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High Commissioners to enforce the prohibition of opium without fear or favour, the Commissioners denounced two officials, both Manchus, and holding office as Sub- Chancellors of the Grand Secretariat, and on the 30th July an Imperial Decree was issued cashiering them for falsely reporting abstinence from the drug. One of the cashiered Sub-Chancellors belongs to the Imperial family, and is a direct descendant of the Emperor Kanglisi. A month previously a District Magistrate was similarly degraded by Imperial Decree on the denunciation of the Governor of Honan, other officials are being less publicly removed, and the Acting Governor of a province is credibly believed to have died in the attempt to conquer the habit.
In the metropolis more attention has hitherto been paid to the curing or removal of opium-smoking officials than to the condition of the opium-smoking public, the idea of the Government being that it will be much easier to deal with the latter when the official classes have been purged. This is in accordance with the ninth of the Anti-Opium Regulations of November 1906, which strictly forbids the But smoking of opium by officials in order that an example may be set to others. the general public are now being taken in hand, and the following Regulations for the issue of certificates to smokers and licences to shops have been drawn up and published by the Ministry of the Interior:-
Opium Smokers.
1. These Regulations are framed and the certificates made out in accordance with the Anti-Opium Regulations which have received Imperial sanction.
Certificates will be issued to opium smokers, irrespective of sex or position, and will constitute permits to buy opium.
2. The certificates are divided into two classes :-
(1.) For raw opium; and
(2.) For prepared opium.
A certificate is valid for three months, so that it must be renewed quarterly.
3. Each opium smoker should apply for a certificate at the police station of the district within which the applicant resides before the 24th October, and no certificate will be issued after that date.
4. From the date of issue any one wishing to buy opium must present the certificate, without which no purchase can be made.
5. Any smoker applying for a certificate at the district police office must state clearly the applicant's name, age, birth-place, residence, and the amount daily consumed. No certificate will be issued to any one who does not state these particulars.
6. On application for the certificate, whether for raw or prepared opium, a fee proportionate to the amount of the daily consumption will be charged for the certificate. If the daily consumption is half an ounce the fee for the certificate will be 50 cash, for 1 ounce 100 cash, and so on.
7. Persons who are not habitual opium smokers should not apply for certificates
to enable them to purchase for others.
8. Certificate holders should obey the following Rules :--
(1.) When a smoker is buying the drug the certificate must be presented, otherwise no drug will be sold.
(2.) Whenever the holder of a certificate buys opium the quantity bought shall be inserted in the certificate and sealed by the opium shop.,
(3.) From the date of issue of the certificate a reduction of one-eighth shall
annually be made in the quantity stated in the certificate.
(4) After the expiry of the time limit given in the certificate no drug will be sold to the holder, and unless the expired certificate is returned to the district police office it will not be renewed.
(5.) On presenting the certificate the holder may buy an allowance for several days or a month, but the quantity purchasable at one time shall never exceed a three months' supply.
(6.) A certificate shall not entitle the bolder to purchase opium for time already expired.
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(7.) The holder of a certificate for raw will not be allowed to buy prepared opium, nor will such certificates be interchangeable on renewal.
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(S.) When a smoker exchanges opium ash for prepared opium the certificate giving the daily consumption must be presented, and the amount of prepared opium must be indorsed thereon as if bought in the ordinary way.
9. Smoking is prohibited in restaurants, brothels, and other places of entertain- ment, and persons, whether visitors or proprietors, even though holding certificates, are not allowed to produce or use smoking paraphernalia therein.
10. Visitors from other places not staying temporarily at inns may report themselves at the district police offices at any time and apply for certificates.
11. Opium-smoking guests at inns should report at the police office of the district and apply for certificates enabling them to buy opium.
12. Travellers on their arrival at Peking, who are ignorant of the Regulations and unacquainted with the place, should be notified by the innkeeper, who may also apply for certificates on their behalf.
13. The time limit of certificates issued to travellers shall be one instead of three months, as in the case of ordinary certificates, but the fee will be the same. 14. Certificates issued to travellers will be for prepared not raw opium.
15. A traveller applying for a certificate must comply with the following particulars :-
(1.) On application for a certificate the traveller must state clearly the applicant's naine, age, birth-place, daily consumption, and add the seal of the inn in which the applicant is staying. Without the seal of the inn no certificate will be issued.
(2.) Should guests arrive at an inn too late during the day to apply for certificates they may smoke, but they must report themselves the following day under penalty of a fine if discovered.
(3.) When a guest leaves the capital the innkeeper shall return the certificate to the issuing police station for cancellation.
(4.) If a guest at an inn when leaving the capital wishes to buy opium for the journey, the quantity allowed shall not exceed three days' consumption, based on the amount stated in the certificate.
16. In case the certificate is lost, the holder should report to the issuing office, and, when the authorities have satisfied themselves of its loss, a duplicate will be issued and the original certificate cancelled.
17. In the event of the holder of a certificate dying, the relatives or inmates of the house must return the certificate of the deceased to the district police office for cancellation.
18. Any one violating Rule 8, sections 2, 5, 6, and 7, and Rule 15, sections 2 and 3, will be punished with imprisonment for from one to not more than five days, or by a fine of from 1 to 5 dollars.
Violation of Rules 7, 14, 17 will be punished with imprisonment for from five to not more than ten days, or by a fine of from 5 to not more than 10 dollars. Violation of Rule 9 will entail on both proprietor and smoker a fine of 30 dollars each.
Opium Shops.
1. These Regulations have been prepared for the purpose of controlling the sale of opium.
2. All shops for the sale of prepared and raw opium are required to obtain licences from the police, renewable annually. When applying for a licence the name, location, and capital of the shop must be stated, and information must also be given as to whether prepared or raw opium is sold, and the amount actually in stock.
3. Fees payable are proportionate to the capital of the shop; those having a capital of 10,000 dollars will pay an annual fee of 6 dollars, on 5,000 dollars capital a fee of 4 dollars, and below 5,000 dollars a fee of 2 dollars.
4. Shops are not permitted to combine the sale of opium with other business. 5. Shops which have hitherto combined the sale of raw or prepared opium with other business are allowed a period of three months to dispose of all the opium in stock, and must then surrender their licences.
6. All shops for the sale of opium having a capital of less than 1,000 taels must be closed.
7. No additional opium shops must be opened, nor may those already existing
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