CO129-347 - Governor Sir Lugard - 1908 [4-6] — Page 505

;

Conclosure 2.

HONGKONG GENERAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

RESOLUTION PASSED 16/5/08.

502

25273

13 JUL 28.

¿

The Committee of the Chamber record their strong protest

against any arbitrary orders from the Imperial Government to close

immediately the Opium divans in HongKong.

The Committee of this Chamber is entirely sympathetic to-

wards all reasonable bona-fide efforts for the mitigation of the

abuse of opium but is of the opinion that any action having for

its object the immediate suppression of the sale and use of opium

in HongKong will have serious effects on the economic conditions

here and lead to disastrous results to the Colony's prosperity

mless similar action is enforced in China.

It is therefore resolved to request the HongKong Covernment

to inform the Imperial Government that any hasty and ill-considered

action taken in this matter to the detriment of the interests of

this Colony will be generally resented, but that on the other hand

a policy of gradual reduction similar in its action to the Imperial

Government's agreement with India will be loyally supported.