Morning herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1837-1840, 1840-05-03

/
From this il Will be seen, that since the twenty.
second day of April, 1884, the government of Great
Britain has been deeply Interested in continuing the
| opium traffic Its humiliation since that period,
| would have cut off q ma eral source from whence
| her revenue is derived, and would have produced
great embarrassment in the management OF her In
pose of increasing the cultivation of the drug since
its imperial proprietor succeeded to the enjoyment
OF its profitable returns, are conclusiVey evident Of
determination to make this branch OF the regal re-
venue large as possible.
In 1885, as our statement shows, the number of
boxes sold in Calcutta was twelve thousand nine
hundred and seventy seven and the sum received
for them amounted TO SIX millions seventy mine thou
sand one hundred and twelve dollars forty-fOur
cents; while in 1897 the number of boxes had increa
sed to sixteen thousand nine hundred and sixteen,
and the amount for which they SOLD nad ana
to the enormous sum of eleven millions SIX hundred
and eighty one thousand eight hundred and thirty
eight dollars, almost one hundred per cent In the
short space Of two years
This immense increase in the cultivation and sale
OF the drug under the express sanction and authority
of the English government has been produced solely
and openly for the Chinese market-tke ultimate
destination Of all the opium raised IN British INDIA;
and in article written by ID. Butler, M. d. late Opium
examiner of the Benares agency. Con the prepare
ton Of Opium for the Chinese market" commanica.
ted to the Benares and Behar agencies, in 1885, and
published in the Journal of the Asiatic society of
Bengal, in March, 1896, the purpose for which the
poppy cultivated, and the drug prepared to such
vast extent, is plainly and uneuuivocay declared.
THIS aTtlCIe, appears tuat tue Snlnebe va
lue any sample of opium in direct proportion to the
quantity Of hot drawn watery eXtrat obtanable from
it, and to the purity aud strength of the flavor Of that
extract when smoked through pipe, and the whole
aim OF the agencies to prepare 1t so that IT may re-
tain much possible of its native sensible quail
ties, aud its solubity in hot water. And it is on
account of its superior qualities upon these points,
that Benares opium brings a higher price in the
Chinese market than that of Behar, Malwa, or Tur-
key, the last of Of which. however, is mostly con-
sumed at home, although during some years two
thousand boxes OF IT have been imported into China
Our statement Of the quantity of opium sold in Cal.
cutta, does not embrace that produced in the Malwa
district the cultivation of which is not monopoli5ed
by the company, although. as we have before stated
they levy heavy transit duties upon ii as il passes
through their dominions to Bombay and Calcutta,
where it is seld And this adds mate rally to the
revenue OF Great Britain, and yields, rich profits to
the English merchants, by whom the whole of it is
purchased, the greatest exertions have been made
to extend its cultivation within this district; with
what will be scen from the fact that in 1921
but two thousand two hundred and seventy Eight
chests were produced while in 1885, the number had
sweed TO twelve thousand nine hundred and thirty.
three; but fsrty.four less than raised in the
provinces Of both Benares and Patna, and in 1887
the amount had increased to nearly fifteen thousand
In 1888, the East India Company, and through
them the English government, derived a revenue of
at least three millions of pounds from the cultivation
Of opium within the districts Of benares and Patna
and the duties levied upon that produced in Malwa
besides the vast sums which were made upon its
sale in the Chinese market by British merchants
which has tended greatly towards enric hing the COM
If the English nation, has served to create and
keep the balance Of trade with the east in her favor
and what is ofstll greater Importance the gttering
current of English gold and silver which formerly
flowed into the Chinese empire is long since stay ed
pum has taken its place, and for several years past
has caused torrent Of the precious metals to rush
in the opposite direction.
Indeed, viewing this subject apart from the great
questions OF religion and morals, happiness and
human life, and both England and China have i'm
portant pecuniary interests staked upon the event
and one OF them must suffer deep and lasting injury
in the important national results likely to follow
Both of them cannot escape the former must surren
der that portion Of her revenue derived from
a system of smuggling approved and money,-when
the "sycee silver shall have entirely I" oozed"
ont, and her national wealth, the foundation of her
strength, shall have departsd,-will fail an easy
unresisting prey TO raPacious and powerful adver
sary.
Having, as we believe, explained and defined the
foundation and Of nearly the entire opium
traffic. and the golden conside ratons that have in.
duced the English government to create its ten fold
increase with the last years, we will return to
animation Of the policy pursed by tho emseror &c
China for its destruction, whose measures and de
owing to the incapacity or bribery Of his Off
cias, do not appear ever To have been rigourously
enforced against foreigners mt the appointment OF
the imperial commissioner Lin, in March, 1850 That
they not sternly and strictly executed was no.
not the fault Of the emperor Ii is entirely char
geahle to the lenty corruption, and forbearance of
his officers, and the lawess daring rrbdeie 81 form
liable by armed force. with which the drug has
been smugglcd into dis dominions.
. In lSl6, the Hong merchants, have always been
compelled by the emperor to assume many heavy
and often unreasonable responsibilities. in the con
duct and management of the Chinese trade, were,
by an imperial decree bound to ascertain aud report
any vessel engaged in its importation that the recep
ton Of her cargo might be- refused, and measures
taken TO drive her from the waters Of China; and
whenever ship arrived in port, they were obliged
to execute a bond that she had opium board
IL is needless to say that these regulations were
tirey Intellectual for the accomplishment Of the in.
tended. The Hong merchants participated largely
in the profits derived from the gal traffic and the
reports made by them TO the imperial court were
falsely colored TO ad their interests and British
erchsns, who, il we were 10 credit the assertions
Of NJ Jardne, made at public public dinner given
him BY the resident foreign merchants the Of
his departure from 'Canton. "occupy a high place
among the me chants OF the East and who are not
smurglers, did not hesitate 20 bride the subordinate
Chinese officials silently 10 permit the introduction
Of opium by paying from sixty 10 eighty dollars upon
each chest The consumers were increasing upon
scale Of fearful rspdty, and those whose
duty il to execute the laws were dsi surrender
ing themselves victims 10 the allurng poison The ma
tive vendors of the drug not slow 20 i'm tate
the criminal baseness Of the more enlightened and
christian EsglshmaD, by purchasing silence from
the subordinate authorities AT the expense Of thirty
forty. and at times eighty dollars per chest.
Smuggling openly carried on in Chinese boats
built expressly for that parpose, ana formidably
manued and armed, and the mandarin boats, or those
comfais STONED for the capture OF smuggers, were
seldom bold enough To attack their more powerful
adyersaries, who, even n greatly overmafched in
numbers and strength, would yield PREFER ng
death by the sword, 10 strangliny, which their
doom IL taken.