Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-05-21

/ which there are limited importations OF Turkey
| opium, by British and American yessek, which
! no returns are made, but 5000 chests Wild be a
most liberal allowance for this descriron, and
probably would be three or four times actual
quantity; 10000 chests is therefore full aximum
for the annual supply Each chest coains one
picul, or 1881 pounds, and instead Of 8 contains
40 balls (porcels as the memorial cal them D
there would therefore be in 10000 chests SOC, 900
parcels, which, at the proposed duty ofone tael
each, would produce 100000 taels ls:920 000)
instead of 100000 of taels, $50 ,sOo.OO)
On Woo Ting-poos estimate of the ai2y sales
of 100000 taels, the annual sales woul amount
to nearly 66,O0O,0O0 taels, (s92, 400, 900 and his
error probably arises from his taking ID probable
retail rates and applying to the aggreg;e amount
the '0holesdle price as sold from he sh5 in order
to arrive at the quantity; 10000, 900 oftes, at his
estimate Of 300 taes per chest, would give 2sO 600
chests. This it is well known greatly exceeds the
entreproduction of British India, which, bsdes sup
plying China, furnishes the home India dmand, as
well as that for Java, Sumatra, and otbr Indian
possessions and also the supplies sent to EUROPE.
The same Hong Kong paper that catains the
above documents quotes the prize of Inlia opium,
which, according to the districts where is grown,
(Patna, Bcnares, &c.,) was thei selling at rates
ranging from $40 to $3.50 per chest, Mr. in round
numbers, an average Of about $500; which on
10000 ahasfs rsna,la make s35, O0o,OOo-a pretty
formidable sum for one nation to pay annually 70,
a drug which is preying with fearful effect upon
the physical energies gifts population.
Until we perused this memorial we were not
aware that opium was extenIively produced in
China, of course iUciy for the DEGREES of the Gov
eminent were against is use, as well as its impor,
tation The mode in which the culture of the bop
Ply is conducted, and tie connivance of the officials
at this illegal proceeding is thus alluded to by Woo
Ting-poo
But, further, sncehe native resources of the land
have begun to be deoped that in which they consist
ought not to be expeld from it, The provinces of Fuh
kien kwangtung, Che<ang Shangtung Yunnan, Kwei
chow and Others haven all of them land devoted to the
Illicit production of oplm Now the cultivation of the
poppy does not in any interfere with that Of the
cereal grains In distrts with warm climate wher
the late harvest of the III month is gathered in they
plant the poppy and by lie next spring il has boomed
and ripened; being thenut the matter is concluded
and the early grain is SOW which is reaped in autumn
Your Minister has heard TIT in Wan. chow Foo and Tai
he five o.
spring and summer the SubPrefect and Assistant Sub
Project are sent to cut dow the poppies The order
given to that effect, being ierc form the deputed off
GERS merely proceed to the vicious villages and remain
~ their heighsorhood about imontb, when, having re
ceved their fees, they repor the business as finished
and the cultvators continue undistnrbed as before
When such system prevails il one province other pro
Vnces cannot be ignorant of tie existence of it. As t.
the illegal traffic in the drug in unnan and Kwechow i
IS carried on by thousands opeiy even in the provincial
capitals, and the authorities evil and military do no
venture to say any thing about he matter Indeed the
cause OF the prosperous state Yunnan is that its ma
tYegrown opium is abundant ami the drain of specie
proportionatey inconsiderabe
" The opium grown in China, it is said may be eater
without injury Its price corresponds with that of Other
opium and great profits realized by the traffic in it.
since al present 1t paysno duty it wastefuy enrches
the private pockets of officials circumstance much tc
be lamented
The natural productions of the rivers and mountains
fall by right to the disposed Of the sovereign and to him
belongs to tax the produce of the cultivated soil and
to assess the profits of rad,rs Now of the muItfrou
commodities which enter and are exported from tn,
pIls 0h the me whole coast and pass through the inan
In the one article of opium alone ho oonsaup
ton so great it is on the contrary permitted 10 carr
on Illicit traffic, being drawn from II
functonares Of Government and learned scholars are TIL
responsible agents for smuggling the drug Surely il il
not thus that an example Of respect the law aud main
tenance Of national dignity is displayed
:" Inasmuch general commerce with the barbarian,
is means Of conciatng them, the imposition of dut,
opium would be like rein for keeping them in check
and i would indeed be precisely what is called turnG
The circumstances Of the time 10 profitable account Your
Minister has often heard from men who have held ofo
in Kwangung that England is small island on the fur
thest verge Of the ocean, and that from the traffic in
opium gradually became rich n1d strong Subsequently
gained possession Of various small foreign countries
such rs Bengal Madras, Bombay, and Java all produc
ing the drug, whereby il added its wealth and power
Continuing by degrees to grow ncher length it emu
lates fey-lang in pide and sefsssumption From the
opening Of the ports to the presea time the proceeds
the candestne trade have amounted annually 70 hun
dreds Of millions If duty be imposed there will
be deducted in every en hundred in every thou
sand and thus we shall, by openly inviting their inter
course alay their suspicious, a,d diversion in
our favor without their perceivnc it, Moreover the ma
tive resources Of the country being developed the export
81 Toney abroad will diminish IN the natural course OF
things natiye-grow opium daily becoming more album
dan there will be less demand for foreign opium the
quantity will gradually dwndle away at last there will
be none, and Chinese traitors win then be deprived OF
WhereWitha to support their vocation The productions
OF barbarian countries being with the exception Of opium
very limited the fountain Of prosperity daily swelling
higher the fountain Of theirs viii daily subside will be
needless for us to deprive them Of IL by force for in ver
~, II will Of itself depart from them Sun Tsze said
There Is the subsection Of the enemy without the fight
ing OF soldiers which truly describes the proper method
OF dealing with the article under consideration"
It appears that the idea Of legalzing the trade in
opium was discussed in 1886, and memorial then
addressed to the Emperor on the subject by Heu
Naetse embraced nearly the same views as those in
the present one of Woo Ting-poo. We make the
following extracts from the former:
lieu Naetse, Vice President of the Sacrifcia Court
presents the following memorial in regard To opu "a
show that the severe the interl;ots against IA
made, the more widely do the evils arising therefrnn
ana that II right urgently TO request that