232
AN ILLEGAL OPIUM FARM.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
once strongly protested and advised their minister at Peking. He pointed out to the Chinese Government that the institution of the farm was a breach of the Convention and subsequent Agreements, and reported the matter to the Foreign Office. Our readers will be gratified to learn that for once during many years of its negotiations with the Chinese Government, the Foreign Office has sent an emphatic request that this farm shall be immediately abolished, its existence being contrary to the treaties, In consequence of this display of firmness we have every reason to believe that the existence of this illegal venture will shortly terminate.
September 27, 1902,
not he allowed to reside in those portions of the interior where such protection cannot be afforded. It is idle to say that the missionaries are content to take their lives in their hands and go to preach to the heathen, notwithstanding all risks. We maintain that the crown of martyrdom ought not to be thus deliberately sought, and that it by no means always follows that the blood of these martyrs is the seed of the Church. Unless and until civilised Powers are able to station Consuls with no very remote ability to appeal to force in a district, the missionaries should, like the merchants, avoid that district, and await the auspicious time when residence there may become possible and reasonably safe from personal violence.
(Daily Press, 23rd September.) The Canton correspondent of this paper, writing on the 18th inst., made reference to the Kong Hing syndicate of native mer- chants, who for two months past have been conducting an opium-farm at Canton. This farm vas established with the sanction of the Tsungli Yam n, to allow the Viceroy to raise additional funds to enable him, it is aid, to contribute his portion to the paymen of the indemnity. The syndicate is composed of Singapore mercbanis and a compradore of a well-known foreign opium fim in Hongkong. We referred to the illegal taxation of opium a short time In discussing the new treaty with China, ago in our editorial columns, Lut we were which provides for the abolition of lekin, not then in full possession of the facts. Our the less sanguine of the British merchants The time for a peaceful residence in the Canton correspondent is somewhat in error have contrived to hope that China's pro-interior of Northern China has clearly even in his statement concerning the establish-mises with regard to the fulfilment of her
now not arrived. In Chibli brigandage ment of the syndicate, and what has obligations will be honestly carried out. is rampant, and outrages upon and murders cccurred since its inception, and his deduc- The crux of the matter has been the ques-of natives are common in several districts, Cons therefore camet be accepted. Antion of guarantee as to that fulfilment, and investigation of the matter has convinced us that the establishment of this farm at Canton is a flagrant breach of the Opium Convention on the part of the Chinese Government, and the existence of the farm is tllereby illegal. This, however, is by no
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it's worst aspect, for there is ample vidence now to prove that China, apart from this instance, has de iberately and repeatedly allowed that Convention to be broke. It will be remembered that those who favoured the new treaty for the abolition of lekin persistently quoted the Opunt Convention as the one striking vilute to China's good faith.
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The Chefoo Couvention and the Opium Convention provide that when foreign opium as paid duly to the Imperial Chinese Customs, and has been packed and scaled in small packages for transmission, so long as these ren ain intact they are free to circulate all over China without any interference whatever. It is only after these pak: ges have passed into the boilers' hands that any question can be raised as to an additional tax, but seeing that half of the opium never rerches the hands of the public boiler, but is prepared privately, it will readily be seen that the operation of this farm is a deliberate breach of the Conventions.
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while only the other day two French rail- the proinoters of the new treaty have in- way employees were robbed and nearly variably cited the Opium Convention as an killed by natives between Peking and instance of China's loyalty to her obliga- Paoting-fu. The Boxer movement is, more- tions. It was perhaps the only treaty that over, by no means dead. A telegram from could be cited for such a purpose. Here, Chergiu, the capital of Szechuen, on the however, we have an instance, where, within 15th inst., announced the entry into that a few miles of Hongkong, the Chinese city of armed Boxers, and although it seems Government has deliberately broken that doubtful whether they were a small isolated much quoted Convention.
go body or the advance guard of a considerable further, and state that there is ample justi- force, it is tolerably certain that they will fication for believing that for years past give serious trouble to the provincial Chinese merchauts have been compelled authorities and may even prove a source to pay an additional tax and thereby illegal of real danger to the Empire, if they form duty on foreign opium. The Shanghai the nucleus of a new outbreak of this fana- records will yield many instances of such tical associat on. There are still plenty breaches. In the present case the pro- of the embers of the anti-Christian agitation hability is that the Chinese Government alive in the provinces of North China, and will bring pressure to bear on the guilds they only need stirring to burst again into and merchants and, in lieu of the tax, a devouring flame that might extend even make them, sub ros, pay a roluntary more widely than the outbreak which subscription. We are compelled to estimate | rendered the end of the nineteenth century the prospects of the future from the experi- so sadly memorable in China. The pre- ence of the past, and, while trusting that judiced literati are ready to pour out fresh the British Government will firmly insist floods of incendiary placards and leaflets China honestly fulfilling her treaty and to start libellous stories in the tea- obligations in respect to the Opium Con-shops to inflame te minds of the populace vention, we cannot but realise that this and thus provoke acts of outrage and incident, together with China's long secret rapine. Whether or not the local officials extortions from opium-merchants, streng- have the power to restrain the populace thens and justifies those fears that her from these acts of violence it is perhaps obligations under the new treaty will not difficult to decide, but in few cases do they be loyally carried out.
trouble to exert it until too late. It is perhaps the knowledge that the sympathy of the officials is with the offenders that rudes the Imperial Government desirous of bringing about a Commission of Enquiry into the missionary question, in the hope that some arrangement may be arrived at by which missionaries may be restrained from penetration at will into all parts of the interior.
On
THE NEW TREATY AND THE MISSIONARY QUESTION.
The members of this syndicate, who have invested much money in their undertaking, have established a farm at Canton, and have been taxing the foreign drug after it had previously paid duty to the Customs. Their ambition has apparently been to rival the (Daily Press, 26th September.) Hongkong far and to create a wealthy As Mr. CECIL HOLLIDAY remarks, Article monopoly. They have proposed that no XIII. of the New Treaty with China, pro- merchant in Canton or the interior townsviding for the appointment of a mixed shall open an opium-divan without the Commission to investigate the missionary possess on of a license from them, which question, "reads quaintly in a Commercial shall be affixed to the door of his premises. Treaty." At the same time we are not Further, that the merchant undertakes disposed to cavil at its insertion in the under bond to pay them an additional tax Treaty just concluded by Sir JAMES for this privilege, the sy. dicate handing MACKAY. There can be no harm in the him a book with counterfoil in which are appointment of a Commission "to if possible to be recorded his imports. The correspon-devise means to secure permanent peace dent already alluded to points out that the between converts and non-converts," and attempted infliction of this measure has though it may seem somewhat out of place already caused trouble amongst the people, in an agreement relating to matters of and the native merchants naturally resent trade yet there can be no objection to the it. It is obvious that the sole object of the attempt to provide some way out of an syndicate is personal profit, tempted as they admitted difficulty. It was inserted ob- are by the excrmous revenues of the Hong-viously at the request of the Chinese kong and Singapore farms, and that a wish on the score of humanity to lessen the con- sumption of the drug by additional taxation or a patriotic desire to raise funds for nal motives does not enter into their calculons.
When syudicate boldly commenced operations, the British consular officials at
Commissioner, and it is not to be wondered at that the Chinese Imperial Government should be anxious to avoid a recurrence of the recent outrages and consequent troubles with Foreign Powers. The question, as we have before pointed out, is a large one, and the missionaries ought either to be guar- anteed efficient protection or they should
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There would, of course, be a strong and general protest from the missionaries if any limit were to be set to their liberty of travel and residence in the interior of the Central Kingdom. Indeed, there might be very wild outeries from Exeter Hall-and great is the dread of that home of fanaticism in Downing Street. Nevertheless an extra strong British Government may one day, perhaps, venture to clip the wings of the missionary and fry to prevent him thrusting himself where he is not wanted. But the
time is not yet. The present Government is a fairly strong one while the Opposition is abnormally weak, but it has been in exist- ence long enough to make numcrous enemies among its own followers, to have perpetrated many mistakes, and to have been weakened by losses at bye-elections. The process of disintegration which sets in after accession to office has been proceeding long enough to render Ministers chary of making many
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