CO129-349 - Governor Sir Lugard - 1908 [10-12] — Page 106

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these 52 Divans being closed.

13.

At this Meeting of Executive

Council the question of the ten unlicensed Divans was

further considered and the Attorney-General advised that

You

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as most of the licensed Opium Divans had obtained the

signing of their licences after the legal date, the ten

Divans concerned were not singular especially as they had

already paid the fee for their licence to the Opium Farmer.

The Attorney-General added that when he wrote his minute

of the 26th. June, a copy of which was enclosed in my

Despatch of the 2nd. July, he was unaware that the Divan

-keepers were practically licensed by the Opium Farmer and

that their fees had actually been paid to the Farmer. In

these circumstances he gave it as his opinion that the ten

unlicensed Divans were in the same category as the remain-

-ing licensed Divans. In view of the Attorney-General's

opinion the Council decided that there were no sufficient

grounds for treating the ten Divans in question in any

other manner than all the remaining Divans, and it was

advised that this opinion should be submitted to Your

Lordship and Your Lordship's decision awaited. Meanwhile

the ten Divans have remained open: but no licences have

been issued.

14.