Morning herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1837-1840, 1840-05-04

created Dy competent autnOTNy.
By tbs act, the functions Of the company were
made wholly political, and they were to continue the
government OF India, with the concurrence and un'
der the supervision Of the board Of control I'LL the
thirteth Of April, 1854 and all participation in com
merciai interests was taken away.
From this it 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 t,affc. Its humiliation since that period,
would have cut off ma erial source from whence
her revenue is derived, and would have produced
great embarrassment IN the MANAGEMENT OF her In
dian possessions. The measures taken for the par-
pose OF increasing the cultivation OF the drug since
it's imperial proprietor succeeded TO the enjoyment
of its profitable returns, are concusivey evident oil
a dete rminaon to make this branch OF the royal re-
venue as large as possible.
In 1925 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 az ounted to six millions seventy nine thou
sand one hundred and twelve dollars forty -four
cents; while in 1887 the number OF boxes had increa-
sed to siXt en- thousand nine hundred ana sixteen,
and the amount for which they sold had advanced
10 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
ofthe English government, has been produced .oiey
aud openly for the Chinese market-the ultimate
destination Of all the opium raised IN British lndia;
and in an article written byD. Butler,M Late OPIUM
examiner of the Benares agency, "On the prepare
ton of Opium for the Chinese market" communica,
ted to the Benares AID Behar agencies, in 1885, and
published in the Journal of the Asiatic society OF
Bengal in March, 1885, the purpose Tor which TIE
poppy rs cultivated, and the drug prepared to such
vast extent, is plainly and unequivocally declared
From this article, it appears that the Chinese va
ue any sample Of opium in direct proportion to the
quantity Of hot drawn watery extract obtainabe from
IL and to the purity and strength OF the flavor oil that
extract when smoked through pipe; and the whole
aim of the agencies to prepare 1t so that IT may re-
tain as much possible of its native sensible quail
ties, aud its soubility in hot water. And IT rs on
account of its superior qualities upon these points,
that Benares opium brings higher price IN the
Chinese market than that OF Behar, Maiwa, or Tur'
key. the last Of which, however, is mostly con-
sumed at home, although during some years two
thousand boxes Of il have been imported into China
Our statement the quantity of opium sold in Cal
cutta does not embrace that produced IN the Malwa
district the cultivation Of which is not mOnopolzed
by the company although. as have before stated,
thew levy heavy transit duties upon II as IL passes
through their dominions to Bombay and Calcutta,
where it is sold And as this adds materially to the
revenue Of Great Britain, and yields rich profits to
the English merchants, by whom the whole OF ii is
purchased, the greatest exertions have been made
to extend its cultivation within this district; with
what will be seem from the fact that in 1921
lint two thousand two hundred and seventy-eight
chests were produced while in 1885 the number had
swellcd Ia twelve thousand nine hundred and thirty
three; but fsrty-four less than were raised in the
prcyinces Of both Benares and Patna and in 1897
the amount had increased to nearly fifteen thousand
In 1853 the East India Company, and through
them the Eng'isi government, derived revenue OF
at least three millions Of pounds from the cultivation
If opium w hin the districts Of fenares and Patns,
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 hing the com.
merce Of the English has served to create and
keep the balance of trade with the east in her favor
and what is still greater Importance the gliterng
current of English gold and silver which formerly
flowed into the Chinese empire is long since stayed;
um has taken its place, and for several years past
has caused a torrent Of the precious metals TO rush
in the opposite direction.
Inieea. viewing this subject apart from the great
| questions Of religion and morals, happiness, and
human life, both England and China have i'm
portant pc cunary interests staked upon the event.
and Of them must suffer deep and lasting injury
| in the important national results likely to follow
Both ofthem cannot escape the former must surren-
| der that portion Of her reverb; derived from
her government or the latter, after being robbed Of
! her money,-when the Z" sycee silver shall have
entirely oozed" out, and her national wealth, the
foundation Of ier strength, shall have departed
viii fall easy unresisting prey 10 rapacious and
. erlul adversary.
Having, as we believe, explained and defined the
true oundation and Of ary the entire opium
traffic, and the golden considerat ons that have in
duced the English government to create ITS ten fold
increase within the astew years,we willrsurn 10 an
examination Of the policy pursued by the emperor oil
China for its destruction, whose measures and De
crees owing TO the incapacity or bribery OF his Off
cials, do not appear ever 10 have been vigorously
enforced against Foreigners until the appointment Of
the impe rial commits sioner Lin in March, 1889 That
they were not sternly and strictly executed was
not the fault Of the emperor. Ii is entirely char
geabie TO the lenty, corruption, and forbearance Of
his officers and the awless daring, rendered form.
liable by armed force, with which the drug has
4 been smuggled into dis domnions.
Ia 1916 the Hong chants, w no 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 60 ascertain and report
any vessel engaged In its importation that the recep
! tion Of her cargo might be refused, and measures
taken to drive her from the wat RS OF China; and
whenever ship arrived in port, they were Obliged
to execute a bond that she had NO opumon board IL
Is needless 20 say that these Equations were entire
Nv n,fecual for the accomplishment Of theobJect IN
tend d. The Hong merchants participated largelJ
in the profits derived from the illegal traic, and the
reports made by them to the imperial court were
falsely colored TO advance their interests aud British
me re hznts, Who IL we To credit the assertions
Of Nj. Jardine, made at public public dinner given
him b, the siden foreign hants on the eve OF
his departure from Canton. "occupy a high place
among the chants Of the East and who are . not
smnrglers did not hesitate TO bride the subordinate
Jhinese officials silently To permit the introduction
Of opium by paying from sixty to eighty dollars upon
each chest The consumers were increasing spon
a scale Of fearful rapidity, and those whose
duty IL was to execute the law, we're dai surrender
ing victims to the aIlurng poison. he
tive vendors Of the drug not slow 10 initiate
the criminal baseuess of the more enlightened and
christian Esgllshman, by purchasing silence from
the subordinate authorities at the expense OF thirty,
forty, and at times eighty dollars per chest.
Smuggling was openly carried ON IN Chinese boats
built expressly Tor that parpose, ana formidsbly
manned aud armed and the mandarinIscsts, or those
commissioned for the capture IT smuggiers, were
seldom bold enough TO attack their more powerful