This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
'CHINA TRADE,
CONFIDENTIAL.
[6144]
(No. 8.) Sir,
No. 1.
C.O.
10574
[February 22.)
are 25 MAR 08 SECTION 6.
179
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.--(Received February 22.)
Peking, January 4, 1908. WITH reference to previous correspondence, as marked in the margin,* on the subject of the establishment of an official opium monopoly, I have the honour to report that, on learning recently from His Majesty's Consul at Kiukiang of an attempt to form a similar monopoly at that port, I reminded the Wai-wu Pu of the Nanking precedent and urged them to put a stop to these infringements of the Treaty, evidence of which was reaching me from various quarters.
The Ministers agreed to issue telegraphic instructions in the desired sense. On receiving later a despatch from His Majesty's Consul at Newchwang describing the efforts which were being made, with meagre success, to establish an Opium Bureau at that port, I addressed a note (a copy of which I have the honour to inclose) to the Wai-wu Pu, and requested that the authorities at Newchwang should be furnished with the same instructions as those which the Board had promised to forward to Kiukiang.
I have informed Mr. Tebbitt that the Taotai's proposal is inadmissible, and instructed him to press for the withdrawal of the Bureau.
I have, &c. (Signed) J. N. JORDAN.
P.S. January 8.-Since writing the above I have received a reply from the Wai-wu Pu to my note of the 3rd January, from which you will see that orders have been sent to the provincial authorities in Manchuria and Kiangsi to suppress the Government-prepared opium monopolies established in those provinces.
Inclosure 1 in No. 1.
J. N. J.
(No. 34.) Sir.
Acting Consul Tebbitt to Sir J. Jordan.
Newchwang, December 20, 1907. IN answer to your despatch No. 28 of the 18th November calling for full details concerning the local Government Opium Bureau, I have the honour to inform you that I called on the local Taotai and made verbal representations to him in the sense of your instructions. To this he replied in writing (vide Inclosure 2) on the 4th instant, giving mainly reasons to explain the decrease in the sales of Indian opium.
Before receiving this despatch I wrote to the Taotai, also on the 4th, amplifying my verbal protest, and to this letter the Taotai replied on the 12th December (vide Inclosure 3). In this reply the Taotai analyzes the constitution of the Opium Bureau, and argues that it is not a Government concern, but purely a commercial undertaking. He winds up with a desire to meet my protest by suggesting that the Bureau should annually purchase a decreasing quantity of Indian opium, based on the average of the last three years.
I also beg to inclose copy of the Proclamation authorizing the formation of the Bureau, as well as a copy of the Regulations governing the concern, which latter I was only able to obtain on the 17th instant.
The Bureau was started by the Taotai compelling the Chamber of Commerce to issue 1,000 shares of 100 dollars each, 50 dollars on each of which were to be paid up, and which shares the Chamber had to compel its members to subscribe to. Chamber of Commerce objected very much, as the merchants well realized that the undertaking could not pay and that their money would be in jeopardy,
As was to be expected, the Bureau has to compete with large sales of illicit opium or the secret importation from the neighbourhood. Moreover, as the Rules called for a
1907.
* Sir J. Jordan, No. 423, September 4; ditto, No. 434, September 14; ditto, No. 457, September 30,
[2842 y---6]
This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
'CHINA TRADE,
CONFIDENTIAL.
[6144]
(No. 8.) Sir,
No. 1.
C.O.
10574
[February 22.)
are 25 MAR 08 SECTION 6.
179
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.--(Received February 22.)
Peking, January 4, 1908. WITH reference to previous correspondence, as marked in the margin,* on the subject of the establishment of an official opium monopoly, I have the honour to report that, on learning recently from His Majesty's Consul at Kiukiang of an attempt to form a similar monopoly at that port, I reminded the Wai-wu Pu of the Nanking precedent and urged them to put a stop to these infringements of the Treaty, evidence of which was reaching me from various quarters.
The Ministers agreed to issue telegraphic instructions in the desired sense. On receiving later a despatch from His Majesty's Consul at Newchwang describing the efforts which were being made, with meagre success, to establish an Opium Bureau at that port, I addressed a note (a copy of which I have the honour to inclose) to the Wai-wu Pu, and requested that the authorities at Newchwang should be furnished with the same instructions as those which the Board had promised to forward to Kiukiang.
I have informed Mr. Tebbitt that the Taotai's proposal is inadmissible, and instructed him to press for the withdrawal of the Bureau.
I have, &c. (Signed) J. N. JORDAN.
P.S. January 8.-Since writing the above I have received a reply from the Wai-wu Pu to my note of the 3rd January, from which you will see that orders have been sent to the provincial authorities in Manchuria and Kiangsi to suppress the Government-prepared opium monopolies established in those provinces.
Inclosure 1 in No. 1.
J. N. J.
(No. 34.) Sir.
Acting Consul Tebbitt to Sir J. Jordan.
Newchwang, December 20, 1907. IN answer to your despatch No. 28 of the 18th November calling for full details concerning the local Government Opium Bureau, I have the honour to inform you that I called on the local Taotai and made verbal representations to him in the sense of your instructions. To this he replied in writing (vide Inclosure 2) on the 4th instant, giving mainly reasons to explain the decrease in the sales of Indian opium.
Before receiving this despatch I wrote to the Taotai, also on the 4th, amplifying my verbal protest, and to this letter the Taotai replied on the 12th December (vide Inclosure 3). In this reply the Taotai analyzes the constitution of the Opium Bureau, and argues that it is not a Government concern, but purely a commercial undertaking. He winds up with a desire to meet my protest by suggesting that the Bureau should annually purchase a decreasing quantity of Indian opium, based on the average of the last three years.
I also beg to inclose copy of the Proclamation authorizing the formation of the Bureau, as well as a copy of the Regulations governing the concern, which latter 1 was only able to obtain on the 17th instant.
The
The Bureau was started by the Taotai compelling the Chamber of Commerce to issue 1,000 shares of 100 dollars each, 50 dollars on each of which were to be paid up, and which shares the Chamber had to compel its members to subscribe to. Chamber of Commerce objected very much, as the merchants well realized that the undertaking could not pay and that their money would be in jeopardy,
As was to be expected, the Bureau has to compete with large sales of illicit opium or the secret importation from the neighbourhood. Moreover, as the Rules called for a
1907.
* Sir J. Jordan, No. 423, September 4; ditto, No. 434, September 14; ditto, No. 457, September 30,
[2842 y---6]
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