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those who hold licences and to no others.
You are to submit me these regulations quickly so that I will be able to notify all the consuls to inform their merchants accordingly.
Sir,
Enclosure 8 in No. 1.
Acting Governor Sir F. May to Mr. Max Müller.
Government House, Hong Kong, September 16, 1910. WITH reference to my despatch of the 13th instant, I have the honour to forward an extract from the "Wa Tsz Yat Po" of the 14th instant, together with the transla- tion which appeared in the "Hong Kong Daily Press" on the 15th instant.
I have, &c.
F. H. MAY,
Officer Administering the Government.
Sir,
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Enclosure 10 in No. 1.
Acting Governor Sir F. May to Mr. Max Müller.
Government House, Hong Kong, September 16, 1910. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge with thanks the receipt of your Excellency's despatch of 7th instant, and with reference to my despatch of the 16th instant, I forward the enclosed in Chinese of a letter addressed by the Canton Opium Guild to Messrs. E. D. Sassoon and Co. on the 14th instant, together with a translation of the letter supplied by Messrs. E. D. Sassoon and Co. to this Government on the 16th instant.
I have, &c.
F. H. MAY,
Officer Administering the Government,
Enclosure 9 in No. 1.
Extract from the "Hong Kong Daily Press" of September 15, 1910.
THE OPIUM MONOPOLY TAX: BRITISH PROTEST.
THE following telegram has been sent to the Viceroy of Canton by the Wai-wu Pu:---
In reference to the board's telegram to you of the 30th of the 7th moon. The British Minister has again reported that opium has been illegally seized in Swatow, Samshui, San Tong, and other places. Protest had been repeatedly made against such action without effect. The illegal seizure of opium still continues. The Minister's information is that on the 4th day of the 7th moon the firms named Po Fung and Po Ying were each fined 350 dollars for having sold 116 halls of opium without reporting the same to Kwong Wing Yuen, the opium farmer, and failing to ask the purchasers of the opium to pay the new tax. This opium, it is stated, was sold by the two firms previous to the new tax coming into force. Also the firm of Cho Kee, of Shui Hing, was forced under threats of cancelling their licence, to pay the new tax on eight chests of raw opium sold before the new law came into force, The farmer took no notice of the fact that the duty and li-kin tax on the said opium had already been paid. The British Minister states that he reported these actions of the Canton authorities to his Home Government, and has received a telegram stating that, though the general question is still under discussion, a strong protest should be made at once against the action of the Canton authorities.
"It has come to our knowledge that the so-called prepared opium tax is in reality another tax on raw opium. Whatever explanation may be given, it will not be accepted by the foreigners. Therefore, all the opium seized should be released, no fines must be imposed in such cases, and other arrangements must be made so as to avoid complaints endangering the position.
"When the board was discussing the question a telegram was received from Chan Ki Kin, president of the Anti-opium Burenu of Kwangtung, to the effect that Leung Chin Tong, the farmer of the prepared opium tax, was himself engaged in smuggling opium into the interior; that he is offering bribes and otherwise acting in violation of the regulations. Repeated complaints had been made by foreigners, and the telegram says that if he is not dismissed the anti-opium movement, as well as the tax, will be seriously affected. Please make investigation forthwith and appoint a trustworthy merchant in his place. As complaints have been made by foreigners as well as by Chinese, it is evident that the farmer is not conducting the business in a proper manner. Therefore better arrangements should be made. Dismiss the farmer, if necessary, after a thorough investigation so as to avoid complaints. Please give orders to comply with these instructions, and wire the result to the board."
Enclosure 11 in No. 1.
Canton Opium Guild to Messrs. H. D. Sassoon and Co.
(Translation.) Dear Sirs,
Canton, 11th day, Sth moon (September 14, 1910). WE have the honour to inform you that regarding the affairs of the Canton licence tax the Wai-wu Pu have repeatedly wired to Canton reprimanding against all its bad arrangements, and that although the newspapers have published the contents His Excellency has of the telegrams the Viceroy has taken no notice of the matter.
Nevertheless, the Deputy passed the telegrams on to the Anti-Opium Bureau. Chong Yim, who is the degraded magistrate of Chong Ng district, is an official of worthless type, and whatever he does, he does thoughtlessly, and is so daring and He has even declared that cunning that he takes no heed of his superiors. foreign devils could do nothing against him, that he would be firm in his action, and that the prepared licence tax could not be removed in spite of the Wai-wu Pu's telegrams.
We request you to beg the Governor of Hong Kong to communicate with the Wai-wu Pu, asking the latter to reproach the Canton Viceroy for having deliberately sided with his underlings and caused delay in the settlement of international complications. Then the matter may be ended.
We also hear that after the receipt of the telegrams from the Wai-wu Pu the Canton high officials have met together to discuss the matter regarding the licence tax, and they have come to the conclusion that this tax cannot be cancelled. They have decided not to further enforce the new taxation in Swatow and Macao, where international disputes have taken place, and to confine it to Canton as a preventative against the rise of international complications.
It seems that the Viceroy is in favour of the latter proposal. If that be the case, In other words, we are going to fold our our guild can never do any more business. armus to wait for death.
We request you again to beg the Hong Kong Governor to wire to Canton or the British Minister to urge the immediate cancelling of this tax.
Sir,
Yours faithfully,
TUNG BOOK TONG,
(Canton Opium Guild).
Enclosure 12 in No. 1.
Messrs. D. and Messrs. E. D. Sassoon and Co. to Mr. Thomson.
Hong Kong, September 16, 1910. IT has been reported to us that a certain party is now trying to obtain the right of collecting tax on opium in the Kwangtung Province in place of the Kwong Yuen General Office, the present monopolists. We are also informed that the Viceroy has been approached on the subject, and he asked for a set of new regulations to be drawn up and submitted for his approval.
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