Page:Parliamentary Papers - 1857 Sess. 2 - Volume 43.pdf/100

4 insurmountable difficulty; for, whilst the Imperial servants wink at the breach of the Imperial edicts, what can be expected from our measures?

I will call on all owners of boats to register them as a preventive to piracy;but after what I say above, it is needless to add that it would be worse than useless (even had I the power) to forbid them to carry opium on the sea or outer waters.

No. 3.

Sir H. Pottinger to the Earl of Aberdeen—(Received August 1.)

(Extract.)

VICE-ADMIRAL SIR WILLIAM PARKER having sent to me a copy of a letter to his address from Captain Hope, of Her Majesty's "Thalia," and Senior Officer at Chusan, calling the Vice-Admiral's attention to the increase of vessels employed in the opium trade in that direction, and requesting instructions as to how they were to be treated and considered, I have deemed it advisable to enter into some detailed explanation on the question in my reply, and I have now the honour to forward a copy of that reply for the notice of Her Majesty's Government.

(Extract.)

I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Excellency's letter of yesterday's date, with its inclosed copy of one from Captain Hope, of Her Majesty' s ship "Thalia."

I am much obliged to Captain Hope for having brought the subject of the recent increase in the opium trade to my notice, although I had before heard of it.

I am well aware of all the evils attending that trade on its present footing, and I have spared no pains or exertion to persuade the Government of China to legalise it, but hitherto without effect.

Even before the expedition quitted Nankin, I demonstrated at great length to the Imperial Commissioners the impossibility of the British Government preventing opium being brought to China, and also the uselessness (even supposing Her Majesty's Government would do such a thing, but which I held to be impossible) of prohibiting its cultivation in our possessions in India, which would only force it into the native States, and probably add greatly to the annual quantity produced.

On that occasion at Nankin, and also when I met the Governor-General of Fuh-keen and Che-keang at Amoy, the High Commissioners and his Excellency the Viceroy candidly admitted I was quite right, but said that so long as it pleased the Emperor to disallow the traffic, they could not do more than promise that the Chinese authorities should not trouble themselves to inquire what vessels brought opium, or what did not, and that their business would be to see that the soldiery and people of China did not purchase or use the drug.

All this has been reported to Her Majesty's Government, who have been pleased to express their entire approval of my views and measures, at the same time intimating Her Majesty's most gracious and anxious desire to authorise any legal step to aid the Chinese Government in restricting the trade, or at least putting it on some less dangerous and disreputable footing than it is at present.

This matter will form one of the most important topics of discussion between the Chinese High Officer who may be appointed Elepoo's successor, and myself,