PAPAVER
somniferum.
Fiscal Administration of
ADMINISTRA-
TION.
Purchase of
Produce.
I. PROVISION
OPIUM.
Direct con-
nection of
Government
with the
Opium ter-
minates with
the auction
sales.
7 6
Extracted from the Dictionary of
Method of
Payment.
Manufacture.
" The produce is purchased, in the form of crude opium, at a price, per
seer of a standard consistence of 70 degrees, which is fixed from time to
time by the Government of India, any change in the price being notified
to the cultivators at the time of their entering into the annual engagements
with the Department.
"Settlements are made with the cultivators or their accredited agents at
the end of July or early in August, when the license to cultivate is granted
by the Sub-Deputy Agent or his Assistant, and after the details are settled
an advance is paid to the lumberdar by the gomashta in their presence.
"The number of advances made during the year in the Behar Agency
are not to exceed five, as follow :—
"1st – In September, at a rate not exceeding R5 per bίghá excepting
when the Agent permits a higher rate.
" 2nd – At the end of December or beginning of January, after the crops
are above ground and the prospects are favourable, at a rate not exceeding
R4 per bί g h á ,i
n c l u d i n g a n y a d v a n c e f o r p o p p y l e a v e s .
" 3rd—At the end of March, after the chief part of the crop has been
gathered and the taidad or estimate of the probable outturn of the season
has been completed, at a rate not exceeding R3 per bίghá.
"4th—At the time of weighment, the rate of the advance being regulated
by the quality of the drug delivered at the rates here specified : —
Behar.
Benares
R a.
R a .
For class I and above up to . . . 5 0
5 0
Ditto
II
d i t t o . . .
4 8
4 1 2
Ditto III
ditto
4 0
4 0
4 0
4 8
And other sorts proportionately.
" 5th—On obtai ning from the Agent the godown receipts.
" The number ofadvances during the year in the Benares Agency are
not to exceed four, as follow :
—
" 1st—I n September, at the rate of R4 per bíghá, a 'higher rate being
granted to parties living at a long distance to obviate the necessity of a
second journey to receive the second advance.
"2nd—In January or February, after the crop is above ground and
the prospects are favourable, at the same rate as the first.
" 3rd—At the time of weighment, according to the quality of the drug
and the rates specified above.
"4th—On obtaining from the Agent the godown receipts.
" The different rates of advances are not to be exceeded except with the
permission of the Agent.
" By the end of July the manufacture is finished, but the airing and
drying are continued until October, by which time the balls are ready for
packing.
" Forty balls are allotted to each chest of provision opium. The
m a n u
- f a c t u r e d o p i u m
i s c l a s s e d a s P r o v i s i o n O p i u m , f o r e x p o r t t o C h i n a , a n d
ABKARI or EXCISE OPIUM, for consumption in the country. The provision
opium is brought down to Calcutta, where it is sold by auction to the
highest bidder."
By a convention with the French Government, dated 7th March. 1815,
the authorities at Chandernagore are entitled to demand a quantity not
exceeding in the aggregate 300 chests in each year, the price of the quan-
tity claimed at any one of the periodical sales during the year being deter-
mined by the average price at which the rest of the opium is sold at such
sale, and the requisition for such opium being " addressed to the Governor
General at Calcutta within 30 days after the notice of the intended sales
shall have been published in the Government Gazette." The French