438  -  APPENDIX  F
duly  dealt  with.  In  the  city  of  Peking  the  police  authorities,
officers  of  gendarmerie,  and  the  officials  of  the  city  are  held
responsible.  If  in  any  district  opium  smoking  is  stamped  out
before  the  expiry  of  the  ten  years’  limit,  the  officials  of  that
district  should  be  duly  rewarded.  The  petty  officials  are  to  be
warned  to  have  no  irregularities  in  reducing  the  area  in  which
the  poppy  is  cultivated,  in  issuing  certificates  for  opium  shops
and  shops  where  opium  and  opium  dross  are  sold,  or  in  dealing
with  those  who  smoke  opium.  Any  such  irregularity  will  be
followed  by  severe  punishment,  and  any  who  receive  bribes
will  be  punished  on  a  charge  of  the  crime  of  fraud.
Article  IX.  The  officials  are  strictly  prohibited  from  smoking
opium  so  as  to  set  examples  to  others.  The  prohibition  within
ten  years  is  for  the  general  public.  The  officials  shall  be  example
to  common  people,  and  therefore  they  shall  stop  such  bad  habits
before  the  general  public,  and  such  prohibitions  shall  be  strictly
enforced  upon  the  officials  and  the  punishments  upon  them
shall  be  more  severe.  From  now  all  the  officials  without  distinction ­
  of  rank,  metropolitan  or  provincial,  military  or  civil,  who
are  over  sixty  and  suffering  from  opium  smoking  habits,  arc
exempted  from  the  prohibition  just  as  are  the  common  people,
for  they  are  too  far  gone  for  cure.  However,  those  who  have  not
reached  sixty  years  of  age,  princes,  dukes,  men  of  title,  high
Metropolitan  officials,  Tartar  Generals,  Viceroys,  Governors,
Deputy  Lieutenant  Military  Governors,  the  Provincial  Commanders-in-chief, ­
  as  well  as  Brigadier  Generals,  being  all  officials
who  are  well  treated  by  the  Throne  and  high  in  rank  and  position,
are  not  allowed  to  conceal  their  affairs,  and  if  they  smoke  opium,
they  shall  report  themselves  and  the  dates  when  they  should
stop  the  same.  During  the  cure  of  the  habit  these  officials  shal
not  retire  from  their  official  duties,  but  shall  appoint  acting
officials  ;  and  when  they  have  proved  themselves  cured  of  opium
smoking,  they  may  return  to  official  duties.  Moreover,  they
shall  not  be  allowed  to  take  opium  under  the  pretence  of  illnep 5
longer  than  the  terms  promised  The  rest  of  the  officials  m
metropolitan  or  provincial  service,  either  military  or  civil,  substantive ­
  or  expectant,  shall  report  themselves  to  their  principe
officials  in  regard  to  these  matters,  and  they  shall  cease  to  smok e
within  six  months,  at  the  end  of  which  time  they  will  be  examined*
If  there  are  any  who  cannot  be  cured  in  time,  they  shall  gi ye
reasons,  and  if  they  are  hereditary,  they  shall  retire  and,  if  they
be  ordinary  officials,  they  will  retire  with  original  titles  retained-If
  any  conceal  their  actual  conditions,  such  officials  shall  be
impeached  and  be  summarily  cashiered  as  a  warning  to  others-If
  there  are  any  who  are  misreported  by  higher  officials,  they  nw
memorialise  and  the  case  will  be  tried  accordingly.  Thus