Lord Kimberley, the Secretary of State for India, bee shown
unexpected firmness in dealing with the cry for the suppression of the opium trade. He told a great deputation of the philanthropic societies, on Thursday, that while he was most anxious to limit the consumption of opium, the abandonment of the opium revenue, and the profits of the trade, which together reached E15,000,000 a year, was practically impossible. If the attempt were made under Parliamentary dictation, India must be com- pensated, and no Minister of the Crown would propose the grant. The direct revenue alone is Rx. 6,150,000, or 23,850,000 in gold, the compensation for which would exceed 2100,000,000 sterling. The suppression would do no good to China, where the indigenous drug was now legalised and taxed, the revenue resulting to Pekin being 22,000,000 a year, which the Emperor's Government would not resign. Opium did no more injury than alcohol. It is satisfactory, in an age -of uneasy consciences, to see an Indian Secretary with such bard sense ; but Lord Kimberley will be wise to look into -one point. If the Indian Government can in Eastern India substitute taxation for monopoly, as it does in Western India, it should make some sacrifice for that object. Its action would then be purely restrictive, for it would tax opium as our own Government taxes spirits.
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