The Opium Wars of China

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXV, Issue 16, 18 April 1907, Page 12

The Opium Wars of China

As a result of the recommendations of the returned Commissioners, after consultation with Yuan-shi-kai and Tang-shao-yi, an edict w&s issued (says the London Daily Chronicle ') ordering the aboliifcon of the use. of opium, both foreign and native, in China," within ten years. A/^A /^ far tack as the of the last century the Chinese Government desired to rid the country of the curse of opium, the- use of which had been steadily growing amiong the inhabitants.- Before 1767 the'import of opium had rarely exceeded 200 chests, but in that year- it amounted to 1000. By 1800 it had increased so alarmingly that, an Imperial "edict was issued prohibiting the importation and threatening all Chinese who used it with condign puriishment. The traffic of opium had always been- a smuggli-he one, and the edict did not prevent its increase. 'India was the great exporter of the drug, and it was because the revenues derived by India from its export to Ghana were threatened that- our first war with thelat^ ter country was entered into. In 1835~the Chinese Emperor prohibited the trade. t n iVf san»year a -quantity of the -drug was -burned by the-^Chinese at . Canton. For three years trouble S^mq ll^^ the traffic, until a,t length, fa* March 1839, the Chinese Commissioner at Canton ord-SSJ-i? 8 f 1Z^ re of ' opium - The British -wsidettts were forbidden to leave, and the factories were surrounded A few days afterward the British -Commissioner at Canton required the British residents to surrender to him all their opium. By May over 40,0f0 chests were lX e oSn aW l^^° m ' miss Jf ncr and British resi **ts left Canton, the Chinese afterward destroying the opium. , ° 'in+^ff^ 118 !? 01 ! 0^ by th ' c Em I>eror of Cl«na in 1840 ill, w ng aU c and in1 *rcourse with England for,mS* iwf ™£f declared- by Great Britain, and las-ted until 1842, when a • treaty of peace was signed Honettas umtatakmg France joined us The wSIZSmtZ • IJS&ffr tErttS/ Slsnea ' 0M stipu]attOtt teins thA*^*!^ *?d? d lastwa ? that we emWked upon for kPJCF ™« 60 - f = ISbO, and the opium traffic established.