CONVENTION AND TREATY OF PEACE BETWEEN GREAT PROCLAMATION. The Earl of Elgin and Kincardine, K.T., G.C.B., Her Britannic Majesty's Special Ambassador in China, etc., etc., has much satisfaction in informing Her Majesty's subjects in China that a Convention for re-establishment of Peace between Great Britain and China was concluded, and the Ratification of the Treaty of Tientsin of the year 1858, duty exchanged at Peking, on the 24th of October, 1860. The Earl of Elgln now publishes for general information the text Proclamation. of the said Convention and Treaty, together with the text of the tariff and rules which form part of the Treaty, and were agreed to by him and the Plenipotentiaries of the Emperor of China at Shanghai, on the 8th of November, 1858. The Earl of Elgin trusts that by a considerate treatment of the natives with whom they may come into contact, and a faithful observance of their obligations towards the Chinese Government, Her Majesty's subjects in China will do what in them lies to reconcile the people and authorities of China to the changes in their relations with foreigners, which are about to be introduced under the international compacts herewith promulgated-changes which, if they be carried into effect in such manner as to afford greater scope to the commercial activity of the Chinese people, without doing unnecessary violence to their habits and traditions, will, it may be hoped, prove beneficial to them, and to all who have dealings with them. Due notice will be given whenever the arrangements for carrying into execution the provisions of this Convention and Treaty, at the Ports thereby opened to British Trade, shall be completed. GOD SAVE THE QUEEN. Dated at Tientsin, this twentieth day of November, A.D., 1860. (Signed) ELGIN AND KINCARDINE. CONVENTION OF PEACE BETWEEN HER MAJESTY AND THE EMPEROR OF CHINA. Plenipotenti aries. Earl of Elgin Signed at Peking, 24th October, 1860. Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, and His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of China, being alike desirous to bring to an end the misunderstanding at present existing between their respective Governments, and to secure their relations against further interruption, have for this purpose appointed Plenipotentiaries, that is to say : Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, the Earl of Elgin and Kincardine; and His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of and Kincardine, China, His Imperial Highness the Prince of Kung; who having met and communicated to each other their full powers, and finding these to be in proper form, having agreed upon the following Convention, and Prince of Kung. Apology for the attack at Taku in June, 1859. Residence of Indemnity. at Tls. 8,000,000. in Nine Articles : ART. I. A breach of friendly relations having been occasioned by the act of the Garrison of Taku, which obstructed Her Britannic Majesty's Representative when on his way to Peking, for the purpose of exchanging the ratifications of the Treaty of Peace, concluded at Tientsin in the month of June, one thousand eight hundred and fiftyeight, His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of China expresses his deep regret at the misunderstanding so occasioned. ART. II. It is further expressly declared, that the arrangement entered into at Shanghai, in the month of October, one thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, between Her Britannic Majesty's Ambassador the Earl of Elgin and Kincardine, and His Imperial Majesty's Commissioners Kweiliang and Hwashana, regarding the residence of Her Britannic Majesty's Representative in China, is hereby cancelled, and that, in accordance with Art. III. of the Treaty of one thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, Her Britannic Majesty's Representative will henceforward reside permanently or occasionally, at Peking, as Her Britannic Majesty shall be pleased to decide. ART. III. It is agreed that the separate Article of the Treaty of Separate Article of 1858 annulled. One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight is hereby annulled, and Indemnity fixed that in lieu of the amount of indemnity therein specified, His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of China shall pay the sum of eight millions of taels, in the following proportions or instalments, namely,-at Tientsin, on or before the 30th day of November, the sum of five hundred thousand taels; at Canton, on or before the first day of December, one thousand eight hundred and sixty, three hundred and thirty-three thousand and thirty-three taels, less the sum which shall have been advanced by the Canton authorities towards the completion of the British Factory site of Shameen; and the remainder at the ports open to foreign trade, in quarterly payments, which shall consist of one-fifth of the gross revenue from Customs there collected; the first of the said payments being due on the thirty-first day of December, one thousand eight hundred and sixty, for the quarter terminating on that day. It is further agreed that these monies shall be paid into the hands of an officer whom Her Britannic Majesty's Representative shall specially appoint to receive them, and that accuracy of the amounts shall, before payment, be duly ascertained by British and Chinese officers appointed to discharge this duty. of British com In order to prevent future discussion, it is moreover declared that demnification of the eight millions of taels herein guaranteed, two millions will be munity, Canton appropriated to the indemnification of the British Mercantile Com- (Ts. 2,000,000) munity at Canton, for losses sustained by them; and the remaining six expenses (Tis. 6,000,000). millions to the liquidation of war expenses. and War to Trade. ART. IV. It is agreed that on the day on which this Covention Tientsin opened is signed, His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of China shall open the port of Tientsin to trade, and that it shall be thereafter competent to British subjects to reside and trade there, under the same conditions as at any other port of China by Treaty open to trade. Chinese declared ART, V.-As soon as the ratifications of the Treaty of one Emigration of thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight shall have been exchanged, His lawful. Imperial Majesty the Emperor of China, will, by decree, command the Regulations to high authorities of every province to proclaim throughout their jurisdic- be framed. tions that Chinese, in choosing to take service in British Colonies or other parts beyond sea, are at perfect liberty to enter into engagements with British subjects for that purpose, and to ship themselves and their families on board any British vessels at the open port of China: also that the high authorities aforesai shall, in concert with Her Britannic Majesty's Representative in China, frame such regulations for the protection of Chinese emigrating as above as the circumstances of the different open ports may demand. ART. VI. With a view to the maintenance of law and order in Cowloon (Kowloon) ceded as and about the harbour of Hongkong, His Imperial Majesty the a dependency of Emperor of China agrees to cede to Her Majesty the Queen of Great Hongkong. Britain and Ireland, Her heirs and successors, to have and to hold as a dependency of Her Britannic Majesty's Colony of Hongkong, that portion of the township of Cowloon, in the province of Kwang-Tung, of which a lease was granted in perpetuity to Harry Smith Parkes, Esquire, Companion of the Bath, a Member of the Allied Commission at Canton, on behalf of Her Britannic Majesty's Government, by Lau Ts'ung-kwang, Governor-General of the Two Kwang. It is further declared that the lease in question is hereby cancelled, that the claims of any Chinese to property on the said portion of Cowloon shall be duly investigated by a mixed Commission of British and Chinese officers, and that compensation shall be awarded by the British Government to any Chinese whose claim shall be by that said Commission established, should his removal be deemed necessary by the British Government. have effect with present Conven ART. VII. It is agreed that the provisions of the Treaty of one Treaty of 1858 to thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, except in so far as these are out delay. modified by the present Convention, shall without delay come into operation as soon as the ratifications of the Treaty aforesaid shall have Ratification of been exchanged. It is further agreed, that no separate ratification of tion unneces the present Convention shall be necessary, but that it shall take effect sary. from the date of its signature, and be equally binding with the Treaty above-mentioned on the high contracting parties. Convention to be ART. VIII. It is agreed that, as soon as the ratifications of the Treaty and Treaty of the year one thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight shall published have been exchanged, His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of China China. throughout Chusan to be evacuated. shall by decree, command the high authorities in the capital, and in the provinces, to print and publish the aforesaid Treaty and the present Convention, for general information. - ART. IX. It is agreed that, as soon as the Convention shall have been signed, the ratification of the Treaty of the year one thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight shall have been exchanged, and an Imperial Decree respecting the publication of the said Convention and Treaty shall have been promulgated, as provided for by Article VIII. of this Convention, Chusan shall be evacuated by Her Britannic Majesty's troops there stationed, and Her Britannic Majesty's force now before Peking shall commence its march towards the city of Tientsin, Taku, Tientsin, the forts of Taku, the north coast of Shantung, and city of and north coast Canton, at each or all of which places, it shall be at the option of Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland to retain a force, until the indemnity of eight millions of taels, guaranteed in Article III., shall have been paid. of Shantung may be held until payment of Indemnity. 24th Oct 1390. Done at Peking in the Court of the Board of Ceremonies, on the twenty-fourth day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty. TREATY OF PEACE, FRIENDSHIP, COMMERCE AND Signed, in the English and Chinese Languages, at Tientsin. 26th June, 1858. Ratifications exchanged at Peking, 24th October, 1860 Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and His Majesty the Emperor of China, being desirous to put an end to the existing misunderstanding between the two countries, and to place their relations on a more satisfactory footing in future, have resolved to proceed to a revision and improvement of the Treaties existing between them; and, for that purpose, have named as their Plenipotentiaries, that is to say :- Plenipotenti. Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, th. Right aries. Honourable the Earl of Elgin and Kincardine, a Peer of the United Earl of Elgin Kingdom, and Knight of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of Kweiliang and the Thistle; And His Majesty the Emperor of China, the High Commissioners Kweiliang, a Senior Chief Secretary of State, styled of the East Cabinet, Captain-General of the Plain White Banner of the Manchu Banner Force, Superintendent-General of the administration of Criminal Law; and Hwashana, one of His Imperial Majesty's Expositors of the Classics, Manchu President of the Office for the regulation of the Civil Establishment, Captain-General of the Bordered Blue Banner of the Chinese Banner Force, and Visitor of the Office of Interpretation; Who, after having communicated to each other their respective full powers, and found them to be in good and due form, have agreed upon and concluded the following Articles : and Kincardine, Hwashana. king renewed ; ART. I.-Treaty of Peace and Amity between the two nations, Treaty of Nansigned at Nanking on the twenty-ninth day of August, in the year one but Supplementhousand eight hundred and forty-two, is hereby renewed and confirmed. tary Treaty and Regulations of The Supplementary Treaty and General Regulations of Trade Trade abrogated. having been amended and improved, and the substance of their provisions having been incorporated in this Treaty, the said Supplementary Treaty and General Regulations of Trade are hereby abrogated. British Ambas Chinese Ambas ART. II. For the better preservation of harmony in future, Her Appointment of Majesty the Queen of Great Britain and His Majesty the Emperor of sador to Peking, China mutually agree that, in accordance with the universal practice sador to St. of great and friendly nations, Her Majesty the Queen may, if She see James' fit, appoint Ambassadors, Ministers, or other Diplomatic Agents to the Court of Peking; and His Majesty the Emperor of China may, in like manner, if He see fit, appoint Ambassadors, Ministers, or other Diplomatic Agents, to the Court of St. James'. sador may reside ART. III.-His Majesty the Emperor of China hereby agrees, that British Ambasthe Ambassador, Minister, or other Diplomatic Agent, so appointed at Peking, acby Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain, may reside, with his quire houses, family and establishment, permanently at the capital, or may visit it and shall be occasionally, at the option of the British Government. He shall not respect. servants, etc., treated with |
