CO129-373 - Public Offices - 1910 — Page 323

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

OPIUM.

CONFIDENTIAL.

[38846]

No. 1.

[October 25.]

3447 SECTION 1.

RECO

RECS O NOV 10

Sir,

Colonial Office to Foreign Office.--(Received October 25.)

Downing Street, October 24, 1910. I AM directed by the Secretary of State for the Colonies to transmit to you, with reference to letter from the Colonial Office of the 12th October, copy of despatch (with enclosures) from the Acting Governor of Hong Kong on the subject of the taxation of foreign opium at Canton,

I am, &c.

FRANCIS J. S. HOPWOOD.

Enclosure I in No. 1.

(Confidential.) My Lord,

Acting Governor Sir F. May to the Earl of Crewe.

Government House, Hong Kong, September 16, 1910.

IN continuation of my Confidential despatch of the 5th instant, I have the honour to forward correspondence on the taxation of opium. The situation remains unchanged.

I have, &c.

F. H. MAY,

Officer Administering the Government,

Sir,

Enclosure 2 in No. 1.

Messrs. D. and Messrs. E. D. Sassoon and Co. to Mr. Thomson.

Hong Kong, September 6, 1910. WITH reference to your letter of the 2nd instant, enclosing a translation of a report by the Canton Opium Bureau regarding the seizure of two chests of Bengal opium at Suntong, we beg to point out that from enquiries made from the interested dealer we find there are several misstatements in this report

1. Eighty balls were seized and not seventy-nine,

2. The opium was not conveyed to Hsin Tang, but was being taken to Tsang Sheng and Loongmoon, and the opium was also port-marked for those places and was seized on board the junk. The chest for Tsang Sheng was to be taken to the Chien Ch'ang shop there.

3. The dealer was forced to sign an undertaking to pay a fine of 1,850 taels. documents were dictated by the Kwong Wing Yuen general office.

The

4. The opium was detained at Sheklung and kept by the Kwong Wing Yuen runners with the Wai Yuen bankers, who also act as agents for the Kwong Wing

licence. any Yuen general office. This bank does not deal in opium nor holds

We beg to enclose, for your information, copy of a letter received from Messrs. Sales and Co., Canton, with a transit certificate attacherl.*

We have, &c.

DAVID SASSOON and Co. (Limited),

(R. J. JOSEPH, Manager). E. D. SASSOON AND Co.

* Not enclosed.

(2957 bb --1].

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