CO129-003 - Foreign Office - 1843 — Page 136

of expediting

their

transfer to the military

charges of the Expedition, up to the date of the signing of the Treaty.

Subsequent to that date, the Island of Hongkong having become a Possession of the Crown of England, and looking to that fact as well as to the negotiations I have already had [the result of which is still pending] with the Imperial Commissioners as to the footing on which the Chinese Inhabitants residing on, and resorting to, the Island are to be considered, and the Laws and

Authority by which they are to be governed, and also adverting to the Island having become the Station of H.M. Superintendents of Trade in China, which has drawn a number of British and other Merchants to reside there, I beg to say that I further think the Instructions from Lord Aberdeen

of

A

be

131

of the ? ? of same can now be applicable to the altered position of the Island, nor that

without serious

they could be acted on public inconvenience, as well as

great political Embarrassment, as regards

questions of vital moment between the

two Powers and which have been reported

by

me to Her Majesty's Ministers.

I therefore consider it my duty to distinctly apprise Her Majesty's Government at once of the opinions which I have formed, and also to intimate the determination I had come to before I was honored with your letter before me,

to retain the Island

of Hong Kong under my direct Authority and to take on myself the responsibility of paying from the day the Treaty was signed, the Establishments now on the Island, as well as

the expenses of those employed