§ MR. WEBB (Waterford, W.)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the attention of Her Majesty's Government has been directed 1280 to the annual increase of revenue (246,325 dollars on a present total of 477,600) derived from the sale of opium, in Hong Kong, as stated in the Report on the Blue Book for 1889; and whether it is contemplated to take any steps to discourage the increased use of opium which such increase of revenue indicates?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (Baron H. de WORMS, Liverpool, East Toxteth)The opium farm at Hong Kong was leased for a period of three years from March, 1889, at 477,600 dollars per annum, as against 182,400 dollars per annum for the preceding three years. The farmer has the sole privilege of preparing opium in Hong Kong, not only for consumption in the Colony, but also for export, and the amount exported to China, Australia, and other places considerably exceeds the amount consumed in the Colony. The Secretary of State has no reason to think that the above-mentioned increase of revenue was due to the increased use of opium by the people of Hong Kong; but it is believed that it was mainly due to the new Opium Ordinance passed in 1887, which had the effect of preventing the smuggling of prepared opium into China.