Page:The opium revenue.djvu/32

 By what right do we prevent them from fixing the duty, if it be admitted, as high as they please?

In 1858, when the Chinese Commissioners were convinced that Lord Elgin would insist upon the admission of opium to complete the Treaty of Tien-tsin, they named 60 taels per chest as the duty they would fix. The English Commissioners would only allow 30. In 1869, the Chinese induced Sir T. Alcock to consent to an increase from 30 to 50 taels, which increase, however, was not ratified by Her Majesty's Government.

The Indian Government levies Rs. 600 = £60 per chest on opium shipped from Bombay. It realizes about an average of £90 per chest on its own Bengal opium. The tael being 6s. 8d., the Chinese are only permitted to levy £10 upon each chest. Wherein is the justice of this immense disparity? In the eyes of some it has been the chief recommendation of the Indian Opium Revenue that it is a "tax upon the foreigner." We can hardly expect that this should recommend it to the eyes of the Chinese. If the Chinese Government were to demand to have this matter of dispute referred to arbitration of any impartial tribunal, what chance should we have of escaping an adverse decision?

Before the Chinese make this demand, or before their increasing strength emboldens them to enter upon another struggle with our military and naval power, were it not wise and well to meet their earnest appeal by a frank and Christian answer, and to consent to a conference with their Government as to the best means of relieving them from this terrible opium-scourge?

POSTSCRIPT. Hitherto, whenever this matter has been before Parliament, in every case the financial difficulty has been the real obstacle to reform. The difficulty, though it has been exaggerated in the heat of rhetoric, seems a formidable one. The opium trade can hardly be dealt with, in accordance with the spirit of this paper, without loss to the revenue being the result. It is not for us to show how that loss may be met, though we may declare our conviction that, as the natives of India are not responsible for the wrong, it would be great injustice to make them pay the penalty. We insist that Government is bound to do right, and it is not for us to prescribe ways and means for replenishing the treasury. But we do not regard the financial difficulty as insuperable. Without committing the Anti-Opium Society to a formal adoption of all its suggestions,