QUEEN'S JOKE ABOUT HONGKONG
1055
This Colony, though so far away from Britain as to seem outside the immediate concern of the Home authorities during periods when bigger territories are claiming notice, has always represented "China" in the minds of our politicians; and it is also interesting to find how interested Queen Victoria, then a young mother, with only a few years' reign - had shown herself to be in the newly acquired territory in 1841. The Queen even made a joke about Hongkong, in one of her letters, of a naive type: which after all these years contains its original freshness, and now an added historic interest.
In the published letters of Queen Victoria appear the following, which, incidentally cast important sidelights on the politics of the day. The bracketed notes are my own.
Viscount Palmerston to Queen Victoria: Foreign Office 10th April, 1841.
"Viscount Palmerston presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and has the honour to submit the accompanying letters, which he received yesterday, about the operations in China, and which have just been returned to him by Viscount Melbourne, whose letter he also transmits.
"Viscount Palmerston has felt greatly mortified and disappointed at this result of the expedition to China, and he much fears that the sequel of the negotiation, which was to follow the conclusion of these preliminary conditions, will not tend to render the arrangements less objectionable. Captain Elliot seems to have wholly disregarded the instructions when, by the entire success of the operations of the Fleet, he was in a condition to dictate his own terms, he seems to have agreed to very inadequate conditions. The amount of compensation (it was $6,000,000) for the opium surrendered falls short of the value of that opium, and nothing has been obtained for the expenses of the expedition, nor for the debts of the bankrupt Hong merchants (at Canton). The securities which the plenipotentiaries were expressly ordered to obtain for British residents in China have been abandoned; and the Island of Chusan which they were specifically informed was to be retained till the whole of the pecuniary compensation should have been paid has been hastily and discreditably evacuated.
"Even the cession of Hongkong has been coupled with a condition about the payment of duties, which would render that island not a possession of the British Crown, but, like Macao, a settlement held by sufferance in the territory of the Crown of China.
"Viscount Palmerston deems it his duty in laying these papers before your Majesty, to state some few of the objections which he feels to the arrangement, but the Cabinet will have to consider, as soon as they meet after the Recess, what advice they may wish humbly to tender to your Majesty upon these important matters. There is no doubt, however, that much has been accomplished, but it is very mortifying to find that other things which the plenipotentiaries were ordered to obtain, and which the force placed at their command was amply sufficient to enable them to accomplish, have not been attained.
"Viscount Palmerston has sent a small map of the Canton River, which your Majesty may like to keep for future reference.
QUEEN'S JOKE ABOUT HONGKONG
1055
This Colony, though so far away from Britain as to seem outside the immediate concern of the Home authorities during periods when bigger territories are claiming notice, has always represented "China" in the minds of our politicians; end it is also interesting to find how interested Queen
then a young mother, with only a few years' reign - had shown herself to be in the newly acquired territory in 1841. The Queen even made a joke about Hongkong, in one of her letters, of a naive type: which after all these years contains its original freshness, and now an added historic interest.
.
In the published letters of Queen Victoria. appear the following, which, incidentally cast important sidelights on the politics of the day. The bracketed potes are my own # ]]
Viscount Palmerston to Queen Victoria: Foreign Office 10th. April, 1841.
"Viscount Palmerston presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and has the honour to submit the accompanying letters, which he received yesterday, about the operations in China, and which have just been returned to him by Viscount Melbourne, whose letter he also transmits.
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"Viscount Palmerston has felt greatly mortified and dis- appointed at this result of the expedition to China, and he much fears that the sequel of the negotiation, which was to follow the conclusion of these preliminary conditions, will not tend to render the arrangements less objeötionable. Captain Elliot seems to have wholly disregarded the instructions when, by the entire success of the operations of the Fleet, he was in a con- dition to diótate his own terms, he seems to have agreed to very inadequate conditions. The amount of compensation (it was $6,000,000) for the opium surrendered falls short of the velue of that opium, and nothing has been obtained for the expenses of the expedition, nor for the debts of the bankrupt Hong merchants (at Canton). The securities which the plenipotentiaries were
expressly ordered to obtain for British residents in China have been abandoned; and the Island of Chusen which they were speci- fically informed was to be retained till the whole of the pecuniary compensation should have been paid has been hastily and dis- creditably evacuated.
"Even the oession of Hongkong has been coupled with a condition about the payment of duties, which would render that ial and not a possession of the British Crown, but, like Maceo a settlement held by sufference in the territory of the Crown of China.
"Viscount Kelmerston deems it his duty in laying these papers before your Majesty, to state some few of the objections which he feels to the arrangement, but the Cabinet will have to consider, as soon as they meet after the Recess, what advice they may wish humbly to tender to your Majesty upon these important matters. There is no doubt, however, that much has been accomplished, but it is very mortifying to find that other things which the plenipotentieries were ordered to obtain, and which the force placed at their commend was amply sufficient to enable them to accomplish, heve not been attained.
"Viscount Palmerston has sent a small map of the Canton River, which your Majesty may like to keep for future reference. #
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