CO129-382 - Public Offices - 1911 — Page 410

1.

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

[B]

OPIUM.

CONFIDENTIAL,

[3065]

No. 1.

/235

Prof 6 MAR

[January 26.]

SECTION 1.

-408

Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received January 26.)

(No. 9.) Sir,

Peking, January 6, 1911. WITH reference to my despatch No. 456 of the 16th ultimo, reporting that the Viceroy at Canton had issued orders for the withdrawal of the proclamation limiting the amount of raw opium proceeding to Kiangsi under transit certificates, I have the honour to transmit herewith the copy of a further dospatch from His Majesty's consul- general at Canton, covering a letter from the Viceroy on the subject.

I concur in Mr. Jamieson's opinion that, as there is now no actual restriction as regards the quantity, no further representations are called for unless a concrete case of interference with opium covered by transit certificate should arise.

I have, &c.

J. N. JORDAN.

Enclosure 1 in No. 1.

Consul-General Jamieson to Sir J. Jordan.

(No. 44.) Sir,

Canton, December 21, 1910. HAVING reference to your telegram No. 24 of the 16th December, stating that a note had been addressed to you by the Wai-wu Pu to the effect that the proclamation regarding raw opium proceeding into Kiangsi under transit pass, copy of which was transmitted in my despatch No. 39 of the 12th November, had been withdrawn, I have now the honour to lay before you text of the Acting Governor-General's communication to me on the same subject.

It is contained in the answer to a despatch I had occasion to address to his Excellency in the matter of certain complaints put forward by the Government of Hong Kong at the instance of the British opium importing firms.

You will therefrom gather that, although the proclamation has been withdrawn, strict surveillance over the movements of such opium is to be maintained. So long, however, as there is no actual restriction in respect of quantity, or until a concrete case of wanton interference with opium under transit pass arises, there would appear to be no necessity for making further representations.

J. W. JAMIESON.

I have, &c.

Enclosure 2 in No. 1.

(Translation.)

Acting Governor-General to Consul-General Jamieson.

Canton, December 18, 1910.

I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch of the 7th instant in the matter of the prepared opium licence.

In reply, I have the honour to observe that the circumstances of the case referred to by you have not yet been reported to me. I have now issued instructions to the Opium Prohibition Bureau to furnish me with a report, on the receipt of which I will at once communicate with you again.

As regards your previous request that an answer might be given you in the matter of the gradual reduction in the amount of raw opium conveyed to Kiangsi, I at the time directed the bureau to make a report, which is now to hand. The bureau states that, when Kiangsi opium merchants purchase opium in Hong Kong and convey it to Kiangsi by sea viâ Shanghai and Kiukiang, the province of Kuangtung is in no way concerned. Recently, however, large quantities have been

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