The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-11-29
What snount e opium has the Esst India Company
u nder thoir coltrol2

ANsWEhs OF TnE AMERICAN CLERGYMAN.
Nisoro, June rs 1895.
Your polite note GENE 70 hand last evenieg ana
now AXE plea, ure In answering your inquiries a.
my infoI mstisp may Ell end -
la. Whence do tho chir e~e get their opium
Ans. The o,fum consumed by tue ,'hlnese a. With
scarcely shy exception either imported from lin " Of
native growth
ID. What amount os opium Il cold nj Ninqoos
Ans ihis question have no. tue means u answering
with the trade Of this part VIII enable you ASCERTAIN al
lsast the amount impsftsd BY io,sixns '.
3D. Wta' l. the populs,ien Of Ninggo and susurbs'
A. Perhaps TIN 20 hpndsed thousand or m,ge.
Alb What class and NUMBER consums H. and what
does Il ce.t ihens
Ana From ny own OBJ ervasisn can say that opium
Ii consumd by all classes OF the Cnese, osscer. aud
people, rich and poor and 10 exsnt even by
women While the iieh conssws the lssgs.. assntsy
tDhs Of the are found Ia the rank Of the poor
A. 10 the number ~ smoke ~ Ningpo. have not
the means q iormsng es.imsts. not ksowins the
quantity Of the 'rug sold at this port. Dr. Medhu~t
states that "twen thouss,d chests At twenty n ~
per DAY sye sufficient 70 d-mo lie three milns of
personr" s.e IS ale and espccts Chiaa" chspt~r
l,h whore ihsrs /. stirring appeal 70 wsrcbsnss N
hi. subject. An opium merchant, In th- Chieee RI
fcsitoy, estimates two millions Of smoter- for twe.ty
thousand csets Impaired In 1854 This stsee est
mae compared with the Import OF last year wh,a
sixty thousand chests, will give SIX millions
two bnnoied thonssnn AS an approximation ths Num-
bcr OF smokers In the empire who consume the orega
Drug Opinm H. however by N. statement II Mr.. Vice
Dsnl Wade also produce in nine out OF the Eighteen
provinces. Those herefo'e who consume tho doaestc
article must greatly ,vell the number of smokers |
think the entire sum would not fall short OF ton millions
some say fifteen
much greater ban IT. Wholesale rate and there Is
to believe that the pce becomes greater you resede
vidua Is shout ono dollar par month, which in west
en country would scarcely be ielt bat 10 China whore
the wages OF the mechanic farmer, coos and even OF
ths rchooimaster do not In general amount Ia ten
Ter cay this expenditure IN sufficient TO great
deal OF misery.
s. Is the consumption increasingly
Ans. fhe mi nj in ntv-0,
Thousand chests that nprted in 1854 was a,serdng
the China Matt sixty thousand sests add 70 this
and we have proof that tho sndng
occasional fluctuations, really advancing 1t ~ alarm
ing rate
the thiDere Sof
Ana The Emperor, who, Notwithstanding his extreme
ecestes has like bis rescd to repenish
his treasury hy leang uade Injurious TO his psops
would probably be encouraged 10 suppress the growth Of
opium In hi. own donations Though psual oa.ctmrns
vaton Of the poppy would se easy Evea ths however
will not be attempted long the poisonous drug "a
protected BY the English and American sgs These vss
els may be said are not armed " resist the regular
aa.ho'ics but the authorities cannot be brought TO b.
lere 80. after the experience OF the opium
I. What would he the consequencesy
Assist Sudden death TO many ioveserate smokers.
3D. Improved health and prolonged life to still, larger
number Of more moderate smokers. ID. An improve
ment in the finances Of the empire by diminishing tho
export Of silver Attn An Improvement In he coalition
the strength wasted In the distribution and
sumption Of opium, a. well by procuring tbs
res Of life with money now sqnandcred on vicious in
diligence. 9Th. The public oaa would be improved
the opium trade, whether vicious PR not, Ii
doubtedly fruitful Of vice. BY impoverishing
the people 1t ipcroascs thcfts and robberes by do
ranging the finances Il promotes Instruction While II
demoislises both people and officers by Accusomng tho
former 10 violate the laws and the latter To conniye ut
g. What IL the whole value Of the opium imported into
China, aud how dos compare with the value OF drugs
abused In countiie~y
Ans In 1854 the drugs imported from India Amounted
to'lsins forty thousa chests, ut three hundred aud
Fifty i've dollars, and Nalwa twenty seven thousand
chests at four hundred ard fhirty.ve dollars gring
oaI " fses,fyape miiiions nin< hdrc and forty
E Motynd dtHas. This not 10 be compared with the
ugs sbusei In western countries, but with ths cost Of
such drugs are imported The value Of liquors
sumsd In Ebsand and Amerisa prossbly exsssds this
sun; but is NO, lii ely that either country pays out
large a for foreign wines and brandics X must DO
remembeec thai e Chnose siso have wines and bran
dies; ana The asc Of opium Ia 2rd iona vice. More
over in comparing the coat Of such ndugenccs In China
and the West the true standard Ii not this dollar bat
the price OF sbor or The price " food which bears
pordou 10 It, The average wages Of mechacic Is less
than ten cents per any .he n food him bat three
cents PER day 10 the United States, the pcc both OF
food snA labor about timcs much that 10
the Chpeso az outlay ~ twsnty six nlion dollars 4 -
to America Nov, II two hundred and SIXTY million dol.
inrs annually sxpor.d Fl the Tinted States for
free country would interfere with legislative inter let
merely 10 save her finances from dss,rustiou In lac
tie finances 81 China already In tho most depioabs
coDdioD and the importation Of opium Is Assigned by
Chinese statesmen a. the chief cause.
.. Why do the Chinese, essentially saving an6Singy,
SPEND their money ON opium instead Of their cheap ~nes
Answer. Though opium may have rednc.d tho cnn-
sumption 81 wines 10 degree II has not aupersedeI
It, The u their ro~ing londness tor H. IL tooud
chiefly IN It, superior s,imuatt qualities The ~xtsn
siye Of any given stimulus, BY mcsns, however,
proves that s,mulus to be necessary Some tribes Of
iavaess coming In cnntsSa with civilized TRADERS have
ubibed such taste for Intoxicating Hqaors greatly
10 ha,ten cr extinction before the taste asgurcd.
the want Of such n smulant not felt. 50 II Il With
tire Chinese Ibose have acquired tho habit Of
smoking opium feel need q any stronger stimuloas
than the tohsoco pipe.
TO- wha. amount 81 opium has tbs Fast Iniia Com
Ans. The Patua opium (sor,y thousand chests) I.
monopoly Of the company. They could easily therefore
suppress is growth his halwa Uwcnty seven thousand
cbrs,s) though grown In native principally passes
through the companys dnit IONS payment Of tran
sit duty. The Company, therefore, have right 10 Ia
tsrdct the transit thus stop its export. The whole
Of the otium grown in India Is. Therefore 30 FAR uni,t
the control Of the company that they have tho right %
suppress the growth Of the Patna and nterdct ihs
In conclusion Am glad sir that you giving your
attention TO this subject; and hope thai the abundant
teal and social bodily and en,sl win lead you
your hands q any share you may have IN its saIe.
Nraro, July ~. 1855.
Pressing engagements have prevented my returning an
earlier TO yours II the 4th umo As no veyev
YOU depecste endless controversy you have hardly
been expecting reply and should not have thought !,
necessary to render any but Tor the calculation Of
tain views which you are pleased TO question
]. As To the quantity Of opium imported.-You sup
pore that the statement given In the China Ma refers
t. he quantity gron In India and ms portion q it
finds market elsewhere, you inter that the al u
he drug imported into China crceod Gfiy thou
sand chests. This Ia wholly graluiious assampton
The language Of the Mad Jan. U.s. 1850 Is too CHAR 10
b. mistaken 1.-The total deliveries 10 China during No
year may Be estimated at forty thousand chests Bengal
and twenty thousand chests Nalsa,o stasmcnt
which considering the reputation Of iha. Journal for
statistic accuracy, not ~ be impugned
lecture. Indeed, the estimate Of sixty seven thoaslud
chests lar from admitting 81 reduction requires 70 be
Augmented by the addition 81 the Turkey opium snd q
The IndA OPIUM which IL conveyed 70 China through
Burmsh
. As 70 'hs increA~e In the consumption a opium:
You admit that the importation has se.ly lnarca.sd
but depy that Its atn ant evils have increased 10 the
ratio. The process by which you maze this appear
Is quite original Considering" you remark that
have the rnuge of the eoAst from the borders u siam IN
r. n, and 'hus have connection With people twenty
~ the number, yoa must allow that in place u IN
there must b. very graf individual dnina'i0D
in its ,nsumption" You u show, ~ uptcr.
stand your arguuen that While during this lat twenty
years the importation Of opium has Increased three odd
rs ~.