Chinese Christians Protected by Treaty But Driven to Grow Poppy for Taxing Peking, Dec. 19.
The American Legation, acting on information from the American Consul-General at Foochow, sent a protest a month ago to the Chinese Government regarding the action of Foochow officials forcing Chinese converts to grow poppy for the production of opium. The protest was based upon Article {X of the Tientsin Treaty of 1858 (ratified in 1859) which provides... Hereafter those who quietly profess and teach these doctrines' (the principles of the Christian Re-Jigion, as professed by the Protestant and Roman Catholic Churches) "shall not be harassed or persecuted on account of their faith. Any person, whether citizen of the United States or Chinese convert, who, according to these tenets, peaceably teaches and practises the principles of Christianity, shall in no case De interfered with or molested." It was pointed cut that the cultivation of opium as enforced in Fukien was against the principles of the Christian religion.
The Waichiaopu stated that other reports of the enforced cultivation of poppy in Fukien Province had been received by the Chinese Government, and that the Fukien Provincial Assembly was attempting to prevent the local officials from forcing the farmers to cultivate the drug. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs promised to take action to prevent this forced cultivation, With regard to the Article quoted above it may ©e point out that the Commercial Treaty between the United States anu China, Article XIV of 1805, also contains those provisions, with additions making it clear that the fact of Chinese converts being such does not "exempt them from paying legal taxes levied on Chinese subjects generally, except taxes levied and contributions ro.... practices contrary to their religion."
The British, American and French Comsuls-General at Foochow, in consequence of: reports they had received, brought the matter of this enforced cultivation to the attention of the provincial authorities and received a promise that the local officials would be instructed to cease such practices.
Fukien has been notorious for opium production for several years. Some years ago a mission was sent there to inquire into reports received in Peking, but the Commissioners made their inguiry ies when most of the plants had been harvested and their reports
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.