THE FORMOSAN OPIUM REGULATIONS.
[TROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.]
TAIPERTU, 14th February: The opium difficulty has at last been disposed £, and the Opium Regulations have been pub lished by order of the Governor-General.
Mr. R. Hughes, of Kobe, representing Samuels & Co., who are to take over the opium Importation exclusively, has arrived to establish the business. It is hoped he will remain per- sonally in charge, as some difficulties will no doubt be encountered before the system is run- ning smoothly, but under his skilful superinten- dence we may expect them to be reduced to a minimum. As this change will directly interest no small number of merchants I have obtained a translation of the Regulations, which I give
entire
The importation and manufacture of any drugs containing opium to such an extent that the same effect as prepared opium is produced are prohibited. Also to buy, sell, deliver, receive, or possess the same without having obtained a licence is prohibited.
Art: III.-Such persons as are recognized as having fallen into opium habits will be allowed to buy and smoke refined opium, and to them will be issued perimits.
Art. IV-Special permits will be granted to those who make application to enter upon the following occupations :-
1.--Retailing refined opium.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
or drags of like effect will be liable to imprison ment at hard labour for a term not exceeding four years or a fine not exceeding 1,800 yen.
Any person without a licence who is found disposing of powdered opium wholesale, or who has bought, sold, delivered, received, or possesses powdered opium, will be liable to imprisonment at hard labour for a term not exceeding four years or a fine not exceeding 1,300 yen.
In the above three cases, the opium shall be forfeited, as well as any monies received for the sale of same.
ADDITIONAL REGULATIONS.
Art. XII.-For purposes of disposal of the prepared opium and the powdered opium as well as for the granting of licences in accordance with the above regulations the island will be divided into districts, and these regulations will be put into practice in these districts in such order as will best suit the convenience of the Government.
THE FORMOSA OPIUM REGULATIONS. Art. I.-The term "Opium" in these re-
Art. XIII-Even though these regulations gulations refers to raw opium, prepared opium, have been published, if the licences have not and powdered opium.
been granted in certain districts, the following Art. II-Prepared (refined) opium and pow-regulations should be observed until the granting dered opium are to be sold only by the of licences has been put into effect :— Government.
1.-Only those persons who are habitual opium smokers are allowed to purchase and possess prepared opium and opium smoking apparatus, and to smoke opium. 2.-Those persons who have hitherto been engaged in the manufacture or retailing of prepared opium or opium smoking apparatus may continue in these occupations. 3.-Those persons who have hitherto been engaged in the occupation of keepers of opium smoking houses may continue in this occupation and may also buy and possess opium smoking apparatus. 4.-Those persons who have previously obtained raw opium, refined opium, or smoking apparatus, but not as dealers in these articles, may continue to possess them or sell them to the dealers. Art. XIV.-In those districts where the granting of the licence certificates and the sale of refined and powdered opium by the Govern- ment has been put into effect, the opium and opium smoking apparatus held by any persons without licence certificates shall be transferred to the Government and the Government will pay the holders a reasonable price for such articles, if they are recognized to be of value. mentioned articles to the Government, in Those persons who do not transfer the above violation of the above regulation, will be liable to imprisonment at hard labour for a form not exceeding one year, or a fine not exceeding $850, together with the forfeiture of such opium or apparatus, or if the same has been sold to other parties the sum received shall be
2-The manufacture and sale of opium
smoking apparatus.
8.-Retailing of opium smoking apparatus. 4-Establishing of opium smoking houses. 5-The disposing of powdered opium at wholesale, which, however, is granted only to apothecaries, druggists, and physicians. Art. V.-Physicians, apothecaries, druggists, and pharmaceutists alone are permitted to buy, sell, deliver, possess, or receive powdered opium
without a licence.
Art. VI.-Those persons who have been granted the licences (permits) as given in article III: and article IV. are to pay licence fees, the amount of which will hereafter be determined and announced at the office of the Governor General.
Art. VII.-Those persons who have been granted the licence to buy and smoke refined (prepared) opium, or those who have been granted the licence to establish opium smoking houses, can buy and possess opium smoking apparatus.
Art. VIII.—If those persons who have been granted the licence for retailing refined opium sell or transfer refined opium to those who do not possess the present licence certificates for buying and smoking refined opium they will be liable to imprisonment at hard labour for a term not exceeding fifteen years or a fine not exceeding 5,000 yen. }
Art. IX-If those persons who have been granted the licence for establishing opium smoking houses supply those who do not pre- Bent licence certificates for buying and smoking refined opium at smoking houses they will be liable to imprisonment at hard labour for a rm not exceeding eight years or a fine not
2,000 yen.
forfeited.
MR. DAVIDSON AND MR. O'SHEA
ON THE PHILIPPINE
REBELLION.
The following letter appears in the China Gazette :-
Sir, I will be obliged if you will kindly allow me space in your columns to call to the attention of your readers, as well as to Mr. O'Shea, several misstatements appearing in your correspondence from Manila. Mr. O'Shea has, in such of his reports as have come across my observation, evidently confused me with other writers, inasmuch as he seems to associate me as author with every published remark that is written is a manner not pleasing to him. For instance, in a letter dated Manila, December 23rd, and signed by Mr. O'Shea, I notice: "The story of the confessional and the breaking of the priestly seal of silence that Mr. Davidson and others told in explanation of the discovery of the plot is, to put it mildly, all Tommy Rot." In his anxiety to correct a report which he believed was a falsehood, I cannot understand why he should extend his disapproval to me, inasmuch as, with the exception of this letter, I Any person without a licence who have never referred to the subject in any way. ort? manufacture raw opium, pow. Again immediately following, Mr. O'Shea states am, or drugs having the same effect as that what he is "amazed and horrified at is that be liable to imprisonment at hard any white man can be so short-sighted as to not exceeding eleven years or display blind but well meaning sympathy with eding 3,000 yen. -*-
the natives of the Philippines in this horrible ithout a licence who has bought, conspiracy, etc." That he refers to me as the sold delivered, received, or possesses raw opium I short-sighted "white man” is not so stated, but |
If those persons who have been the licence to retail or manufacture oking utensils sell or transfer such persons not furnished with licence for smoking opium or establishing oking houses they will be liable to ment with hard labour for a term not eight years or a fine not exceeding
ter
.
that is certainly the impressio the reader. In only eference
that I can find
in
I state in refe r to the stre natives by the Church and Gov not wish to convey by that the grievances were of sufficient enorm
tenance open rebat
rebellion, but the com
pression of the Church and Government as would tend to keep the natives in a con state of dissatisfaction.
1." Whether Mr. O'Shea agrees with me or not on this point I do not know, but surely he cannot construe that remark into an expression of sympathy with the natives in their conspiracy against the Spanish Governa ment.
In consideration of the above, I believe that Mr. O'Shea will not consider me unreasonable in requesting him to correct the error, which was no doubt unwittingly made, in such as have been furnished with his interesting correspondence. Very respectfully yours;
JAS. W. DAVIDSON. Taipehtu, 25th January, 1897.
COLLISION AT SHANGHAI,
Shanghai, 15th February. A collision, happily unattended by any serious. consequences, as far as particulars to hand state, took place yesterday morning in the river in the vicinity of Gough Island. The China. Merchants steamer Fungshun was proceeding, on charter to Chinkiang and Amoy. The Blue Funnel str. Neator, which had left the Associated i Wharves shortly before 8 o'clock, was proceeding in the same direction, and was fast overtaking the Fungshun. The speed at which the larger vessel was proceeding, and the narrowness of the Channel, rendered a collision inevitable. The Fungshun endeavoured to avoid it by making way for the Nestor, which,, however, ran into her, damaging her port quarter. The engines of the Fungshun were immediately slowed down, and on the extent of the damage being ascertained, her commander turned her round and put back to Shanghai, the Nestor pro- ceeding on her voyage after being informed of. the extent of the damage. The Fungshun put into the Old Dook, where a survey of the damage was made. As the Fungshun was on charter, and as at the time there was no other steamer Merchants decided to have the damages tem- to take her place, the Directors of the China porarily repaired. Messrs. Farnham & Co.. speedily effected these repairs, and the Fungshun proceeded on her voyage this morning On her return she will be docked and the repairs completed. So far as has beem ascertained the Nestor suffered no damage in the collision.
China Gazette.
MR. HUANG CHUN-ESIEN.
Mr. Huang Chun-hsien, formerly Chinese Consul-General at Singapore, who was nomi nated to the post of Chinese Minister at Berlin, but whose nomination was rejected by the German Government, has asked the N. C. Daily News to publish the following letter to Sir Cecil C. Smith, formerly Governor of the Straits Settlements, explaining the difficulty at Singapore which is supposed to have been the cause of his rejection ;-
Peking, China, January 18th, 1897, Dear Sir,-Three years have passed since I had the honour to bid you farewell when Your Excellency took leave of Singapore for your country. It was with no little pleasure that noticed, while in Singapore, the magn of the English Government, and the pros and happiness of my countrymen, not equalled by any other of the Straits Colonies, On my departure for this country. I availed myself of the occasion to write to the Straits Government expressing my feeling of grati. tade, stating that whatever privileges, were allowed to foreigners, Chinese could likewise enjoy, and besides that there exist special acts for the protection of the Chinese, lil Workmen' Women's Society and the which were enforced during Your term of office. After my return to this and in my interviews with our provinc "nitaries and the Ministers of the laungli Yamen
the
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