TREATIES WITH CHINA
GREAT BRITAIN
TREATY BETWEEN HER MAJESTY AND THE EMPEROR OF CHINA
SIGNED, IN THE English and Chinese Languages, at Nanking,
29th August, 1842
Ratifications Exchanged at Hongkong, 26th June, 1843
Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and His Majesty the Emperor of China, being desirous of putting an end to the misunderstandings and consequent hostilities which have arisen between the two countries, have resolved to conclude a treaty for that purpose, and have therefore named as their Plenipotentiaries, that is to say: Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, Sir Henry Pottinger, Bart., a Major-General in the Service of the East India Company, &c.; and His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of China, the High Commissioners Ke-ving, a Member of the Imperial House, a Guardi n of the Crown Prince, and General of the Garrison of C. nton: and Ilipoo, of the Imperial Kindred, graciously permitted to wear the insignia of the first rank, and the distinc- tion of a peacock's feather, lately Minister and Gover or-Gene al, &c., and now Lient.-General commanding at Chapoo-Who, after having communicated to each other the re-pective full powers, and found them to be in good and due fo›m, have agreed upon and concluded the following A tiles:-
Art. I.—There shall henceforwa'd be peace and friendship between Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britan and I eland and His Majesty the Emperor of China, and between their respective subjects, who shall enjoy full secu ity and protection for their persons and property within the dominions of the other.
Art. II. His Majesty the Emper of China agrees that British subjects, with their families and establishments, shall be allowed to reside, for the purpose of carr- ing on their mercant le pursuit, without molestation or rest aint, at the cities and towns of Canton, Amoy, Foocbow-foo, Ningpo, and Shanghai; and Her Maje-tv the Queen of Great Bitain, &c, will appoint superintendents, or consular officers, to reside at each of the above-named cities or towns, to be the medium of communication between the Chinese authorities and the said mercha ts, and to see that the just dut es and other dues of the Chinese Goverment, as here nafter provided for, are duly discha ged by Her Br tann c Majesty's subje ts.
Art. III.-It being obviou-ly necessary and de-irable that British subjects should have some port whereat they may careen and refit their ships when required, and keep stores for that purpose, His Majesty the Emperor of China cedes to Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain, &c., the Island of Hongkong to be possessed in perpetuity by Her Britannic Maje ty, her he'rs, and successors, and to be gove ned y such laws and regulat ons as Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain, &c., shall see fit to di ect.
Art. IV.—The Emperor of Ch na agrees to pay the sum of six millions of dollars, Is the value of the opium which was delivered up at Canton in the month of Ma ch, 1889, as a ransom for the lives of Her Britannic Maj sty's Superintendent and sub- jects who had been imprisoned and threatened with death by the Chinese high officers.
At. V.-The Government of China having compelled the British me chants trading at Canton to deal exclusively with certain Chinese merchant, called Hong merchants (or Co-Hong), who had been licensed by the Chinese Government for this purpose, the Emperor of China ag ees to abolish that practice in future at all ports where British mer bants may reside, and to permit them to carry on their mercantile transactions with whatever persons they please; and His Imperial Majesty further agrees to pay to the British Gove nment the sum of three millions of dollars, on account of debts due
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