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of opium by persons unprovided with licence and certificate, or who have not paid the licence rate, is illegal.
Let each conform strictly without fail.
The nineteen Rules are indorsed hereon.
į
Licence Series
, No.
Dated Hsuan T'ung,
year,
issued to
moon,
day.
Smoker's Licence Rules.
1. Buying licences are of two sorts, (a) and (b): (a) for those over 60 years of age, (b) for those under 60. The amount smoked has to decrease annually, so as to insure uniform breaking off in order that there may be no excuse for expecting relaxation.
2. In concert with the police bureau the smokers will be ascertained and given a triplicate licence, renewable every three moons, which shall contain the holders' name and age, full address, and occupation, and his allowance, which may never rise; while prompt cessation of smoking is allowed, the licence must, to prevent personation thereon, be surrendered, and is not transferable. Removal or decease of the holder necessitates surrender in person or by relatives or neighbours.
3. For Wuchang, Hankow, and Hanyang separate triplicate certificates are issued to the police bureaux at which licence-holders must report their names and addresses, the amount and place of their intended purchases, and the rate payable thereon, whereupon the bureau, on production of this licence, will hand the smoker a certificate good for one purchase only on its date. Other districts will follow this example.
4. Both licence and certificate are issued gratis, but whenever a purchase is made the smoker will pay to the selling shop the proper rate at 40 cash per tael weight of raw and 60 cash per tael weight of boiled opium.
5. Both licence and certificate are necessary before opium may be sold to an applicant.
6. On any sale being made the shop will enter in the proper day's space on each licence the amount, and will authenticate the entry with its chop and will also chop the certificate as used up. Breach of this Rule will entail a penalty.
7. Licensee must not buy at any shop except that entered on the certificate, still less at any unlicensed place on pain of confiscation of the guilty shop, half the proceeds going to the informant, half to the State.
S. Certificates for a certain amount of boiled opium entitle the holder to buy it either daily or monthly as he chooses, but never more than three months' supply under pain of punishment, thus a daily allowance of 1 mace means a limit of 9 taels, and so on.
9. For buying purposes, 2 taels of raw opium equal 1 tael of boiled. Thus a daily allowance of 1 mace smoked or 3 taels a-month entitles to purchase 6 taels raw opium,
and so on.
10. The purchase certificate must state whether raw or boiled opium is to be bought, and the two are not interchangeable.
11. Purchasers may not buy from more than one shop a-day.
12. Licences become null and void on the expiry of the term for which they are
granted, and new ones will be issued only on the surrender of the old.
13. The barter of ash for raw or boiled drug requires production of certificate and licence on which the transaction must be entered, as in the case of a purchase, and the amount of drug received must be reckoned in the smoker's allowance and the rate paid accordingly.
14. Purchase certificates are valid only for the day of issue.
15. Unlicensed smoking entails a fine of fifty times the value of the amount of opium purchased, half the fine going to the State and half to the first informant. Persons unable to pay the fine will commute it in hard labour for a period settled on each occasion.
16. Licences for a limited period cannot be renewed nor supplemented on the plea of ill health. l'ersons removing from and to the country or elsewhere may get supplementary licences on giving surety bonds.
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17. Separate travellers' licences are issued, but require bonds from a shop or inn; they cover boiled opium only, and the holder has daily to take out a certificate and pay the rate like a resident smoker. If for less than ten days that period is entered on the licence, which is renewable every ten days in any case, the expired licences having to be handed in in person or by a relative or neighbour.
18. Lost or defaced licences may be replaced on application.
19. Licences must always be carried on the person to facilitate investigation. The above nineteen Rules have the sanction of his Excellency the Viceroy.
Travelling Smoker's Buying Licence.
Licence issued by the Opium Suppression Head Office for the whole of Hupei.
Whereas the traveller
years of age, native of Province, now staying for days at the
inn of this town smoking daily mace, has been duly registered a licence to purchase days' allowance is granted, authorizing him to take this licence each day to the permit issuing office and receive a permit to purchase boiled opium, in large or small amounts as desired, but only for
days. The opium shop will enter and chop on the square spaces appended to this licence the amount purchased, and the regular licence rate must at the time of purchase be paid to the opium shop, which will account for its total rate receipts periodically. Purchase or use of opium by persons unprovided with licence and permit, or who have not paid the licence fee is illegal.
This licence is good for ten days only, and must be renewed on the expira- tion of its term: if taken out for a period less than ten days the term must be notified, and on expiration the licence must be surrendered for cancellation.
Let each conform strictly without fail.
Licence Series
Dated Hsuan Tung,
No.
issued to
>
year,
moon,
day.
Certificate of Payment of Licence Rate.
Certificate of Payment of Licence Rate issued by the Opium Suppression Head Office for the whole of Hupei.
No.
This is to certify that the occupation
traveller [resident] smoker, residing at
}
holding original Licence Series
No.
notified the purchase of
inace,
to purchase opium, has this day candareens, for
mace,
of this certificate has paid to the
a licence rate of
total rate payments.
Dated Hsuan Tung,
days' consumption, and according to the fixed rules candareens, is payable, which sum the holder shop, to be accounted for in its periodical
year,
moon,
day. (LS.)
(Shop's Chop).
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