Star.
London, England, 1830-03-22 00:00:00

MONDAY EVENING, MARCH 22, 1830.

probably arises from some fraud, but where that fraud is I cannot
tell ; it must arise from fraud.
Was any person sent down into the country to ascertain with
whom that fraud originated ?—Not to contain with whom that
fraud originated ; but I believe persons were sent L
anddeavour to'
have it beought as pure as possible to the market, to reject it if
it was in an impure state.
' Did the depredation dubs opium take place before it came into
the haodg of the Government agents, or. subsequently T—l should
rather imhgine previously to ha coining to the Government agent's
heads.
Is tinge note manufacture of theopituu after it. ads
.444_ tke
kiteeumeasiliit'N—lfeete;lat beim made
Is any art required in making It up into cakes ?—h requim that
the person should be cosmonaut with it.
Does the opium depend at an en the degree of perfection with
which that operation is performed P—No ; I believe it is solely with
regard to the pureness of the opium.
Do you know the relative peke in the market of the Baba and
Malwa opium P—l cannot say ; the Malwa opium sells
in China two or three hundred dollars a chest higher titan he
What is the price of a Behar chest asylum P—That deposal
entirely upon the market; it sells from 2,000 to 4,000 rupees.
You state that the hlalwa opium sells for two or .three hundred '
dollars more than the Behar ; what was the price of the Behar
opium ?-1 cannot state that from
What proportion of the whole priced the opium is advanced
piously to its delivery into the hands of the Government agent
I believe generally the whole of three rupees is advanced previous to
its delivery to the Government agent; but I refer you to the regale.
dons.
For what purposes were you sent as opium agent into Malwa ?
Previous to my being sent there, the agent who was employed by
the Bombay Government had purchased the opium at uncommon
high rates; it was supposed that by a different kind of management
the opium might be purchased at lower rates, sad generally rendered
mere advantageous to the Government.
In consequence of any recommendation on your part, were any
treaties entered into with any of the Princes of hlalwa?—Yes, there
were. The object of those treaties was to make the native States
participate in the advantages which were derived from the opium
monopoly; but I cannot speak further, and state all the circum-
stances of those treaties, but generally they gave them some ad-
vantages.
Did they contain arty stipulation on the part of the native prince
for diminishing the cultivation of opium in his dominions ?—They
did ; on every thousand Surat maunds of forty pounds less produce
they were to receive a sum of twenty thousand rupees as a bonus.
What further advantage was the prince to receive ?—lf my
memory serves me right, he was also to receive the profits on five
chests in every one hundred maunds.
Did be further stipulate to furnish any quantity of opium at a
certain price to the company ?—He did.
Was that price much below the price at which it had been ob-
tained by the Bombay agents P—Considerably.
Can you state the difference P—The Bombay agent had paid from
sixty-five to one bundled and odd rupees for a pommy, which is
five sins; a punsury contains ten pounds English 'Men.
What did you pay under the treaty P—Thirty rupees.
What was the value of the baler rupee current in Melva P—From
seven to eight pee cost. inferior to the sic= ru at the Mint.
Is the der of Malwa the same as the der of Bop! P—The der at
which I bought opium was the same with that at Patna; I believe
the der current in the Bazaar is different.
Paying therefore three rupees a sier for opium in Baba, and,
under the treaty, thirty rupees for five ants at /dales, you paid
twice as much in Melva as you did in Behar ?—Exactly.
You are aware that since you left Malwa there has been repro.
seated to the Government to be so much discontent on the part of
the Ityots in Malwa, and so much disinclination on the part of the
Prince to the continuance of those treaties, that it has been recently
determined by the Government to give them up ?—lhays heard that.
Are you aware that it was represented that, in point of fact, the
cultivation was not very much diminished ; that the disaffection of
the people was very great; that a contraband trade was carried on to
a very great extent through those countries with which we have not
formed treaties; and that opium was carried in such quantities
through the territories, particularly the Oudepoor, to the Indus, and
thence to the ports of Din and Danaun, as practically to interfere to
a very great extent with the beneficial consequences which were
expected from those treaties ? I have heard that ; but I cannot say
any thing further. I can only reply to what occurred when I was
in Malwa.
Will you state with what Native Princes the treaties have been
concluded ?--Holkar was one ; Boonde; Kota ; Oudepoor; and
all the petty Chieftains in Malwa. The was, however, no treaty
with Sandia.
And without having a treaty with Scindia, from the particular
position of his territories, it wee found to be Impossible to confine
the opium to Mahn, to prevent the exportations—lt was difficult,
but not impossible.
Those treaties being now abandoned, no restriction being any
longer placed on the extent to which the poppy may be cultivated
in those districts, and the transport of opium being perfectly free
through ail the dominions not positively subject to the British
Power, what effect do you apprehend that will have upon the be-
nefit to the Government of India from their monopoly of opium in
Bengal apprehend it will almost entirely endanger it ; that the
mouopoly can barely exist under it.
You think that the quality of the Mahn opium, and the price
at which it can be furnished to the Canton market, is each as to
make it almost impossible for the other Governments of India to
realise any considerable profit upon their opium from Behar and
Benares P—They will still derive a considerable profit, but not any
thing equal to what they did upon the monopoly.
Are you aware whether the quality of Malwa opium had im-
proved very much previous to the formation of the treaties?-1 was
deputed in consequence of the Malwa opium being very much infe-
rior and very much adulterated. One of the objects of my mission
was to endeavour to have it brought in a purer state loth. market
I succeeded ; and to that I attribute the Mehra opium being now
considered so much superior to the Patna.
The treaties being given up with those native Princes, do you
think it will be possible for the British Government to throw any
material impediment in the way of the transport of the Malwa opium
to the coast ?—lmpediment they may throw ; but no restrictions
will be so effectual as those which the treaties gave us.
Will the impriiments which they can still throw in the way of
the carriage of Maiws opium to the coast be such as to give them,
as purchasers in the Malwa market, a material advantage over their
competitors ?--Certainly, some advantage.
By what route will it now be possible to carry Malwa opium to
' the sea, avoiding the territories of the Company and their tributary
States P—Speaking from memory, I feel it dirt to give an an-
swer; but 1 fancy through the Oudepoor States.
Is any opium grown by the East India Company P—None.
Is say body at liberty to grow it that pleases P—Certainly not.
Under what repletion is any one at liberty to grow the poppy ?
—There is a regulation ef Government upon the subject, to which I
would wish to refer your Lordships, not bearing it distinctly in
mind. It is by licence.
Do you believe then is any illegal sale of opium going on in Be-
har or Benares?—There may be a little smuggling ; to a trifling

Vitt are the penalties attached to such illegal sale ?—.The seizure
of the article, and • tine, I hakes; but I would rather refer your
Lordships to the regulations ; I de not bear them in mind.
Do you conceive it to be impossible for the Ryots to cultivate the
poppy, unless the Company begin by making them an advance equi-
Tat to the price they afterwards give P—l must decline answering
these questions on oath. Every thing is stated in the regulations so
fully, I would rather refer to them.
Would it be. in your opinion, impossible for a Ryot to cultivate
the poppy, without borrowing the money in the first instance from
the Company apprehend they are too poor to do that.
It lea cultivation which requires a considerable expense both in
'II34DOIC and irrigation, does it not ?-1 es, agest deal more in the
cultivation, and it can only be in the finest
Is there an, restriction existing which would prevent a person
peaseadng a little capital carrying on the cultivation of the poppy,
and mainthi it to the Ryon' ?—it can only be cultivated by the
Ityoes = si Zmindar would ever think of doing it.
Do yon moan that he has no power of doing it by the regulations
of the oserely P—lie is by no mauls r-wm, provided he chooses
to eater him so 'applaud to deliver the produce to the company
at tits esipsiand Pelee.
So that the practical result is, that no person of capitol 'usages in
the cultivation of that article ?—.Certainly none, that I know of.