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4
It is my earnest hope that you will one and all follow your proper calling and gain your livelihood.
You must not be ungrateful or resentful at my admonitions to you.
An urgent proclamation! Let there be no disobedience to these commands!
C. O.
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[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
CHINA TRADE.
CONFIDENTIAL.
REG? 12 OCT 09
[September 6.]
608
SECTION 2.
Inclosure 4 in No. 1.
Proclamation issued by the Governor-General of Yünnan and Kueichou, May 29, 1909. (Translation.)
IN the matter of the suppression of opium, official deputies have been sent throughout Yunnan to make both secret and public investigations. Now, if imposters pretending to be such deputies, shall falsely extort money, no matter whether these persons are or are not in official employment, it is permitted to forthwith hale them before the magistrate, and they shall surely be severely dealt with. Be careful then, and do not dare to extort money under false pretences !
[33419]
No. 1.-
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.--(Received September 6.)
(No. 290.) Sir,
Peking, August 17, 1909. WITH reference to my despatch No. 228 of the 24th June last, I have the honour to transmit to you herewith copy of a despatch from His Majesty's consul at Nanking relative to the question as to whether the opium licensing regulations issued by the provincial authorities constitute an infringement of treaty rights.
I have written to Mr. Goffe in the despatch, copy of which is enclosed, to inform him of the attitude which His Majesty's Government desire to adopt in the matter, in accordance with the terms of your despatch No. 70 of the 10th March last, and to instruct him, without making any general protest against the enforcement of the rules, to request the Viceroy to issue directions that foreign opium must be excluded from the operation of any clauses which are intended to apply to the wholesale trade.
In this connection I have the honour to transmit copy of a despatch from His Majesty's Consul General at Shanghae reporting that the governor of Kiangsu has instructed the Provincial Opium Bureau that the licensing rules of the province are only intended to apply to native grown opium,
I have, &c. (In the absence of His Majesty's Ambassador),
W. G. MAX MÜLLER.
Inclosure 1 in No. 1.
Q
(No. 24.) Sir,
Consul Goffe to Sir J. Jordan.
Nanking, August 2, 1909. I HAVE the honour to refer you to my telegram No. 8 of yesterday's date on the subject of the Acting Viceroy's interference with the freedom of the trade in foreign opium.
Early in May of this year, when the new opium regulations, précis translation of which was enclosed in my despatch No. 23 of the 30th June, first appeared in the "Gazette," Messrs. Sassoon and Co. took exception to them as being an infringement of treaty rights, and requested me to procure their being held in abeyance until the matter had been considered by the authorities at Peking. I more than once discussed the question with his Excellency Tuan Fang, who, on each occasion, assured me that the regulations were only concerned with native opium and would in no way affect the trade in foreign opium.
On the 21st June two of Messrs. Sassoon and Co.'s representatives came to see me and handed me three permits, issued by the kung hongs, for the import of stated quantities of Indian opium from Shanghae. They complained that the issue of these permits was an infringement of the right of free trade accorded to British merchants by the treaties, and was also contrary to the assurances given by the Viceroy that the regulations only concerned native opium.
The following day I had an interview with the Viceroy and showed him the permits handed to me by Messrs. Sassoon and Co. He asked me to see Mr. Hsu of the Treasury Office, who was in charge of the opium bureau, and arrange the matter with him. I subsequently met Mr. Hsu at the Foreign Office and discussed with him, at length, the whole question of the trade in foreign opium. He promised to give the points I had raised his careful consideration and to let me know his decision in a few days. On the 28th June he sent me a note, copy and translation of which I enclose herewith, in which he states that the kung hongs are only concerned with native opium and had no business to issue permits for the foreign trade,
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