An open meeting of this Institute was held on Friday evening, Mr. J. Fryer, President, occupying the Chair, Mr, B, R, Gnaysron moved it ie both mad and impossible to re of opium from the Eh ago to attend a" meeting held in Hulme Town Hall, Manchester, pices of the Anti-Opium He listened to long j minds about the fearful depredations 1th and mor He had dinned ry told with all the unction which a pious enthusiast could throw into them; he was informed that England, the so-called virtuous and free, and had introduced of the greatest curses that had ever beset ud, and forced upon the unfortunate hated and baneful drug, until, mentality which too often p for genuine philanthropy; ey would ask what i him to consider his earlier conviction He would tell them, Firat, as to the assertion that England haa introduced opium into China and forced it upon the heathen, he found, when a residence in the land gave him an interest in its history, that the introduction of opium into China took place as early as the 9th century, when the Arabs first dealt in it with the' Chi commerce continued to isnport it in thei return cargo from India until the 16th century. In the 18th century the trade was principally monopolized by the Portuguese, and in 1767 their importation of the drag reached 1,000 chests,—and the first venture of the East India Company was in 173, But it was not until 1820 that China forbade any ships with opium on board entering the Canton Ri whilst opium smoking began to prevail in Eastern China about 1650. Therefore the practice of opium smoking had spread over the empire before the first cargo of opium was shipped to Canton by the East India Company. So much for the forcing of the drug, and its introduction by the English. And the poor Heathen Chines! He looked in-vain for the wretchedly depraved sorage, whose pictures had been so vividly depicted by their highly imaginative Anti-Opium friends; but found, a frugal industrious people, whose very coolies could read, and a nation possessing a high class of literature. Bo had shown why he did not believe in Association, and it became his duty now ium
to endeavour to show cause for the faith that was in him. His reasons were Ist—because opium in countries subject to tropical heat and malaria is a necessary drug; 2ndly—becauso its exclusion would be contrary to the true principles of Political Ecouomy and prejudicial toCommorcial Interest; 3edly—because it would be detrimental to the Chi Sir Geo. Birdwood said, whole weight of trustworthy especially professional probably alone trust wor! auch a matter, seems to be in favor of the use of such a contro-stimulant as opium by the inhabitants of tropical more particularly those who live in malaious and feed chiefly on a vegetable diet." Who had not rejoiced over tie soft rest of one who, racked by pain, had by means of the gentle opiate been able to shut out the memory of his misery and sleep in peace? Secondly, from the earliest records of history' there had ever been a tendency in communities to rush toward some stimulant or narcotic, as a sort of rest from the labour of the body or the mind. They could go back as far as when Nosh is reputed to have indulged in wine, or to Homer, whose lines in the Odyssey will he remembered, where Helen mixed ood old Auld long syne" China discovered that her growing want could be supplied by India, and commercial relationship ished. There-be contrary to the true principles of political economy. Thirdly and. lastly the introduction of opium into a country had generally very materially affected the conn mn of alcohol—or perhaps it ter to aay that where alcoholics the opium passive slate while under the in-of the drug." He was useless but not mischievous. It was quite otherwise with alcholics. The Chinaman of to-day wasasa rule sober, industrious, law-abiding, and Dr, Ayres, who was an authority, said, resident in China believes in the terrible frequency of the dull, sodden-witted, debi-lirated opium-smoker met with in print or delineated with such telling word-painting by the enthusiastic Anti-Opiumiat." Mr. Grayston coneluded—I ask you, gentlemen, whether you have seen here scenes like those that cluster round the doors of the gin palaces of our large cities, and I ask you by your feeling of common humanity not to rote for the banishment of the single solace to the heary toile or the rest to the weary thinker which thi drug affords, You who rejoice in full favor of your fine Manilas or elegant Havannas would surely never grudge to the wretched coolie his whiff of soothing nar-cetic; for if you doI warn you that the strong probability is you will drive him to alcoholic cup, that will eond his weak brain whirling in the confusion of its poisoned madness, and the narrow alleys shall resound to the shriek of the trampled wife, the wail of his suffering children, Drive the opium from the laud, and the Chinaman to his samshu, and the country will be infinitely injured and ite race deteriorated; therefore on these grounds I ask you to support the motion.
The Ven. Archdeacon Mouzx, in opening for the opposition, said he must begin by avowing himself an enthusiastic Anti-Opiumist. Ho thought some of his hearers would reverse the motion and put it thus that it is both inadvisable to attempt and impossible to realiso—the overthrowing of the arguments of Me. Grayston (laughter). However, this was the task be had himself. Not being a member of the society, he had to thank them for having invited him to take part in the discussion; but he was afraid some of the members might be disappointed that one. of those poor enthusiastic missionaries" had been set up to defend the Anti-Opiumists, There was animpressionabroad that this wasaimissionary question; it had beau very ungonerously hinted that the question had been raised by the missionaries to hide what was called their defeat, But this was more a lay question than a clerical one. The list of names on that miserable Society which Mr. Grayston had _pitched into embraced the names of men representing every direction of thought. Among the Vice-Presidents wore the shop of Durham, profounder scholar that the Church of England sessed, the Bishop of Salisbury and 1 Bishop of Liverpool, representing thr: distinct lines of thought in the Church there were the Rey. O. H. Spui Cardinal Manning and Sir Joseph There were whom he should be very nything to do with as to it religious opinion—such sett Lock and Dr, Bridge, el the world, not mission manfully with them on let out againat the opium trade; but ho would point out on the contrary what a stage it would be if they could adopt in resolution, The Chinese were always asking why the English brought opium and encouraged them in this vice; and what argument it would be if they Oh, you are mistaken, Opium isa splendid thing—most beneficial to your He hoped Mr, Grayaton would troduce acme of his Chine and lot them give him vian on the question, He thought Grayston's speech was amazingly d and amazingly feeble. The resolution sai i i Jo to attempt to oxclud Iuadvisable for whom? Was it i advisable for China? That was " question which China should be allowed to judge forhorself. Was it inadvisable for England? Mr. Grayston did not tell them whether it was inadvisable for England and Chin to attempt it together. Than he said it was impossible. He (Mr. Moule) would ask, Has it ever been attempted!" Ho was sorry to have to join issue with Me. Grayston us to his facts and dates. He had very strong evidence to bring forward that the growth of native opium was certainly not a century old, and that before 1769 they had only 200 chests to depend upon from outside. Mr. Grayston quoted Sir Benjamin Brodie, but Sir Benjamin Brodie had said in a document signed by twenty-four of the leading physicians and surgeons, 'I cannot but regard the atmpt to' promote the opium as an tide of luxury as inflicting a most serious injury on the human race." That was the medical opinion of the gentle man whom Mr. Grayston quoted, "As to the idea that if they did away with opium the awful alcoholic cup would be introduced, experience showed that those stood
good food or indulge in the alcoholic cup. the opium pipe best who could either have The alcoholic cup strengthened them against the effects of the opium, Was it inadvisable to do away with the opium. pipe in China? He thought he could bring witnesses to the contrary whom the
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