Bengal Opium.
PAPAVER
somniferum.
the Economic Products of India.
77
Government having proposed to commute for a period of five years their
opium rights for a money payment, it was agreed by a convention exe
-cuted between the Government of India and the French authorities at
Chandernagore on the 16th July 1884. to fix the annual commutation
payment at R3,000. The convention terminated at the end of 1888 and
was renewed for a further period of five years. By the new convention
the annual commutation payment has been raised to R5,000, conditionally
on the French administration undertaking that no opium, except opium
provided from the Hooghly Treasury, shall be admitted for consumption
or for any other purpose into Chandernagore, and that the French officials
endeavour to prevent contraband dealing in opium."
"The year's provision is not sold at once. Originally there were five
sales in a year, then nine, but since 1848 they have been monthly. Of
late years to check speculation, the quantity to be sold in any calendar
year was, if the outturn was sufficient, notified in the previous year, and,
as a further means of steadying prices, it was determined to accumulate a
sufficient reserve for supplying a deficiency of out-turn in bad seasons.
ADMINISTRA-
TION.
Regulations
to prevent
Contraband
Traffic with
French Po
s-sessions in
India.
Reserve
Stock of Pro-
vision Opium.
"The Abkari or Excise Opium manufactured in the two Agencies is
supplied at R7-4 a seer to the Governments of Bengal and the North-
Western Provinces, and the Administrations of Burma, Assam, and
Central Provinces, who permit its sale within their respective jurisdictions
in accordance with rules framed under the Opium Act, I of 1878. Excise
opium is issued to licensed dealers from the different District Treasuries
in quantities of not less than one seer at a time, and at prices which are
fixed by the Local Governments at their discretion, but never so low as to
encourage the exportation of Abkari Opium to China in preference to pro
-vision opium.
"The consistence of the manufactured opium differs in the two Agencies.
The moisture in 100 grains of crude opium being thoroughiy evaporated,
the residue is weighed, each grain after dryage being taken at 1°. If the
cultivator delivers his drug of standard consistence, he receives for it the
regulated price, otherwise a pro ratá increase or deduction is made accord
-ing as the drug is above or below standard.
II. EXCISE
OPIUM.
Sale in India.
Consistence
of Indian
Opium.
"The gross and net weight of a chest of opium, and the consistence of
provision and abkari opium, are as follows :—
C o n s i s t e n c e .
Gross weig h t
''
of chest.
Net weight
or quantity of
opium in each
chest.
Weight
or quan-
tity of
fine
opium
in each
chest.
One
chest of
excise of
opium
equal to
1 md. 28 srs. 2
chks. of Bena-
res opium at
70° =1 md. 23
srs,
9 ⅛ c h k s .
when raised
to the consist-
ence of Behar.
Mds. Srs. Mds. Srs. Chs. Srs.
Behar Provi-
sion Opium.
75°3 20
1 28 2 51.09375 1.05688
Benares. 70°3 20
1 28 2 47.6875 1.132372
M i a l w a O p i u m * 90°a bt. 2
36½ 1 28 2 61.3125
. . .
Opium for con-
sumption in
90°2 10
1 20 0
. . .
. . .
India.
Persian Opium.
8 0°F air quality about
1 0 ½ t o
1 1 s h a m a n s , 1 3 ½ l b
avoir.=1 shaman.
* It is assumed that the consistence of Malwa opium exported from Bombay is about
90 to 95 per cent. At the lower of these two consistencies a chest of Malwa contains
126 to 128lb pure opium. The duty on Malwa opium is levied without reference to
quality or consistence.
Weight of
Chest of
Opium.