Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1855-12-15
THE OPIUM TRADE IN CHINA.

itu scarcely any exception, either imported from
India or Of native growth.
.. What amount of opinm is sold ut Nincno9
Aus. ibis question | have not he means of an.
sWcrlng accurately, though | doubt not that your
acquaintance with the trade Of this port will enable
you to ascertain at tie least amount imported by
lUrcignc;s..
3. What is the population of Nincpo and sub
urhs.
Ans. Perhaps three hundred thousand or more.
J " hat class and number consume il, and what
does it cost them?
Ans, From my own observation | can say that
opium IS consumed by all classes of Chinese. off.
GERS aud people, rich and poor. and to some extent
even by women. While the rich consume the larr.
est quantity iorcach individual, the vast majority
perhaps hlnc'tenths) Of the smokers are found in
the ranks Of the poor. As TO the humber of smok-
eS at Ningpo, | have not the means of forming an
estimate, not knowing the quantity Of the drug
SOLD at this port. DR.. Mcdhurst states that TWEEN.
tY Thousand chests at twenty grains per day are
sufficient 10 demoralize three millions t,f persons.
See state and Prospects Of China" chapter 4th.
where there Is a stirring appeal to merchants on
this subject. An opium merchant in the chinese
REPOSITORY estimates two million of smokers for
twenty-one thousand chests imported in l735.-
! ms latter estimate, compared with the imports of
last year, which was siXty-seyeR thousand chests.
VIII give over six millions two hundred thousand
as an approximation to the number Of smokers in
thc empire who consume the foreign drug. Oaium
"a, however, hy the statement oi Mr.. Nice.Consul
Wade, also produced ia nine out Of the eighteen
provinces. Those, therefore, who consume the do.
nestle article must greatly swell the number Of
smokers. think the entire sum would not fall
short oil ten mlillOns-sOme say fifteen.
As to the cost. The retail rr.ce of the DRUG is
OF course, much greater than its wholesale rate. and
there Is reason to believe that the price becomes
greater as You recede from the cost. The average
consumption for each individual is about one dol
lar per month, which, in a western country, would
scarcely be felt but in China, where the wages of
Tie mechanic, farmer, coolie, and even of the
Schoolmaster, do not in general amount to ten cents
per day, the expenditure is sufficient TO cause a
great deal Of misery.
5. Is the consumption increasing?
Ans. Inc quantity imported in 1885 was TWEEN.
ty-eight thousand chests that imported in 1851
was, according to the CHiHa Mil, sixty seven
thousand chests; add to this the known increase in
the domestic growth Of opium, and we have proof
that the consumption, Notwithstanding occasional
fluctuations, is really advancing at an alarming
rate. =
would the Chinese do?
Ans. The Emperor, who notwithstanding his OK
IRENE necessities, has like his predecessors, re.
fused to replenish lis treasury, by legalizing a
trade injurious tohis people, would probably be
encouraged to suppress the growth Of opium in
his o"n dominions. Though penal e%nlctments
against smoking must be nugatory, to suppress the
cultivation Of the poppy would BE easy. Even
thu, however, will not lie attempted, rs long as
the poisonous drug is poured in upon them, by
fleets Of heavily armed vessels, protected by the
English and American flags. These vessels. i'll
may be said, are not armed to resist the regular
authorities; but the authorities cannot be brought
TO believe scatter the experience Of the opium war.
I. What would he the consequences?
Ans-lst. Sudden death to many inveterate
smokers. %. Improved health and prolonged life
to a still larger number of more moderate smokers
I'd. An imOrovpmpnt in tha hnoncac ,f Tho :, Diro
by diminishing the export Of silver. 4th. An i'm
p~royementi in TIE condition of the people, ~ the
application to useful industry Of the strength now
wasted in the distribution and consumption Of OPT
as we'll as by procuring the nccessaries of life
with money now squandered on a vicious i1dul-
9Th. The public morals would Gc improved
rs the opium trade, whether vicious per Sc or not.
5 undou5ttu a fruitful source of vice. By impov-
erisiiing the people, it increases thefts and robbie l
'Ies; by der nging the finances it promotes insur- Z
'cction, while it demoralizes both people and off.
by accustoming the former to violate The laws
md the latter to connive at their violation.
3. What is the whole value Of the opium i'm
ported into China, and how does it compare with
he value of drugs abused in our own countries?
Ans. In 1854 the drugs imported from India
mounted to ;-Patna, forty thousand chests, at
hrce hundred and |Efty.ive dollars, and Malwa }
Wcnty-seven thousand chests, at four hundred and |
h~Iity-tive dollars, gjrjHg 4 SIM iotdi of trsuty. fire !
millions nine-Aaadred and lGrty-fce thousand DOL
nIT. This is not to be CON pared with the drugs
tbuSed in western countries, but with the cost of =
uch drugs as are imported. The value Of liquors =
in England and America probably ex. =
.ceds this sum; but tits not likely that either coun-
ry pays out so large a sum for foreign wines and !
Jrandies. 1t must be remembered that the Chinese !
llso have wines and brandies; and the use of Opt =
I'M is an additional vico. Moreover in comparing !
he cost OF such indnlgences in China and the :
West, the !rue standard is not the dollar, but the =
}rice Of labor, or price Of food, which bears a nro- \
portion to it. HE average wages o. the mechanis $
ess than ten cents per day, while his food costs (;
lim but three cents per day; in the United States, !
he price OF both food and labor are about ten times '
Is much, so that TO TIE Chinese an outlay of TWEEN '
y-six million dollars is as heavy as two hundred !
md sixty million dollars would be to America. :
Now, if two hundred and sixty million of dollars
yero annually exported from the United States for
| single intoxicating drug, it would not be long be- ,
our free country would interfere with a legis- '
ative ~interdict, merely to save her finances from
destruction. In fact, the finances of China are al.
ready i'll the most deplorable condition, and the i'm
portation Of opium is assigned by Chinese statesmen
as the chief cause.
Q. Why do the Chinese, essentially saving and
'tingy, spend their money on opium instead Of their
cheap wines?
Answer. Though opium may have reduced the
consumption of wines in soma degree, it has not
superseded it. The reason Of their growing fond
ness for it, is found chiefly in its superior stimula-
ting qualities. The extensive use Of any given
stimulus, by no means. however, proves that slim
illus to be necessary. Some tribes Of savages
coming in contact with civilized traders, have i'm
bibed such a taste for Intoxicating liquors,as great
ly to hasten their extinction before the taste was
acquired, the want Of such a stimulant was not
So it is with the Chinese. Those who have
not acquired the habit of smoking opium, feel no
need of any stronger stimulus than the tobacco
pipe.
10. What amount of opium has the East India
Company under its control?
Ans. The Patna opium forty thousand chests)
is Il monopoly Of the company. They could east.
ly, therefore, suppress its growth. The Malwa
(twenty-seven thousand chests, though grown in
a native principally passes through the company's
.domions' on payment Of a transit duty. The com.
pany, therefore, have n right to interdict the tran
sit, and thus stop its export. The whole of the
opium grown in India is, therefore, SO far under
the control Of the company that they have the right
to suppress the growth of the Patna and intCrGict
the expectation of the Malwa.