae to take the opportunity of making trouble should such present itself. The Taotai and District Magistrates early showed that these would be granted little mercy if such attempts were made. The lower classes were overawed by the display of force. Every street was thoroughly and systematically patrolled by regulars and volunteers. Proclamations were daily issued and personal tours of inspection made by the authorities. In consequence no sign of trouble was met. The Taotaï's success has been quoted on several occasions to the Soochow authorities by the Throne, as the suppression in Soochow is being tardily carried out. The Governor Chen is by no means an energetic official in this or any other matter. He has decided that the 8th August shall be the date of closure, but one native newspaper reports that, in consequence of the repeated hints thrown out by the metropolitan authorities that it would be advisable to follow more closely the example of the Shanghae authorities, he has advanced the date by fifteen days.
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Government Monopoly.--There would seem to be no doubt that a Goverument monopoly of opium is being set on foot in many provinces, the scheme being to compensate the officials for the loss of the income formerly derived from the issue of the opium den licences. Their original intention was to invite the wealthy merchants to take shares in the enterprise and to subscribe funds for the purchase of the existing stock of opium. There does not seem to have been much enthusiasm on the part of the merchants to put capital into a venture the direction of which would be solely in the hands of the officials, and, as the official funds are reported to be inadequate for purpose, it is probable that the monopoly will resolve itself into "farms," similar to those which exist in Hong Kong. The scheme of establishing an official monopoly would not seem to be novel. From the inception of the anti-opium movement frequent mention has been made in the Regulations issued by the authorities of a " Bureau for the Surveillance and Taxation of Government Prepared Opium," and the Hong Kong Regulations were sent for and studied with a view to their adoption in this province. The foreign opium importers view with apprehension this monopoly, reasoning that if it comes into working there will be but one bidder for Indian opium, the official, who, having done away with all competition, will be able to name his own price.
The International Settlement.-The number of opium houses in the Settlement is approximately 1,600, and the revenue derivable therefrom has been estimated for the current year at 75,000 taels (11,0007.).
Wuhu.
His Majesty's Consul reports on the 15th July that the local native press had during the previous few days been announcing that the Imperial Regulations were to be enforced throughout the province in the near future. One paper stated that arising had been occasioned at Kuo Yang Hsien by the Magistrate arbitrarily uprooting the whole of the opium crop in the district. A missionary doctor at the port reports that, except that some auti-opium Societies had been started and officially encouraged, nothing had up to the 24th June been done in obedience to the Regulations. On the 23rd July His Majesty's Consul reported that a native newspaper had published a
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