CO129-371 - Public Offices - 1910 — Page 183

[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]

со

OPIUM.

CONFIDENTIAL.

R

[290]

¡No. 1.

181

[January 3.]

3503

SECTION 20

IRECT

Reef 3 FEB 10,

Sir,

Colonial Office to Foreign Office.--(Received January 3.)

Downing Street, January 1, 1910. WITH reference to previous correspondence upon the opium question I am directed by the Earl of Crewe to transmit to you a copy of a despatch from the Governor of Hong Kong, and to state that his Lordship would be obliged if Secretary Sir E. Grey would be so good as to furnish him with a list of the countries which prohibit or restrict the import of opium, morphine or compounds of opium, and with copies of the regulations issued by the Governments concerned.

2. I am also to inclose a copy of a further despatch from the Governor, together with a copy of a letter which has been addressed to the Board of Trade on the subject of the exportation of morphine from the United Kingdom.

I am, &c.

H. BERTRAM COX.

Enclosure 1 in No. 1.

Governor Sir F. Lugard to the Earl of Crewe,

My Lord.

Government House, Hong Kong, September 24, 1909. WITH reference to my despatch No. 257 of the 10th instant, I have the honour to draw your Lordship's attention to the fact that section 36 of Ordinance No. 23 of 1909 requires that the names of all countries which prohibit the import of prepared opium or dross opium should be notified in the " Hong Kong Gazette," while section 32 requires that the names of all countries which prohibit or restrict the import of morphine or of compounds of opium, and the regulations made by such countries for the purpose should be similarly published.

2. I shall, therefore, be obliged if your Lordship will be good enough to move His Majesty's Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to cause this Government to be supplied with the necessary information.

Enclosure 2 in No. 1.

I have, &c.

F. D. LUGARD.

Governor Sir F. Lugard to the Earl of Crewe.

My Lord,

Government House, Hong Kong, September 24, 1909. IN reply to your Lordship's despatch No. 160 of the 18th ultimo, I have the honour to forward the enclosed memorandum which explains the circumstances in which this Government decided to reduce the royalty payable to the opium farmer on morphine from 30 dollars to 10 dollars per tacl, and the precautions taken to prevent the sale of morphine in this colony except for legitimate medical purposes.

2. As your Lordship will have noted from the printed memorandum enclosed in my confidential despatch of the 15th of last March, I hold the view very strongly indeed that the sale of morphine and of opium for eating which is rapidly increasing in China, constitutes a more serious danger to the welfare of the Chinese nation--and also to the Chinese population of this colony-than the smoking of the drug. I would invite your Lordship's attention more particularly to the last three paragraphs of the enclosed memorandum, from which you will see that as from the 28th February next the sale by unqualified Chinese vendors of morphine and compounds of opium will entirely cease, and the highest reasonable duty will be imposed upon both morphine and opium sold by reputable chemists under effective supervision.

[2606 c-2]

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