Opium in China / extracted from China; political, commercial, and social.

  • Robert Montgomery Martin
Date:
[1847?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Opium in China / extracted from China; political, commercial, and social. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    59/96 (page 57)
    If any relations, literary friends, or personal attendants of officers, continue, while residing with such officers, to smoke opium, in ad dition to the punishment falling upon themselves, the officers under whose direction they may be, should also be subjected to severe inquiry and censure. As to the military, both of the Tartar and the Chinese forces, each officer should be required to take from the men under his immediate command a bond similar to those of the tithing-men. And their superior officers, in case of failing to observe any transgression, should be dealt with in the same man¬ ner as has been suggested in relation to civil officers failing to ob¬ serve the conduct of those residing with them. “ Thus it may be hoped that both the military and the people— those of low, as well as those of high degree,—will be made to fear and to shun transgression. “ Such regulations [if adopted] will need to be promulgated and clearly made known everywhere, even in decayed villages and way- side hamlets, that the whole empire may be made acquainted with our august Sovereigns regard of, and anxiety for, the people and their welfare, and his extreme desire to preserve their lives from danger. Every opium-smoker who hears thereof, cannot but be aroused, by dread of punishment, and by gratitude for the good¬ ness extended to him, to change his face and cleanse his heart. And thus the continual draining of the nation will be stayed, and the price of silver will cease to be enhanced. And this being the case, plans may then be discussed for the cultivation of our re¬ sources. This will in truth be a fountain of happiness to the rulers and the ruled in ten thousand ages to come. “ Your servants obscure and imperfect views are thus laid before your August Majesty, with the humble prayer that a sacred glance may be vouchsafed that their fitness or unfitness may be deter¬ mined. A respectful memorial/'’ The Emperor’s pleasure in this matter was recorded as follows :— “ Hwang Tsestsze has presented a memorial, soliciting the adop¬ tion of measures to stay the continual draining of the country, with the hope of enhancing thereby the national resources. Let the commanders-in-chief in the provinces of Mookden, Kirin, and Tsitsihar, and the governors and lieutenant-governors of all the other provinces, express, in the form of regulations, their own several views on the subject, and lay the same speedily before the throne. To this end let the memorial be sent to them herewith. Kespect this.” Consequent on the foregoing the following imperial edict was issued:—“ In reference to a memorial laid before us by Hwang Tsestsze, the vice-president of the sacrificial court, it has now been represented to us, by the sub-censor, Tau Szelin, that the governors and lieutenant-governors of the provinces having been more strict in the seizure of opium, a brighter spirit has recently been exhi¬ bited throughout the provinces. It thus appears that the repre-