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


clude the foreign supply.
After some preliminary remarks relative to the
deficiency of revenue and drain of silver, &C., Woo
Tingpoo says:
at may probably be said that opium has long been
bane OF the country and that this bane be
tirpated, if duty be imposed on il by law. But let it
be remembered that the great interests Of the empire
always be looked at in their entire and comprehen
siye aspect, and Of any thing duplicating them the evil
and advantage must be fairly weighed if two balancing
advantages be presented the greater be chosen and
where two contrasting evils stand in the way, the
must be removed Now if the evil complained Of could
indeed be struck at the root would regret the loss
70 Government of the millions OF taes Of annual
which might have been derived from its existence Bat
the fact is that in late times every seaport ana every
land transit toll has been horoughfare to Illicit traders,
who have paid fees for the passage opium amounting
10 enormous sums Of money all Of which have gone to
swell the ilgotten gains OF without title to them.
The returns have been under the heads of glass md
broken glass, phs and b,orn birds nests black and geea
tea, me and back ciohthesc being pSeudonyms Of the
drug The laws of the country have thus been turned TO
serve for the profit Of rogues while stringent prohibitions
were publicly declared private perqusites drawn
from the ntTacton Of them Under an administration
assumed 70 be just and effective how could such practices
bs tolerated?
To carry into effect beneficial innovations is grand
prerosatlye OF the sovereign 1t anclenty said,
when matter has come to extremity there must be
change; when the change is decreed be carried
into effect and the method of doing this must be such
heaven design advantage Ito mAnknd( is
tain to follow Now, in the economy of the universe,
there is in operation law Of perpetual progress to which
limit is New agencies brought into action, the
ruler of the empire shape his conduct conform
with them he cannot forcibly control them. Of old
Shun disked vanished furniture and vi
sweet wne but TO the time the ofneither the
wine the varnish has been discontinued and have
not heard that any of the evils affecting the world
tributabe to them Again. the former Ming dynasty in
erdcted tobacco whereas from that article is de-
Of he Also 81
mencement Of our own reigning line prohibition was
placed on wine but the duty thereon now amounts to
hundreds CT thousands These all examples of the
propriety Of needful accommodation TO the crcum-
stances Of the times.
"When sweeping denuncation is brought against
OPIUM because amongst the of it there are
many whom it induces to neglect their affairs and in
whom occasions disease, il is forgotten that with any
OF the gifts Of nature suffering upon Rain
and wind heat and cold eating and drinking the inter
course between man and woman-whch Of these things
may not be abused But the wise every thing in due
measure Now opium is, in fact medicine whose pro-
peres are to stimulate the nerves stop darrha and
neutrlze the effects Of malaria Ii the atera Medica
of lie Shechin who lived towards the close Of the Ming
dynasty II IS called aooyng and respecting it. it is
stated that its use be long continued dose length
requires to be taken at regular Intervals Previous
the reign OF lung it cassed in the customs tariff
as medicine After the opium had passed the custom
house, having paid the duty it delivered TO Hong
merchants, who bartered fer and other commodities
The population along the whole depended in great
:" II the commencement Of the reign of Kea king the
penalties for opiGmsmokng merely exposure in the
cangue and fogging Afterwards when they were made
more severe the barbarian merchants sold it candesne
~ and stored to command the market amassng great
gains and thenceforth the silver from our central land
began to depart to return
Some Of the evils of the severe system adopted
against the importation and use Of the drug, and
the malpracees of subordinate officials, are briefly
but teroely described in the following paragraph
From the first establishment of the severe system the
evils produced BY it gradually became greater and ex
ceeded all previously known In brigandage upon the
public roads, bribery Of officials and extorton By their
L was even made practice convey secretly to some
spot in order that it might form the subject Of false
accusation the sequel Of which would be free plumber on
pretence Of seizure Of it. Since it matter invos-
ing the most serious consequences the local Mandarns
they would beforehand give guarantees the
ehce u the article within their Jurisdictions and after
WARDS thelr only course to conceal it TO the utmost
Of their power. Moreover the unprncpled functbna-
Iies Of small districts would often employ il as means
Of extcron and the innocent people were thereby SUBJ
jected very grieyous oppressionsa thing which GER
tain!y would occasion 10 your sacred Majesty
The satsmnggling in Hoonan and Ganhwuy the piracy
IN trhien and Kwangung and the perpetually recur-
ring brgandage IN kiangse Kiang nan, Che kiang Can
hWuy Hoonan Chhle, and Shangtung all in chief
degree had their origin in punderng upon the pretext
q searching for opium If the imposition Of duty on
the article can be brought about the evil disposed will
meat Of their nefarious plans"
The following is the calculation made by this
official to the extent Of the trade and the proba
bic revenue which might be derived from it under
the proposed duty We have added in brackets his
estimates in dollars The tael consists of 100 can
dereons, u Of which is a dollar, which makes the
former equal to about 139 cents but for facility Of
calculation we estimate it at 140 cents:
" The public benefit which would result from the
measure, and the daily increase which would accrue
through to the national finances are to be
ny PLAIN calculations To the question of hop2 the fol-
lowing is the reply At the various ports along the coasts
Of Fuhkien, Che Kang Fungtien and Tientsn, which
altogether comprise more than ten places exclusive of
foreign goods generally very large item in the imports
= the article Of opium. Kwanchow (Canton) was for
mery, as shanhai now is the place where the greatest
amount was imported In the y-szs and pingcoo years
Of the reign Of Taoukwang 8454G) there were daily
sold ~ Shanghai go, 600 10000 taes 1884 900 to
S9SOOO worth Of the drug and after that period the
quantity gradually increased from the third or fourth to
The seventh or eighth months daily sale would be
aes (Sl40OOO) worth, and in the other months when it
vas less, IL did not fall below 10000 or 900 taes
SoS,0o $ll20 00) In the ports Of Fuhkien Kwang
ung and the other provinces the daily ale was at rates
II from 1000 900 TO 10 900 or 20 900 aes fSo 800
" Sll 200 to $4,000 S28,000) These amounts be-
ng reckoned together would make the entire daily i'm
,ors less than 100 600 taes 140 0OO five divide
how shall form one and the minor ports in Fuhkien,
Fungtien, Tientsn, &c. another and take
he average imports in both the busy and slack months
ZACH set would show daily sale Of 90 900 taelsthe two
ogether an aggregate Of 10000 taes 1882, 000 The
rice or each chest Of 100 cates about 300 ae 1920
he black opium being in balls and the white opium in
axes but either has the general Chinesel name Of parcel
mi each parcel weighs about three catties la chest