>
dase of ratificaber.
It was signed.
in August 1842.
25
At
He was,
the main Sino-British negotiations were completed.
any rate, the Imperial Commissioner concerned was
impeached by the Emperor and sentenced to death. In fact indeed, withdrawn in disgrace and chains from Canton
though he did not,in faaty suffer the extreme penalty.
Elliott's assumption of the sovereignty of Hong Kong too
was not at once approved by His Majesty's Government or
herself
Queen Victoria. Neverthelasa
in HM; naud
netcapied.
A
Nevertheless, on January the 26th 1841 the Commander-in-Chief
took peaceful possession of the Island in Her Majesty's
name, and at the beginning of February a proclamation formally declaring the cession of the Island to the British Crown was issued by Elliott from
war
H.M.S
esley):
his
Headquarters Wellesley) in Hong Kong Harbour; and military
zá.
and trading establishments following.
In a despatch of
X
June 5th 1841, Lord Palmerston informed Elliott's
successor Pottinger of the decision of His Majesty's
Government that Hong Kong should be retained but it was
left until the treaty of Nanking in June, 1843, in which a
general settlement of all matters of dispute between China
and Great Britain was reached, before the formal authority
of the Chinese Government for the cession of Hong Kong
was secured.
>
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.