HISTORY
therefore flourished, with the connivance of the local Chinese officials. The British merchants tended to defend themselves by saying that if they did not import the drug, the merchants of other nations would, and by declaring it to be a purely commercial matter, subject to the usual economic laws of supply and demand which needed no interference or defence; the moral aspects being not their concern. The British Government adopted a very correct policy. The Chinese Government was entitled to pass any edicts it chose, and it was no part of the British Government's business to interfere, or to make Chinese laws effective. The Superintendents were told that they had no authority over the British merchants who, if they engaged in the opium trade, did so at their own risk. The British Government wanted to establish official diplomatic relations, by which it was hoped all differences would be settled, and since the Chinese Government would not recognize the British Superintendent, it could not expect the British Government to interfere or take the matter up until this recognition was given. On the Chinese side an attempt to stamp out the opium trade, made by Commissioner Lin Tse Su in 1839, led to the incarceration of British personnel in the factories, and this action brought about hostilities.
By this time the question of occupying an island or islands off the Coast had long been mooted. The claims of the Bonin Islands, Formosa, Lantao, Chusan and Hong Kong had all been canvassed. Elliot was swayed in favour of Hong Kong because the whole British community had taken refuge on board ship in the harbour of Hong Kong late in 1839, when their continued residence at Macao proved dangerous to the Portuguese. During a pause in the hostilities, he negotiated with Kishen the Convention of Chuenpi, by which Hong Kong was ceded, though under such conditions that neither side ultimately accepted the convention. By virtue of this Conven- tion, Hong Kong was occupied on January 26th 1841, and this date is generally regarded as the date of the founding of the
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