CO129-394 - Governor Sir May & Public Offices - 1912 [12] — Page 23

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the proportion of 10% the annual diminution of the export of opium from India until the 31st December 1917. The entering into the Agreement of the 8thay 1911 was rendered imperative by reason of the agitation en- gendered by the harassing measures and illegal taxations imposed by the Chinese Government against Foreign Opium (which were wholly contrary to the then existing Treaty and the British Government in consideration of the removal of these harassing measures and the imposition of the illegal taxations agreed tu consent to the Chinese Government raising the duty and likin on opium from Taels 110. to Taels 350, and further the British Covernment agreed to diminish and have diminished the output

His Maj- from India thus making a further concession in that matter. esty's Government by the same agreement were further prepared to continu the agrangement of 1907 until the 31st December 1917 upon certain con-

Dealing with ditions contained in atticles 1 to 10 of such Agreement, these conditions the last paragraph of article 7 does certainly entitle the Chinese Government to take some steps to suppress the smoking of

It is quite clear opium and to regulate the retail trade in the drug.

however,

from the first paragraph of this article that total immediate suppression is contrary to the intention of the article and it is equal- ly clear that the Chinese Government by taking steps to bring about a total suppression of opium smoking or retail dealing immediately or in the near future would certainly be imposing restrictions on the whole- sale trade in the drug. Moreover, the whole Agreement shows that the intention was that suppression should be gradual extending generally over the unexpired period of the 7 years mentioned in the preamble i. e.

until the end of the year 1917.

We respectfully submit, therefore, that the Chinese Government right to suppress the smoking of spium and to restrain retail trade is ↑ limited, at any rate, as to the time in which this suppression and custo