The Barrow Herald and Furness Advertiser. — 1883-02-17 (Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England)

OPIUM TRAFFIC—MEETING AT DALTON. On Thursday evening last a fairly-well attended public meeting was held in the Green Schools, Dalton, to further the interests of the Society for the Suppression of the Opium Traffic in China. The Rev. J. M. Morgan presided, who, aftera few introductory remarks, called upon the Rev. Josiah Cox to move the first resolution, which was to the effect that the using of opium had a demoralizing tendency. In the course of a lengthy speech Mr. Cox told of the many evils which the traffic caused from his many years' experience as a Chri.tian missionary amongst the Chinese. He said the Chinese authorities were Strongly opposed to it, and did all in their power to stop it. He alluded to the Chinese commissioner Sing destroying at one time a large quantity of opium belonging to the merchants, thinking by that means to at once stop the traffic; but the British Government went to war with China and compelled them to restore its value to the merchants. He spoke of the difficulties the missionaries had to contend with, and how the Chinamen taunted them with bringing good books and preaching good doctrines whilst at the same time they filled their pockets and ruined the Chinese with the opium traffic. He referred to Lord Elgin getting the Chinese to place a duty upon opium and thus remove the black stain of smuggling from the trade. The Chinese did all they could to prevent ft, but were powerless. The speaker referred to the extreme poverty of the Chinese. He said he could at any time get by holding up his hand 46 or 50 joiners who would gladly work for 6d or 8d a day. He knew a man who sold his wife for a purpose worse than death in order that he might satisfy his craving for opium, but she, sooner than submit to it, committed suicide. The Rev. Mr. Tomliwou seconded the resolution, and in a very clear and fluent manner gave a history of the opium traffic in China. He said that it was at first introduced in 1781 by a vessel lying cff the coast and the drug was freely distributed amongst the natives, and so an appetite for it was created. The mandarins were bribed to allow it afterwards to be imported, but it was always looked upon as contraband until the British government induced the Chinese to put a duty upon, for take it they must either legalized or smuggled. He mentioned Sir George Burnwood ridiculing, in the Ti,nes' the efforts made to stop the traffic by saying the use of opium did the Chinese no more harm than twiddling their thumbs but Sir George had never lived in China. He knew nothing about the question; no one knew better than the missionary. The European merchants did not live in the same quarters in the Chinese cities. The British officers were not mixed up with the natives oi China the same as the missionaries were. The missionaries lived right in the midst of them, and knew well their likes and dislikes. Opium users were not allowed as members of the Christian churches. _ _  A resolution was moved by the Rev. J. G. Anderson that the previous resolution be forwarded to the Prime Minister, Indian Secretary, and county members. It was briefly seconded by the Rev. F. Jeffs, who humourously remarked that the meeting had been sufficiently drugged that night without being drugged by a long speech from him.—Both resolutions were carried unanimously. A vote of thanks was accorded the Chairman, who brought the meeting to a close by a short prayer. Before the meeting dispersed a collection was taken.  Devrox