The following memorial from the Opium Merchants of Hongkong has been handed to the China Mail tur publication To His Excellency the Otticer Administering the Government of Hongkong. tet day of June, 1886.
The Petition of the wndersigued, Mor-chants Showeth as follows 1,—As the Commission appointed unde: the Chefoo Convention wid the Supplementary Agreement of last year is about to commeiico its labours, your Petitio the undersigned Merchants, who are large: ly interested in the Opium rade of this Colony, it @ fitting opportunity to bring to Your Excellency's notice certain Opium Trade, which, in their opin sight of by the Commission, not only your Petitioner's interests, but also in those of the Colony generally.
2.—Your Petitioners are aware that the much canvassed question of " Chinese C tom House in Hongkong line long since been definitely settled by the Home Government, who decided that auch an institution, having regard to International law and usage, could not be established in a British Crown Colony; yot articles have recently been published in the Shen Pao and other northern papers, nnd it is matter of common rumour' amongst the Chinese here to-day, that this, or similer 3.—It is said that in return for this con-the Chinese authorities propose to offer as a set off the removal of the blockade from the neighbourhood of Hongkong.
4,—The alleged object of the establishment of such a Custom service here, is, a8 far as your Petitioners can learn, to put a stop to the ing of the foreign drug into the mainland.
5,—It is true that a certain amount of smuggling does exist, but it doubtless is in the recollection of Your Excellency that the Commission appointed in 1882 to investigate this particular subject came to the conclusion that a comparatively small quantity, bearing an insignificant proportion to the total amount imported, reaches the mainland without paying the Customs i the Native collectorates, and your Petitioners would mention that their own experience of the manner in the traffic is conducted by the Chinese, when the drug passes into their
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.