| Date: | August 22, 184 清宣宗道光二十二年（壬寅）七月十七日（癸亥）[the seventeenth day of the seven month in the twenty second year of the reign of Tao-kuang] |
| Subject[1]: | The Emperor's conditional acceptance of the British peace terms. |
諭軍機大臣等、耆英等奏、連日與英夷會議。粗定條約一摺。覽奏忿恨之至。朕因億萬生靈所系。實關天下大局。故雖憤悶莫釋。不得不勉允所 請。藉作一勞永逸之計。非僅為保全江浙兩省而然也。該大臣等所稱可救然眉。是徒知救急於目前。并未計貽憂於日后。所商各條內尚有應行籌酌之處。即如該夷船只。既退出長江。又退出招寶山。其前請之通商貿易五處。除福州外。其廣州、廈門、寧波、上海、四處。均准其來往貿易。不得占據久住。至藉詞索欠一節。該國與內地通商。已二百年。從前貨物交易。銀錢往來。俱系自行經理。我國官員。向不過問。且此中貿易曲折。價值低昂。甚為瑣屑。況各國言語不通。斷非地方官所能經理。嗣后各處通商。自應仍照舊章。毋庸更改。其各省貿易。該夷自納稅銀。由副領事親赴海關交納。不經行商之手一節。有無窒礙漸滋流弊之處。仍著該大臣 等再行妥議具奏。經此議定之后。該大臣等務當告以大皇帝相待以誠。允准通商。汝國亦應以誠相待。斷不准再啟兵端。違悖天理。不但業經滋擾各省。不得復來尋釁。即沿海之廣東福建台灣浙江江南山東直隸奉天各省地面。亦不准夷船駛入。各省官兵。應撤應留。我國自有斟酌。至內地舊有城池墩壘并炮台等項。亦應次第修 筑以復舊規。并非創自今日。此系為防緝洋盜起見。不必妄生疑慮。其有他省現尚不知消息。見有夷船駛入。輒行攻擊者。亦不得藉為口實。以上各節。總在該大臣 等深思遠慮。切實定議。永杜兵萌。不可稍涉含糊。將就目前。仍成不了之局。慎之慎之。本日據程矞釆片奏、佛啷哂亞國夷人。前往吳淞江口等語。該夷所請各節。是否另有詭計。諒該大臣等於接到該撫信函后。自必妥商酌辦矣。程矞釆及奕山等前陳各片。俱著鈔給閱看。將此由六百里加緊諭令知之。
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[On the 27th day of the 7th moon (Sept. 1), the following imperial edict was received.]
"Keying and his colleagues have sent up a document, containing a report and rough sketch of the articles of the convention discussed at a personal conference [with H. B. M's Plenipotentiary in China].
I have inspected the report, and have a full knowledge of the whole of it.
I, the Emperor, seriously considering the evils to the uncountable number of the people, and the important consequences to the greatness, power, and station of the empire; and I cannot avoid being constrained and forced to grant what is requested ; it is but one time of bitterness and trouble, but then, ease, repose, and peace may be reckoned on for ever; and not only the two provinces of Keangsoo and Chekeang be preserved entire, but the empire will be held together in its integrity! As to those items in the report relating to trade, there are some that are improper and require further consideration. Now, as the barbarian ships are willing to leave the Chang river, and are also willing to retire from Chaoupaou hill; that which they have before requested relative to a free trade at five ports, the country at Fuhchow must be excluded; permission to trade thither cannot by any means be granted, but another port may be exchanged for it; they may be allowed to trade, coming and going, at the four ports of Canton, Amoy, Ningpo, and Shanghae.
As to the matter of the Hong merchants' debts, the said great ministers must necessarily accommodate themselves to circumstances, and in a perspicuous edict (explain the matter thus to the English).
“The said nation has traded with China for more than 200 years, and heretofore all has been harmony and good will; and the trade has always been transacted by barter and money. But as the Hong merchants and yourselves have between you mutually transacted the affairs of trade, our public officers have hitherto never examined into or troubled themselves about the trade. The affairs of the rise and fall in prices, whether high or low, are very petty, trifling matters. Further, our speech and language are unintelligible to each other; and most decidedly, the district officers will not be able to manage the matter."
Hereafter, the Chinese merchants at all the ports will adopt extraordinary modes of giving trouble and cheating, even to cutting—i.e. demand- ing excessive discounts ; when there will be no hindrance or fear of laying a clear statement of the case before the district officers, who will certainly punish the said merchant (delinquent) : decidedly there will he no indulgence shown. As to the £6,000,000, it is proper that I should give them, by which my sincerity and good faith will be manifest; and they are to be collected from the salt commissioners' and provincial treasuries of the three provinces of Chekeang, Keangsoo, and Ganhwuy, the richest supplying the deficiencies of the poorest. As to correspondence being con- ducted on terms of perfect equality between the two governments, and the barbarians who have been made captives, and the Chinese who have been reduced (into the employ of the English). I grant all these supplicated favors: let the captives be released: and I order that all the matters (the three just mentioned) be allowed which have been requested.
Further, with reference to what is contained in the report about sealing: the said barbarians do not require your seal as proof, but the imperial seal of the empire to be fixed as a guarantee (of the treaty); so I shall not fall in dignity—and the feelings of my imperial station will not be lost.
Before, I have disseminated my imperial rescripts to each of the dependencies of China, all sealed with imperial seal of the empire ; and I order that my rescripts be sent under a flying† seal with dispatches from the board of the civil office, and they are to be forwarded in this ceremonious manner, that all the clauses which have been clearly reported may be properly managed.
From the time of this settlement, the said great minister must especially report to the Emperor, behaving with perfect sincerity, of the things supplicated, there are none which have not been granted.
From this epoch of a thorough (free) trade, there should be everlasting peace and harmony; your nation should also treat us with mutual perfect sincerity; and certainly not again commence military operations, in direct opposition to heavenly principles; for not only have you al- ready caused troubles and confusion in many provinces ; but you must not again come, seeking causes of quarrel and war; and just so, the coast and territories of the provinces of Canton, Fuhkeen, Teawang (Formosa), Chekeang, Keangnan, Shan- tung, Chihle, and Shuntien (Peking), the barbarian vessels of war are not allowed to enter and frequent.
Since at this time we are at peace, of the officers and troops in each province, there are some that should be sent away and others detained. We have already consulted, as to the ancient cities of China, her signal pyramids and batteries; and it is proper that they should all be rebuilt successively, according to former custom; these have not been of modern erection, but they were built for the purpose of guarding against and seizing the pirates, and were not established to guard against the said barbarians ; and we certainly must not incoherently and disorderly produce suspicion and apprehension. Those distant provinces which have not yet heard of or possess a full knowledge of the peace—if any of your (barbarian) ships abruptly enter, and are suddenly attacked, you must not make this a cause of screening yourselves, borrowing pretenses, and mouthing.
The whole of the above matters rest wholly in the deep consideration and extreme care of the said minister and his colleagues; let them be wholly true and sincere in deliberating and deciding, and so for ever put an end to the risings of war; there must not be the least misconception or misunderstanding. This is not an affair or time to be idle, or to dismiss the matter in a hurried, remiss, and irregular manner, but regard it with severe and serious attention ! with sincere and serious attention regard it!
Hurry on this edict at more than at the rate of 600 le a day, and order him (Keying) to inform himself of its contents.—Respect this.
[English translation by unknown translator. The edict was originally reported by the Canton Register on October 24, 1842]
Source: 清實錄道光朝實錄 (Qing Shilu, Daoguangchao Shilu) [The Truthful Record of Qing Dynasty: The Truthful Record of the Reign of Daoguang]. South Australia Register (Adelaide) January 21, 1843, p.4., Imperial Edict, Founded Upon the Above Report.
[1] Subject was not written in any Imperial Rescript. What appears here has been written for the easy reference of the readership.
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