New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-06-30
The OPIUM TRADE OF INDIA AND
CHINA.

The Portuguese have the merit, if we are to regard
il such, of having commenced the trade in opium
between India and China. A hundred years ago it
was Of very tr1ng extent and il was nj until after
the British East lrda Company made adventure in
l773 thar it gave promise Of becoming large trade.
For many years the quantity shipped from British
India did not much exceed 900 chests per annum,
and even late the year 1870 it did not quite reach
6000 chests, or about 900 lbs. Since that time,
however, notwithstanding that the Chinese have lat
tery largely cultivated the plant from which it is pro-
dueed, their imports Of um have rapidly increased
At the present date il amounts TO between 100000
and IL, 100000 lbs. annually fron India, beside a
small amount from Turkey The opium produced in
India is the concrete juice of the white poppy. The
capsules, when green, are incscd with knife, with
three or more blades, which is drawn along them
during the hottest time of the day; the white juice
exudes from the wounds and coneretes into opium,
which is scraped off the next morning. If the night
dews az heavy or if rain falls in the interval, the
quality of the drug is much impaired. The opium
when collected is put into jars for transportation
TO the factories, where il undergoes process
to purify and prepare it for the market About
the end of March, and for some weeks after, these
Jars begin TO arrive at their destination, and the
contents are thrown into large vats from which the
mass is distributed to be made into balls. When dry
the balls are packed for sale in chests in two layers of
six EACH with dried stalks leaves and capsules of tie
poppy plant. chest of Bengal opium contains l60
pounds and one of Bombay'l40 pounds. The right to
manufacture opium in India is monopolized by the Gov
eminent. The cultivation of the plant from which tits
produced is ngdly restricted to two districts in the
Presidency of Bengal, and neutrality-suspicious. native
State in Western India. The Bengal opium is ex-
ported from Calcutta, and the other, known in the
trade as Malwa opium, from Bombay. Calcutta and
Bombay the only ports from which opium is per-
mitted to be exported, and the quantity shipped at the
former is about double that at the latter In the ia
vored Provinces in Bengal where the poppy plant is
allowed to be grown, the Government servants grant
licenses TO cultivators of the coil to plant certain
grounds and af,erward receive the juice from these
people a stipulated fixed price. AS Mawa is an In
land State and has consequently no seaport its opium
pays duty TO the British Indian Government of about
$50 chest upon expectation from Bombay. AT Cal
cutta there are regular periodical auction sales where
The opium is sold much per cnest to the highest
bidder and 80 careful were the East India Company
to keep up the character of their brand in the market
that previous to sale all opened by exam
liners sppo for the purpose and any balls of opium
that had the slightest appearance Of impurty or decay
were removed, replaced and destroyed, and the box
resealed. The purchasers at these auctions of all
races and countries There may be seen the acute ct
zen of the United States, the porty native of Hindos
tan, and in strange costumes that have sailed In
their own ships, and brought with them strange
CON- from the ports the shores of lranistan and
Arabia. You may see all Decentralization and Pa
gam Mohammedan and jew and last though not least,
from the Importance of their presence the brokers Of
English merchants who count their capital by hundreds
of thousands Of pounds sterling, and own lines of
steamers and sailing vessels. When the opium is sold
il is kept ia bond by the Government and only allowed
TO be removed 10 the ship which il is to be sent out
of India under the Of customs officer. who de-
yers it to another aboard whose duty TO remain by
tie vessel till she finally proceeds to sea. AT this stage
of the traffic the Government ofIndia have finally done
with all interference or control the article and it
NAV be taken wheresoever the owner may think fit,
If we were to credit the policy Of the powers that
rule in China il would appear that it is their ardent
wish entirely TO abolish the of opium among the
$50 600 900 of people subject to their will In that
Empire the importation of opium is by law strictly
prohibited, and by existing treaties with America, En-
gland and other countries any of their respective c-
zens or subjects that may be unfortunate enough to
be caught with the drug in their possession in Chinese
waters or on Chinese ground left entirely at the
mercy of the Celestals to be dealt with by their laws
The actual practice of the trade however is very diff
ferent from what we might suppose it to be from this
regulation Tbereis in reality no more risk incurred In
introducing opium into China than there is here in i'm
porting legal manner any Of the articles upon which
duty is levied by the customs. To understand this more
clearly let suppose that the United
States with the double view of increasing the revenue
of the country and of aordng their servants superior
facilities for growing rich by extortion were to pass
law and make treaties with foreign Powers prohibiting
the importation of tobacco into the Union under the
penalty Of death all who should be caught attempt
ing 70 eyade it, and at tie same time privately permit
the various collectors of customs TO sell permits those
who were willing TO pay highly for the privilege OF
landing and distributing the contraband article In
safety This supposiiion is parallel case with the
practice in China with regard to opium. IL is quite an
error TO suppose is generally doDe that the drug is
smuggled or taken into China in open defiance Of the
authority of the executive power Of the country There
are receiving ships carrying various iags-some Amer-
cap-well armed and manned with Malays and natives
of Manila moored in convenient harbors on the coasts
of China and when a steamer or "opium clipper" ar
ryes from India it is into these storeships that her
cargo is delivered and receipts certificates regularly
granted which are sent to the owners of the drug
wherever they their agents may transact their bust
ness in China In trade these certificates are oonsid
cred unquestonable and transmitted from one to
another with the greatest facility. Chinese dealers
from ports on the coast and the interior, when they
happen to want supply Of opium, purchase scrip for
what they require, and send their boats or some
times iunks or steamers of light draft Of water, to
take it from the receiving ship and convey it to what
LAID Il Az tl,is rticular