New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-09-25


the prescription Of the opium tra,fe IN China.
The cruel punishmcnts inflicted BY the Celeslia
legislator upon his Own eontumacious so>.. ec.''
and the stringent prohibition established at IL
CHM custem- houses proved alike nugatory. The
next effect of the moral resistance Of the Chinausn
was the Decentralization, by the Englishman, of the
Imperial authorities, custom house officers and
mandarins generally. TIE corruption that ate
into the heart of the Celestial bureaucracy, and
destroyed the bulwsrk Of the patriarcha constitu-
ton, was, together with the opium chests, SNUG.
ged into the Empire from the English storeshps
anchored at Whampos.
Nutured by the East India Company vsinly COM
b.tted by the Central Government at Pekin. the
opium trade gradually assumed larger proper.
tions, until it absorbed about S2, 800 900 in 1916.
The throwing open in that year Of the Indian CON-
merce, with the single exception Of the tea trade
which still continues to be monopolized by the
East India Company, gave and powerful
stimulus TO the operations Of the English contra.
bandists. In l320, the number Of chests struggled
into Chins had increased to l47: in 1921 to 600
and in 1924 to I2, 63o Meanwhile, the Chinese
Government at the same time that il addressed
threatening circumstances to the foreign merchants,
punished the Kong merchants known az their
abettors, developed an unwonted activity in its
prosecution Of the native opium consumers, and at
its custom.houses, put into practice more stringent
measures. The final result, Ike that OF similar
exertiOns in 1894, was to drive tie opium depots
from precarious TO a more convenient basis Of
operations. Macao and Whampos were abandoned
for the Island Of Lin-Tin, at the entrance Of the
Canton River, there to become permanently estab
iished in vessels armed to the teeth, and we'll
manned. In the same way when the Chinese
Government temporarily succeeded in stopping the
operations Of the old Canton houses, the trade
only shifted hands and passed to lower class Of
men, prepared to carry it on at all hazards
and by whatever means. Thanks TO the greater
facilities thus afforded. the opium trade increased
during the ten years from Iso4 to 1884 from
II, $50 to 81, 7S5 chests.
Like the years 800, 1916 and 1924, the year
1884 marks an epoch in the history Of the opium
trade. The East India Company then lost not only
its privilege Of trading in Chinese tea, bat had to
discontinue and abstain from ali commercial bust
mesa whatever. 1t being thus transformed from
mercantile into a merely government establish.
ment, the trade to China became completely thrown
open to English private enterprise, which pushed
with such yigor that, in 1887, 80 900 chests of
opium, valued at $25 900, 900, were successfully
struggled into China, despite the desperate resist
auce of the Celestial Government Two facts here
claim attention. First, that Of every step in the
progress of hc export trade to China since Isle
disProportionssely large part progressively fell
upon the opiun-smuggling branch; aud secondly, |
that hand in hand with the gradual extinction Of
the Ostensible mercantile interest Of the Angle |
Indian Government IN the opium trade, grew the |
Importance Of its fiscal interest in that Illicit traffic.
In 1Sy7 the Chinese Government hsd at last |
arrived at point where decisive action could no |
longer be delayed. The continuous drain Il silver,
csnssd by the opium importations had begun to |
dera9ge the exchequer, as We'll as the moneysd cir
cuaton of the Celestial Empire. Heu Nailzi, one |
Of the most distinguished Chinese statesmen, |
proposed to legalze the opium trade and make |
money out Of III but after full delberation. in |
which ST the high officers Of the Empire shared, |
and which extended over period of more than |
wears duration, the Chinese Government decided |
that. In account Of the injuries il inflicted |
:. on the people. the neiaricis traffic should |
not be lrgHlized." As early "a 1880, duty of -
per cent eeuld have yielded revenue Of 50, 500 |
600. In lsS7, il would have yielded double that |
sum. but then the Celestial barbarian declined lay
ing tax sure to rise in proportion to the Degrade
ton of his people In 1853, Hen Fang, the present
Emperor under still more distressed circumstances,
and with the full knowledge of the futilty OF all
efforts at stopping the increasing import OF opium,
per,cvered IN the stern policy of his ancestors.
Let me remark, On PEASANT that by prosecuting the
opium consumption heress the Emperor gave
its traffic all the advantages a religious propa-
snnda. The extraordinary measures of the Chi !
uese Government during the Years 1887, ISIS and .
Is39. which culmnated in Commissioner Inns ar
rival at Canton, and the confscation and destruc- !
ton. by his orders, Of the smuggled opium, 81 .
forded the pretext for the first Ango-Chinese war,
the result, Of which developed themselves In the I
Chinese rebellion. the utter exhaustion of the In
ner;sl e,cbeouer the successful enercachmen, OF
Russia from the North, and the gigantic dimei's aus
assumed by the opium trade In the South. Al |
though prescribed in tie treaty with which En- |
gland terminated g war, commenced and carried on
in is defense, the opium trade has practically en-
ioyed perfect immunity since le43. The iGpcrta-
tiou VIVA estimated ID 1876, a, about az, o00, 600,
while i. the same year. the Anslc-IndiAn Govern
men, drew revenue of 60. COO on. just the sixth
par. of its total State income, from The opium
monopoly. The pretexts on which the second