The following are the letters which have paseed between the Chamber of Commerce and the British Consul-General on the ject of the Notitic it on opium Chamber of Commerce, it February, 1887.
Sut,—You have doubtless cation issued by the Commissioner of Customs at this port numbered 261 dated yentorday Blet January, 1887, regarding the collection of Duty and Lekin on foreign opium on and after Ist February, 1887, 1 accordance with the additional Article to the Chefoo Agroment of 1876; and giving certain regulations for the enforcement snd carrying out such collection, Without stopping to comment upon the in their order, frere 1 the opinion of the Committee of this Chamber seems to demand particular and immediate attention, Nhe following is the regulation in question "7,—On ell foreign apina which hn arrived or shall have arrived in Shanghai and paid Duty but not Lekin and been wuded and stored in godown prior to the
mitted to pry at the Custom House the Treaty Lekin of Hk. Tle. 80 per picul from the Ist February to the flat July next; and such opium will thereupon have Daty-proof stamps affixed to it and will be ifed to be conveyed inland under Transit Certificate if desired. But it—from the Ist February to the lst July uext,—un is removed from any godown without having paid Treaty Lekin, or is found in circulation without the Customs Daty-roof stamp affixed, it will be subjected to pecial Lekin at the rate of Hk. Tie. 300 per picul, and after the lst July, any ich opium will be confiscated."
to the latter part of the I would particularly refer and asi ion the Committ:
ding it to mean that th oval of opium, that las be before the Ist February 1887 and duly paid the tariff impost of Tis, 30 per picul from any godown in the Settlement or the moving or circulating of ench opium within th will subject such opium to fine (called in the Notificatiun ' Special Lekin") of is. 300 per picul or confiseation should the moving it in the Settle ment take place after the lst July next.
Tf this 1s the correct meaning of the paragraph in question it is obvious that duly imported merchandize in foreign go-Gowns, aid which ino of foreigners within th the control of Chinn to further taxatic by Tronty at the The Committee would informed if t have the honor to be, Sir, Your obedient servant, (Signed) J. G. Purpoy, Chairman, To P. J. Huanes, Esq., H.M.'s Consul-General, Doyen of the Consular Body, Shanghai.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.