CO129-384 - Public Offices - 1911 — Page 12

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to be engaged in fomenting outbreaks in China, will be required

to leave the Colony, and if they do not do so will be deported.

The result of the searches has been the capture of some impor- tant revolutionary literature including telegraphic codes, maps

and cyphers. For this assistance the Viceroy has repeatedly

expressed his most cordial and earnest thanks. One of the Chi-

nese papers in Hongkong has for some time past published arti-

cles hostile to the Chinese Government, and I have recently

instituted a prosecution. The Editor has been convicted and

sentenced to two years' imprisonment. This will have a most

salutary effect, and Mr. Wei Han expressed unbounded delight

on hearing the news.

11. In another matter also the Government of China has

recently had a need of the good offices of this Government.

It has transpired that the Government of India has issued a

single certificate to cover varying numbers of chests of Malwa

opium.

These have in many instances been divided up and sold

separately, while the certificate remains in the hands of the

Merchant. Even in the case of Bengal opium for which a sopa-

rate certificate has been issued for each chest, the opium

has been sold and the certificate never called in. As the

marking of certificated cheste consists merely of a stencil

mark "China" (with a Crown added in the case of Malwa) it is

exceedingly easy to stamp this mark on uncertified chests, in point of fact I am told that it is already being done in

the Straite Settlements. The Chinese Commissioner of Customs

each has appealed to me to issue sub-certificates for a chest, to examine every chest on landing and give it an unmistake- able number, (in fact to keep a register of the life history of each chest), and to address the Government of India on the Bubject. I need not here go into details.

It is sufficient

and

to say that Mr. Harris tells me that without this assistance he cannot possibly give effect to the Opium Convention, in doing so this Government derives no benefit whatever,

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but

and

incurs