tne New Opium Ordinance was rend' a second time in the Hongkong Legis-Jative Council on the 25th ultimo. At the opening of the sitting two petitions against the measure were presented, one from opium importers and the other from opium dealers. Both prayed that the petitioners might be heard by Counsel against the Ordinance; and the Acting-Governor said that while he bad een advised that the petitioners lad no right to be beard by Cunnsel he would grant thew what they asked, discussion on the measure being postponed till Wednesday I The secund rending of the Ordinance was then moved and seconded by the Acting Attorney General and the Colonial Treasurer; whereupon two auofficial members moved and seconded that the second reading be postponed for three weeks, when the petitioners should have the right of appearing by Counsel, A short discussion ensued, but the officials stub. bornly refased the delay asked for. Seven official members voted on one ide and the six unofficial on the other.
The Opium importers sny in their petition that smuggling into China could be prevented by less objectionable means, and the dealers state that if the Ordinance passes into law their business will absolutely cense, It appeared, from the remarks of one of the unofficial members that the measure was con lered ab w private meeting of the unofficial members held ized five years ngo, and wns then condemned aya "most inadvisable measure, a men. sure that would destroy the freedom of the port." The same speaker wanted to know if the blockade was to be removed, und said that for some years past the complaints against the way in which the blockade had been carried on ud been very fow. If 80, what becomes of the jubilation of at least one of the Hongkong papers over the removal of the blockade, a blockade that for years past lins been nominal? We get at the reason why the bepraised Colonial representative at the Joint Confer gave awny the freedom of the port in the speech of the Colonial Treasurer. He anid that the choice lay between the mengurés now proposed, or an effective blockade, and that the latter would mean: "steamers searched down to the very Inst package; the personal luggage of passengers searched; everything will be put a stop to till this search is completed." It is evident from this the Colonial Government has been frightened by this bogey.
Besides the Halk plan and the one which was adopted at the Confer there wae another which the Chinese authorities liked, but which did not meet the approval of the Hume Govern. ment. It proposed that the Indian Governments should collect the Chinese duty on the opium shipped to this country, Ifthe new Agreement breaks down, which is not beyond possibility, this abandoned plan may be worth careful consideration og, if some changes were made in it, the dian, the Colonial and the Chinese Government would derive advantages which the other schemes do not present, As regards the first of these interests the trade in Indian opium has to contend against the native drag, a competitor that is becoming stronger every year, Anything, therefore, which is likely to advantage the Tudiau opium trade will also advantage the In revenues, by more opium being required in China and consequently better prices being obtained in India, Supposing, then, that intend of the system of " deferred payments" the Indian Government had consented to allow all opium to be exported from Bombay and Calcutta, under what is known at home, "in bond," that is, the daty to be paid 1 Hongkong, they woald have given an impetus to the trade on this side, as considerably less capital would have been required to be om-barked on operations, At present Male wa opium pays an export daty in Indic, and it would have been a simple to have placed Patna and Bonaréa on the same footing, by selling them in Culcutia subject to payment of the same dutyasMalwa in Hongkong. Once in Hongkong, the drag would be cleared from bond as it was required for cone sumption, just as tea is in London, An Agency of the Indian Government established for the purpose in Hong~ kong would collect the Indian duty, and by arrangement, that of the Chie nese Government also, Another advantage to the Indian Government would be that a large amount of rheic Home Remitt 8 would be made to London vid China, to the grent relief ut the exchange, Councildrafteand silver markets, 'I'he rate of exchange by which the duties would be sent from Hongkong to London would at lerist be as good as thnt obtained by the sale of Council drafts, One great benefit to the Colony would have been tint the Custom House there would be English, and that it would have beau preserved from the influence of the Imperial Customs, The Chinese Government would have gained all it oau gain under the new Agreement as it would have beenable to arrange that the Indian Agency or Hongkong Customs should do what the Iwperial Customs staff la to do, Advices from Peking inform us that the Chinese Government are still in favour of the Indian Governs ment collecting the duty, and as their doubt, of the good effects to their revenues of the accepted mode of col looting the lekin are probably more and as the proposed Opium Or meets will no favour from practical meu of business, it might be judicious to consider whether the plan we have sketched might not be substituted with advantage to all, Theseorecy with which the Hongkong Government enveloped their proceedings last yenr prevented any cussion of the plans proposed, and the officials have thereby lost the opportunity of framing such measures as, while granting justice to China, would have safeguarded the interests of India and of their own traders, That @ measure of the importance of this Ordinance should have been kept back to within a fortnight of the time for its provisions and those of the Agreement with the Chinese coming into force, and then attempted to be pushed through by the votes of official members only is nob creditable to the Colonial Goyerns ment,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.