2nd FEBRUARY, 1909

THE PRESIDENT took the Chair at 2,30 p.m.

Before the business of the meeting commenced, the Right Hon. Sir CECIL CLEMEN TI SMITH, addressing the Chair, asked on behalf of himself and the members of the Commission that the President's inaugural speech might be printed verbatinz, and copies furnished to each delegate. The President acceded to this request.

The Minutes of the previous meeting of the Commission were read by the Secretary and passed.

The following- statement was made by the PREsiDENT :—

" The Chair in announcing the names of accredited Commissioners yesterday felt compelled to omit those of two members of the Chinese Delegation, viz., H.E. Jui Ch'eng and His Honour Ts'ai Nai-huang who, though properly appointed by their Government, and bearing letters from the Waiwupu, had not been reported to the convening Power. Now, however, the request has gone forward that such notification be made, so that the formality necessary to place these delegates in regular standing will be forthwith observed."

The following telegram from the President of the United States, received the same morning, was read out by the Chair :—

"I extend to the Commissioners to-day assembled my good wishes and conviction that their labours will be of the greatest importance towards the general suppression of the the opium evil throughout the world.

" THEODORE ROOSEVELT."

A number of telegrams addressed to the Commission by various Educational and Anti-opium Societies in the provinces of Kiangsu, Fukien and Kwangtung, were read by the Secretary (see Appendix: Vol. I).

At the suggestion of Dr. HAmiLTON WRIGHT, it was decided that in future non-urgent telegrams addressed to the Commission should not be read, but that sufficient copies should be printed and circulated for the information of the delegates.

A recess of fifteen minutes was taken for the informal consideration of the Rules drawn up by the Committee on Rules and Order, appointed the previous day. On re-assembling, the Commission accepted the following Rules, without discussion :—

1.--That the Chair shall be addressed as " Mr. President."

2.—That no Delegate shall continue to speak until recognised by the Chair.

The next Rule presented by the Committee read as follows :—

3.—That each Delegation in its turn (alphabetically) shall lay a report covering its data on thc opium question before the Commission as a \vhole, without discussion or debate; that a sub-Commission shall then be appointed by the President from names handed in by the various Delegations, and that the several reports shall be referred to the sub-Commission for discussion and report to the Commission in plenary session. The Commission shall nominate the Chairman of the sub-Commission; the sub-Commission shall appoint its secretaries and reporter.

Mr. DE JoNGH moved as an amendment that the second part, commencing "that a sub-Commission shall then be appointed," be struck out, and the following clause substituted:—

"The International Opium Commission shall as a rule sit in pima; one or more sub-Commissions may be appointed when it is apparent that previous study by a limited number of experts is necessary for successfully dealing with any specific portion of the problem under consideration."

The amendment was supported by the Right Hon. Sir CECIL CLEMENTI SMITH, who considered that the discussion of important points could not properly be left to individual members of any delegation.

After some discussion, Mr. de Jongh's amendment was put to the vote and carried 05 to '0).

A proposal by Sir Cecil Clementi Smith that the Rules should be leferred back to the Committee for revision was accepted, and the Commission adjourned at 4.4o p.m. until a.m., 5th February.