§ Mr. J. A. Smithsaid, he wished to put a question to the right hon. Gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer. On a former evening the right hon. Gentleman stated, in reply 265 to a question, that it was his intention to send out to India, by the mail of tomorrow, directions for making certain distributions of the sums payable 10 the parties who had surrendered the opium at Canton. Was the right hon. Gentleman aware that the whole of the documents respecting these claims had been sent from India to England, that applications had been made at the Treasury for payment, and that the applicants were now waiting the answer of the Government? If the right hon. Gentleman adhered to his intention of sending out to India the in structions to which he had referred, great inconvenience and delay would be occasioned.
§ The Chancellor of the Exchequersaid, that he did not understand that the state of the case was as it was represented by the hon. Gentleman. The only payment on account of opium that was made was at Canton, upon the production of certain receipts from Captain Elliot. If those receipts were forwarded to this country, as had been stated, he thought that it would be calculated to embarrass the Government with respect to a settlement of those claims. It was very necessary to avoid making double payments of this sort in China and in England; and therefore it was essentially necessary that before questions of this sort could be satisfactorily answered, every consideration should be given to the facts of the case, so as to know precisely in what situation the receipts on behalf of which these payments were to be made, are. After the statements which had been made by the hon. Gentleman, he thought it would be most inconvenient, if not absurd, to send out any final instructions with respect to this subject until he gave full consideration to the facts now brought under his notice. Under these circumstances, nothing could be said upon the matter until time is afforded for ample consideration.
§ Mr. A. Smithsaid, that he had received from India several communications upon this subject, principally with reference to the amount it was intended to distribute among those who had suffered losses by the seizure of this opium.
§ The Chancellor of the Exchequersaid, that the Government had received the fullest information respecting the value of this opium and the time it was surrendered to the Government. The whole of those papers would be laid before Parliament, 266 which he considered would be a more convenient course than laying them on the Table by piecemeal.
§ Mr. Ewartbegged to ask whether it was intended by her Majesty's Government to continue in that anomalous course of permitting the further growth of opium in India? He must say, that any government which encouraged the growth of opium was committing a serious crime. He also wished to ask whether it was the intention of the Government to open the trade of Patna opium, which was at present a monopoly?
§ The Chancellor of the Exchequersaid, that her Majesty's Government would be guided in the course they would pursue in respect to this subject by the fullest information that could be procured. The result of this inquiry had not as yet been perfected; but he hoped he should be soon able to lay the fullest and the clearest information with reference to the subject upon the Table of the House.
§ Sir R. Peelhad only to say, what he had said on a former occasion, namely, that it was necessary to have the opinion of the person who had been sent out to China on this important subject. He thought, that looking to the peculiar character of our relations with China, and the immense importance which attached to the matter to which the hon. Gentleman (Mr. Ewart) had referred, it was essential that what ever was done should be done by the person who had local opportunities to form a judgment. He thought it would be better to postpone the question, as it was connected with our future relations with China.