661372-1888-Opium-Monopoly-Notice- — Page 1

THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 26TH MAY, 1888.

GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.---No. 223.

515

Sealed Tenders will be received at the Colonial Secretary's Office till 3 o'clock on Thursday afternoon, the 21st day of June, 1888, for the purchase of the entire privileges and monopolies known as the Prepared Opiuin Farms established under The Opium Ordinances 1884 and 1887, for three years from March 1st, 1889.

By Command,

Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 26th May, 1888.

CONDITIONS OF TENDERING.

FREDERICK STEWART, Colonial Secretary.

1. No tender will be received unless the tenderer produces a receipt from the Treasurer for,--

(i.) A deposit of $30,000, or of Title Deeds, or other approved securities to a like amount,

and (ii) A stamped agreement to be executed by him on a form provided by the Treasurer, to the effect that, if he should decline to accept a grant of the Farm on the terms of the tender sent in by him, such deposit or securities shall be forfeited to the Crown. Such deposit must be completed not later than Noon on the 20th of June. All such deposits will be returned to unsuccessful tenderers.

2. The tender must state the monthly sum offered for the Farms as rent.

3. The Government does not bind itself to accept the highest or any tender.

4. The Security deposited with the Treasurer by the successful tenderer will be retained, until such successful tenderer shall have entered into a Bond and lodged security either in money or title deeds to the value of two months' rent of the Farm for the due performance of the conditions of such bond.

5. The Governor in Council will execute to the accepted bidder a Grant in the form hereto annexed.

CONDITIONS to be fulfilled by the Grantee of the Opium Farm, and the breach of which will involve forfeiture of the Grant and of the penalty of the Bond to be signed in connection therewith.

(1.) The payment of the monthly fee regularly in advance, from the 1st day of April, 1889. (2.) To have no Opium in possession except what is reported through the Exports and Imports Office; and to pay a fee of $165 per picul for all Opium received in excess of 3,600 chests each year.

(3.) To part with Opium, either raw or in any state of preparation, only by sale, and at a price of not less than 40 cents per tael weight.

(4.) If the Opium Farmer wishes to dispose of Opium at a price less than 40 cents per tael weight, he is to obtain the permission of the Governor, which will not be granted except on proof, to the Governor's satisfaction, that such Opium is to be exported to places which are not Chinese Territory.

FORM OF GRANT.

TO ALL TO WHOM these Presents shall come, I, SIR G. WILLIAM DES Vœux K.C.M.G., Governor and Commander in Chief of the Colony of Hongkong and its Dependencies, and Vice- Admiral of the same, in Executive Council, SEND GREETING: WHEREAS by the Opium Ordinances 1884 and 1887, it is enacted amongst other things that the Governor in Council may grant to any persou for such consideration and upon such conditions and for such terms or periods and in such form as from time to time may be by the Governor in Council regulated and determined and also previously notified to the public in the Gazette the sole privilege of boiling and preparing Opium either inclusive or exclusive of dross opium, and of selling and retailing within the said Colony or the waters thereof opium so boiled or prepared, and that such privilege may from time to time be granted to the highest bidder to be ascertained either by public auction or by tender to be made in pursuance of notice to be published in the Gazette to that effect; AND WHEREAS it is by the said Ordinance also enacted that the holder of such privilege may grant licenses to proper persons authorising them to boil and prepare opium and to sell and retail opium so boiled and prepared, but that such licenses should be granted subject to such conditions as should from time to time be by the Governor in Council regulated and previously notified in the Gazette; AND WHEREAS notice was published in the Gazette

day of

188 that the said privilege therein described and

of the