8 
ON THE IIAEITt'AE USE OP OPIUM 
(i a place called Medoo two days journey from Tallee, a city of the 
first order in Yunnan ; but that the cultivation is limited and cam- 
<c ed on secretly, for if the Government of Pekin became aware of it, 
“ they would lose their heads. In Ava this Chinese Opium sells for 
“ 30 to 40 Rupees for 3^ 0 pounds. 
The limits of this paper will not allow me to make further men¬ 
tion of the use of the drug in the Celestial Empire; but I would re¬ 
fer the curious to Montgomery Martins’ work on China, where he 
will see it ably and eloquently discussed. 
chapter in. 
PROVISIONS OF THE OPIUM REGULATIONS FOR SINGAPORE 
AND HONGKONG- 
PREP A RATION OF CIIANDU IN SINGAPORE. 
In Singapore opium in smaller quantity than one chest is not per¬ 
mitted to be sold; neither can it be used by individuals in the state 
of Chandu, unless the opium has previously passed through the hands 
of the individual permitted by Government to have the monopoly, 
who consequently charges a very heavy per centage on the original 
cost. Tliis individual is called the “ Opium Farmer,” and he farms 
or rents from Government the exclusive power of retailing the drug, 
for which right he pays a large monthly sum. In this way, two pur¬ 
poses are served, first a large revenue is obtained, and secondly by 
enhancing the value the actual amount of the drug consumed is dimi¬ 
nished, and the evil is thus circumscribed. It is to be supposed that 
the last consideration had considerable weight with the authorities 
when they established the Opium Farm. The idea of farming and 
renting the exclusive right of selling is a remnant of the olden times, 
and was adopted in Pinang and Bencoolen long before the occupation 
of Singapore, although it seems to have been originally derived from 
the Dutch. The Opium farm was established in Singapore in 1820 ; 
but the accounts of the sale of the farm are not recorded previous to 
1822. The following is an abstract of the existing opium regulation 
passed in 1830. 
Section 2d. Reg. 5, of 1825 is rescinded. 
/ 
