DUDELL Go
287
Incidentally, the Mr. Duddell referred to was Mr. George Duddell, who had the first exclusive privilege of selling opium for consumption in the Colony in small quantities. Otherwise no-one could sell less than a chest of opium. He secured the monopoly in 1844, at a monthly payment of $720. In 1845, however, he was succeeded by a Chinese syndicate who paid $1,710 a month for the privilege. He is commemorated in Duddell Street.
Reference has previously been made to Mr. George Duddell (see 1-7-33) after whom Duddell Street was named.
He was appointed Government Auctioneer on April 14, 1857, and a Parliamentary return published in 1873, gives some information relative to the affairs of Mr. Duddell and the Government in 1857. He signed a contract to supply the combined forces with bread and biscuit for one year commencing on April 1, of that year. In January, however, the Chinese baker who then held the contract attempted to poison the whole of the European forces and residents by mixing arsenic with the bread. Providentially the attempt failed, too large a quantity of poison having been used (See 26-6-33). "This diabolical proceeding placed the British authorities in great difficulty and exposed the whole British community to great peril" as the chronicle avers.
At the urgent request of the authorities, Mr. Duddell consented to commence his contract two months earlier than stipulated, notwithstanding the great risk and responsibility which he knew the undertaking would involve. The consequence of this service was that he became a marked man and, as he believed, rewards were offered by the Chinese authorities at Canton to anyone who would murder him.
On the night of March 6, 1861, one of his warehouses and all the flour and biscuits was willfully set on fire and totally destroyed. The loss sustained was $17,000. There can be no reasonable doubt that the property was destroyed at the instigation of the Chinese authorities, but there was no conclusive evidence of this fact at the time. A memorial was presented to the Government but the advice to the Law Advisers to the Crown was that the claim was one which could not, with propriety be brought by the English against the Chinese Government.
In 1862, Mr. Duddell again appealed unsuccessfully to the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury. By this decision he abided until the beginning of 1872, when he heard that there was a surplus of the Chinese Indemnity Fund after the claims of those for whom the fund was primarily intended, had been satisfied. Upon this, he again petitioned the Lords Commissioners, and fortified his claim by reference to certain cases in which compensation was given in consequence of there being an undistributed balance - although the claims were not strictly legal.
On March 21, 1873, he received a reply referring him to the answer given him 10 years previously, and stating also that the unallotted balance of the Indemnity Fund had been paid into the Exchequer and was therefore, no longer at the disposal of the Board.
This piece of history taken from the old Hongkong Times was an extract from the Brighton Times. It would therefore appear that Mr. Duddell had retired from the Colony and was in this year residing in Brighton, where probably he had the
DUDELL Go
287
Incidentally, the Mr. Duddell referred to was Mr. George Duddell, who had the first exclusive privilege of selling opium for consumption in the Colony in small quantities. Otherwise no-one could sell less than a chest of opium. He secured the monopoly in 1844, at a monthly payment of $720. In 1845, how- ever he was succeeded by a Chinese syndicate who paid $1,710 a month for the privilege. He is commemorated in Duddell Street.
Reference has previously been made to Mr. George Duddell (see 1-7-33) after whom Duddell Street was named.
He was appointed Government Auctioneer on April 14, 1857, and a Par- liamentary return published in 1873, gives some informacion re- lative to the affairs of Mr. Duddell and the Government in 1857. He signed a contract to supply the combined forces with bread and biscuit for one year commencing on April 1, of that year. In January, however, the Chinese baker who then held the con- tract attempted to poison the whole of the European forces and residents by mixing arsenic with the bread. Providentially the attempt failed, too large a quantity of poison having been used ( See 26-6-33 1. "This diabolical proceeding placed the Bri- tish authorities in great difficulty and e xposed the whole British community to great peril " as the chronicle avers.
At the urgent request of the authorities, Mr. Duddell consented to commence his contract two months earlier than stipulated, notwithstanding the great risk and responsibility which he knew the undertaking would involve. The consequence of this service was that he became a marked man and, as he believed, rewards were offered by the Chinese authorities at Canton to anyone who would murder him.
On the night of March 6, 1861, one of his warehouses and all the flour and biscuits was willfully set on fire and totally destroyed. The loss sustained was $17,000/ There can be no reasonable doubt that the property was destroyed at the insti- gation of the Chinese authorities, but there was no conclusive evidence of this fact at the time. A memorial was presented to the Government but the advice to the Law Advisers to the Crown was that the claim was one which could not, with propriety be brought by the English against the Chinese Government.
In 1862, Mr. Duddell again appealed unsuccessfully to the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury. By this deci- sion he abided until the beginning of 1872, when he heard that there was a surplus of the Chinese Indemnity Fund after the claims of those for whom the fund was primarily intended, had been satisfied. Upon, this he again petitioned the Lords Commi- ssioners, and fortified his claim by reference to certain cases in which compensation was given in consequence of there being an undistributed balance - although the claims were not stric- tly legal.
On March 21, 1873, he received a reply referring him to the answer given him 10 years previously, and stating also that the unallotted balance of the Indemnity Fund had been paid into the Exchequer and was therefore, no longer at the disposal of the Board.
This piece of history taken, from the old Hongkong Times was an extract from the Brighton Times. It would there fore appear that Mr. Duddell had retired from the Colony and was in this year residing in Brighton, where probably he had the
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