East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1866-02-07
OPIUM. IT'S CULTIvATIoN. &c.


This bauehnl drug is chiefly Quilt
waited in Bengal and other English
East India possessions. The seed is
sown in November, and the produce
collected in March. India is said to pro-
duce60, 000chests, weighing from 25 to
lao pounds each, annually. The send
ing of opium TO China began in 1857.
In lS47, fifty vessels were engaged
solely in this trade, besides great
number partially 30 engaged. Two
and half million dollars were annu-
ALLYN spite of he restrictions of
Government--impe rted into Foo-chow.
In lS4S there were in that city one
hundred houses devoted TO the sale of
opium for smoking. From 1874 to
1920, the amount exported to China
varied from 5000 to 1000 chests per
year.
In 1887 it amounted to between
$4,000 and 10000 chests, valued at
S25,000,000. From 1888 to 1912 the
trade was almost entirely interrupted
by the war which grew out of the at
tempts on the part Of the Chinese gov-
eminent to suppress it. For the year
1S48, the amount imported into China
from Bombay, was 10, chests, and
Calcutta, $4,000 chests, which at an
average Of $3.50 per chest, would
amount to s32, 100000 expended for
this single article of trade. Then the
Chinese pay an advance on this sum
of several millions more, which goes
into the hands of the merchant
The principle use made Of opium by
the Chinese is in the form of smoking.
The Weather orders do their smoking
in their own dwellings, but for the
poorer classes there are thousands of
shops fitted with accommodations ex-
pressly for smoking.
The effects of this drug upon the
consumer are thus described by dis
tinguished Chinese scholar:
at exhausts the animal spirits, i'm
pedes the regular performance of bust
ness, wastes the flesh and blood, dissi-
pates every kind Of property, renders
the person ill-favored, promotes OBJ
scenity, discloses secrets, violates the
laws, attacks the vitals, and destroys
life"
The Chinese government have made
strong efforts to cut off or restrict the
traffic IN this drug. Public attention
was directed to its injurious effects in
1899, and in 1909, an edict was issued
requiring all ships discharging their
cargoes at 'Whampoa, to give bonds,
that they had no opium on board
Still more stringent laws were adopted
in 1920. In 1884, an edict was issued,
declaring that the injury done by the
influx Of opium, and by the increase
of those who inhaled it, was nearly
equal to a general cOnfagration, and de-
nouncingCupon the seller and smoker
of the poison, the bastinado, the wooden
collar, Imprisonment, Punishment, con-
fiscation of property, and even death
10y public decapitation or strangula-
ton. But Notwithstanding all this,
tho trade kept increasing, until at
length, an Imperial Commissioner was
appointed, clothed with the highest
authority, to proceed to Canton and
endeavor to effect an utter annihilation
of the trade. In carrying out this
determination, he seized and destroyed
some 90, chests of opium, and
compelled the merchants to sign
bond that they would forever cease
trading in the article.
This bold and decided measure ON
the part of the Commissioner led to
the war with England, which is COM
monty known as the opium war, the
result Of which is well known. When
urged to legalize the trade, the En-
peror replied in these memorable
words: at is true" said he, al
cannot prevent the introduction of the
flowing poison; gain seeking and COR
rupt men will, for profit and sensuality,
defeat my wishes; but nothing will
induce me to derive revenue from
the vice and misery of my people,"
One result Of the war was the ceding
of the island of Hong Kong to the
English. III J1lS lSldhu) aiIeI puoSihS
into the hands of the victors, the trade
in opium was legalized, and twenty
shops for its sale Immediately licensed,
within gun shot Of the Chinese Empire,
where such an offence is punishable
with death.
1t is stated upon the highest au-
thority that the British government in
India could not be sustained without
the immense revenues derived from
this trade. This revenue for the last
six years, it is said, has amounted to
nearly $4,000, 900. 1t is also esti-
mated that the immense sum of $780,
100000 of specie has been drained
from China to pay for this single arti-
Gle alone within the last half century