681625-1881-Opium-Smuggling-from-Hongkong-to-China- — Page 1

THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 11TH JUNE, 1881.

OPIUM SMUGGLING FROM HONGKONG TO CHINA.

The following copies and extracts of despatches have been laid before the Legislative Council. By His Excellency's Command,

Council Chamber, Hongkong, 3rd June, 1881.

455

ARATHIOON SETH, Acting Clerk of Councils.

No. 32.

GOVERNOR HENNESSY, C.M.G., TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE EARL OF CARNARVON.

GOVERNMENT HOUSE, HONGKONG, 11th June, 1877.

MY LORD,-Adverting to Mr. GARDINER AUSTIN'S despatch No. 48 of the 14th of March, respect- ing the seizure of a Junk and its cargo in the waters of this Colony by a Chinese Revenue Cruiser, I have the honour to lay before Your Lordship copies of the correspondence and reports on the subject.

2. A few days after my arrival in Hongkong, I received a communication from the British Consul at Canton, reporting that the Viceroy had paid $200, being the estimated compensation for the loss of the Junk, and had returned 660 balls of opium, being the whole amount the Chinese Government could trace. The Consul added, that as the Viceroy had also made a full apology to the Hongkong Govern- ment for the misconduct of the Chinese subordinates (who had also been punished), he hoped the matter might be considered as settled,

3. Looking, however, to the serious character of the outrage committed, I did not feel justified in accepting less than the total quantity of opium originally claimed by this Government, and I, therefore, asked for 1111⁄2 balls in addition to the 660 already received.

4. Sir BROOKE ROBERTSON, writing on the 5th of May, again urged me not to insist on getting the 111 balls of opium. In my reply, of the 12th of May, I adhered to the original demand, with a slight modification, consequent on foregoing the claim made for compensation for the loss of the Junk over and above its actual value. I, however, added that, looking to the circumstances under which I found the Junk had cleared from the Harbour of Hongkong, it was not my intention to return the value of the Junk or of the cargo to the former owner.

5. On the 2nd of June, the Consul replied that the Viceroy agreed to send to this Government the value of the 111 balls of opium, thus complying with the full demand that had been made.

6. In concluding the correspondence, the British Consul says:-"I have further to state that I "am convinced that the action His Excellency the Governor is prepared to take in cases of smuggling "from the Colony, will go far towards suppressing an evil which has heretofore entailed "Governments of both Hongkong and Canton serious difficulties and much misunderstanding."

upon the

7. The action on my part to which the Consul refers, arises out of the simple enforcement of the existing law of Hongkong. The Junks that are employed in smuggling opium to the mainland, begin their operations by violating the laws of this Colony. For reasons easy to understand, such Junks prefer to leave the harbour after nightfall, and they dispense with the ordinary clearance paper or permit. In doing so, they violate Sections XIII and XIV of Ordinance No. 6 of 1866.

8. Your Lordship will see from the enclosed papers that, by his own admission, as well as by other evidence, the Master of the Junk deliberately left Hongkong Harbour after the legal hours had passed, and that he did so without the necessary permit. Though the Marine Magistrates (Mr. MAY and Mr. THOMSETT) declined to inflict a penalty, yet, as the facts were undisputed, and Section XIX of the Ordinance says:

"Every Master of a Junk violating the provisions of Sections XIII and XIV shall be “imprisoned with hard labour for any period not exceeding twelve and not less than three calendar months, and such Junk and her cargo shall be forfeited to the Crown," my predecessor, in his minute of the 7th of February last, expressed the opinion that the opium should be confiscated.