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 1-understandings and consequent hostilities which have arisen between the two Cuntries, have resolved to conclude a treaty for that purpose, and have therefore Lamed 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-ying, a Member of the Imperial House, a Guardian of be Crown Prince, and General of the Garrison of Canton: and Ilìpoo, of the Imperial Kindred, graciously permitted to wear the insignia of the first rank, and the distine- toon of a peacock's feather, lately Minister and Governor-General, &c., and now Let-General commanding at Chapoo-Who, after having communicated to each other their respective full powers, and found them to be in good and due form, have ared upon and concluded the following Articles:--
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Art. I.-There shall henceforward be peace and friendship between Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and His Majesty the Emperor of China, and between their respective subjects, who shall enjoy full security and protection for their persons and property within the dominions of the other.
Art. II.—His Majesty the Emperor of China agrees that British subjects, with their families and establishments, shall be allowed to reside, for the purpose of carry- ing on their mercantile pursuits, without molestation or restraint, at the cities and towns of Canton, Amoy, Foochow-foo, Ningpo, and Shanghai; and Her Majesty the Yen of Great Britain, &c., will appoint superintendents, or consular officers, to ride at each of the above-named cities or towus, to be the mediumn of communication between the Chinese authorities and the said merchants, and to see that the just duties and other dues of the Chinese Government, as hereinafter provided for, are duly discharged by Her Britannic Majesty's subjects.
Art. III.-It being obviously necessary and desirable that British subjects should lare some port whereat they may careen and refit their ships when required, and keep rores 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 Majesty, her heirs, and successors, and to be governed by such laws and regulations as Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain, &c., shall see fit to direct.
Art. IV.-The Emperor of China agrees to pay the sum of six millions of dollars, as the value of the opium which was delivered up at Canton in the month of March, 1839, as a ransom for the lives of Her Britannic Majesty's Superintendent and suv- jects who had been imprisoned and threatened with death by the Chinese high officers.
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Art. V.-The Government of China having compelled the British merchants trading at Canton to deal exclusively with certain Chinese merchants, called Hong merchants (or Co-Hong), who had been licensed by the Chinese Government for this purpose, Emperor of China agrees to abolish that practice in future at all ports where British merchants may reside, and to permit them to carry on their mercantile transactions with whatever persons they please; and His ImperialMajesty further agrees to pay to the British Government the sum of three millions of dollars, on account of debts due
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