It might by said that according to reports the importation of native opiam into the province of Knangtang has considerably decreased this year.
According to some pablithed me, all three pro Kue'chou and Yuen same thing.
Indeed, so marked is decrease that the Canton Viceroy has appointed two other stations at which the revenue may be collected, io the hope that some possible smuggling may be thas prevented. From the three provinees some four thousand picals less than last year have been imported, into private houses ander the plea that! they are police, to threaten the people and not seldom to extort money. 'A case of this kind was published yesterday. It was rainered that opiam was being smoked in a certain house, Some men entered representing themselves as police and found more than a smoking. After the paid the heavy fine demanded, and imgained that he had purchased immunity to keep his house open a little longer. Meanwhile, the real police got wind of the suspicions about the house, and went themselves a few dave after." The owner of the place affirmed that he bad paid the fine, which was trae. But hi had paid it to unauthorized persons. The police demanded another. There was stand-op Gght, and some severe' injuries were inflicted on both parties. The result of this was that ultimately 83 the man was arrested, as well as those who supported him, and baled off to gaol.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.