Peking, 8th June, 1882.
My Lord,—I have the honour to enclose copies of my correspondence with the Grand Secretary so, referred to in despatch of the 3rd instant, which by mistake T had not carried with me to Tieutsin,—I have, ete (Signed) Tuomas Fraxcis Wave.
Sir T, Wade to Grand Secretary Ta Peking, 23rd July, 188:
Srt,—In the Shéi-pao newspaper published at Shanghai on the 29th June last, paper is printed which purports to be Memorial Inid before the throne by yor Excellency on the subject of opium taxation, in the course of which reference: made to myself in the following word:
"Your servant having be poured by the command of your Majesty to take izance of foreign affairs, wna of course to decline the responsibility, and (in discharge of it) he received the British Minister W (Thomas Wade), he discussed with him the question of raising the Tariff duty and lekin excise upon opium, with a view to diminishing the taste for it, Nor had Thomas Wade any objection to make thereto. But when Li Hung-chang arrived, your servant and he further discussed the matter with Thomas Wade on tio occasions; Li Hung-chang having besides one separate confer-with him alone; and at these confereucea Thomas Wade maintained opinions at various with those of your There was a considerable change Innguage (or ho retracted much), and with reference to the augmentation of the price of opium, he showed as much irritation as if the change wore something to be deplored.
"Wore your servants to have agreed to tion he subsequently made that chest should be the fixed amount (of opium taxation added little (to the present cost of trading) and not only would it have effected nothing towards diminishing the appetite for it,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.