The Influence of Letters Patent
British Government issued Letters Patent to the colonial governor of Hong Kong in 1917 to give the highest power to British governor in Hong Kong and weaken the power of Chinese governor because Hong Kong is far away from British and British borrowed Hong Kong from China as their temporary territory but later became one of the Britain colony, thus, British could not rule Hong Kong like other colonies. British afraid that Hong Kong would be independent or back to China’s control[1], therefore, British announced Letters Patent to Hong Kong to keep it as British’ s colony. Since the announcement, Chinese became the lower class and the British Governors became the highest class in Hong Kong by took off the power of Chinese Governors, gave the authority to British Governors and affirmed British had undefeatable right in Hong Kong.
Demoted the Chinese Governors in Hong Kong was the first step to make Chinese as lower class than British in Hong Kong. Firstly, the Letters Patent has a lot of articles state that the Chinese Governor[2]s had to obey all the orders that British Governors gave out and the Head Governor only could be British1. These articles took off the power that Chinese Governors had, which they did not have the power to say no to the British Governor. Hong Kong was the colony of British, but still the territory of China. Once the Chinese Governor had to follow other who was not from China, it meant that the Chinese did not have the liberty right of themselves[3]. In the government, where the highest represent of power, British ruled the Chinese. This also demonstrated to the public that British ruled Hong Kong’s government and the British Governors had higher power than the Chinese Governor did; so all the Chinese in Hong Kong should under British’s control. Secondly, all the Chinese Governors had to appoint by British Governor, which meant that Chinese Governors were lower class than the British Governors because all the Chinese Governors were chosen by British, Chinese did not have right to chose their own Governor in Hong Kong. The local government did not run by the same nationality or the same race of people declared that this area did not have autonomy. In the Hong Kong government, the Head Governor was a British and the Chinese Governors did not have the right to speak out their thoughts and give the advices[4]. The British Governors appoint the jobs and people in the government, so the British arrange the whole Hong Kong government, and Chinese Governors did have the chance to get the job that they wanted. By overall weaken the power of Chinese Governors had and appointed that Chinese Governors by British in the Hong Kong government to lower the class of Chinese and to made the British had higher class identity in Hong Kong.
Gave the highest authority to British Governor was another step to lower the class of Chinese in Hong Kong. The Letter Patent[5] made sure the British governors’ juridical status, executive power and other power[6]. British Governor had highest juridical status in Hong Kong because the articles indicated that the Chinese Governor had to unconditional obeyed British Governor’s order, so this was an expression of high concentration. British Governors had executive power. Letter Patent gave the power to British Governors, so that they had right to organize the Executive Council and the Legislative Council. The Letter Patent also made sure the other powers that British Governors could have. The most important one would be the military power. Military can protect one country or area’s safety, but also can ruin the safety. So, in most of country or areas, who has the highest position has the military power. British Governors owned the military power in Hong Kong made them had the highest position in Hong Kong. They did not need to afraid or concern about the local government would rebel to try to get a higher position in the government. Thurs, Britain could keep Hong Kong as their colony although Hong Kong had a distance to Britain. The secured of juridical status, executive power and other power raised the class of British in Hong Kong.
The final step of lower the class of Chinese in Hong Kong was to affirm the British had the undefeatable right in Hong Kong. The Letter Patent[7] declared that matter what decision made in Hong Kong, government in Britain could deny it, even though in the last second and all the Head Governors chose by Britain[8]. The British Government gave so many powers to British Governors in Hong Kong. It also was an affirmation of British Government’s power. Hong Kong was far away from British and it very close to Mainland, China. It was the main concern of British Government[9]. Because British borrowed Hong Kong from China[10], and Hong Kong was in a very special location in Asia, it closed to a lot of large countries, which was huge market to Britain. In order that the British afraid that Hong Kong would be independent if they did not centralize the power then they would lose the markets. British announced their highest authority in Hong Kong so that Hong Kong local government did not have ability to overturn the British because British controlled all the highest power like military or justice power in Hong Kong. Another reason to affirm British’s highest power in Hong Kong was to keep Hong Kong even though charter period ended. The affirmation of British’s highest power made sure that the authority of Britain was the ruling class in Hong Kong and it was undefeatable and irresistible fact in Hong Kong and the Chinese just ruled by British, therefor, British became the higher class in the Hong Kong and Chinese just the lower race than the British.
In summary, British used Letter Patent[11] to weaken the power of Chinese, instead to give the most power to British Governors in Hong Kong and the Britain had the highest authority in the land where they borrowed from China. All these articles just exploited the Chinese’s autonomy in Hong Kong and made the Chinese to become a lower class than the British. Letters Patent as a very important document to Hong Kong changed the government political system and the class.
[1] Fairweather, Wallace Cranston. “Hong Kong.” Foreign and Colonial Patent Laws. Buffalo, New York: W.S Hein, 2003. 10-11
[2] Hong Kong Letters Patent. London: United Kingdom Government,1917. Originally published in 1843.
[3] Ou, Zhijian, Shumin Peng, and Sixiang Cai. Gai Bian Xianggang Li Shi De 60 Pian Wen Xian. Xianggang: Zhonghua Shu Ju, 2011
[4] Ou, Zhijian, Shumin Peng, and Sixiang Cai. Gai Bian Xianggang Li Shi De 60 Pian Wen Xian. Xianggang: Zhonghua Shu Ju, 2011.
[5] Hong Kong Letters Patent. London: United Kingdom Government,1917. Originally published in 1843.
[6] Tsang, Steve Yui-Sang. A modern History of Hong Kong. London: I.B. Tauris, 2O04. Chapter 2
[7] Hong Kong Letters Patent. London: United Kingdom Government,1917. Originally published in 1843.
[8] Tsang, Steve Y.-S. Governing Hong Kong: Administrative Officers from the Nineteenth Century to the Handover to China, 1862-1997. London: I.B. Tauris, 2007.
[9] Zhang, Wei-Bin. Hong Kong: The Pearl Made of British Mastery and Chinese Doclile-diligence. New York: Nova Sincese
[10] Carroll, John M. Edge of Empires: Chinese Elites and British Colonials in Hong Kong. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press, 2005.
[11] Hong Kong Letters Patent. London: United Kingdom Government, 1917. Originally published in 1843
Demoted the Chinese Governors in Hong Kong was the first step to make Chinese as lower class than British in Hong Kong. Firstly, the Letters Patent has a lot of articles state that the Chinese Governor[2]s had to obey all the orders that British Governors gave out and the Head Governor only could be British1. These articles took off the power that Chinese Governors had, which they did not have the power to say no to the British Governor. Hong Kong was the colony of British, but still the territory of China. Once the Chinese Governor had to follow other who was not from China, it meant that the Chinese did not have the liberty right of themselves[3]. In the government, where the highest represent of power, British ruled the Chinese. This also demonstrated to the public that British ruled Hong Kong’s government and the British Governors had higher power than the Chinese Governor did; so all the Chinese in Hong Kong should under British’s control. Secondly, all the Chinese Governors had to appoint by British Governor, which meant that Chinese Governors were lower class than the British Governors because all the Chinese Governors were chosen by British, Chinese did not have right to chose their own Governor in Hong Kong. The local government did not run by the same nationality or the same race of people declared that this area did not have autonomy. In the Hong Kong government, the Head Governor was a British and the Chinese Governors did not have the right to speak out their thoughts and give the advices[4]. The British Governors appoint the jobs and people in the government, so the British arrange the whole Hong Kong government, and Chinese Governors did have the chance to get the job that they wanted. By overall weaken the power of Chinese Governors had and appointed that Chinese Governors by British in the Hong Kong government to lower the class of Chinese and to made the British had higher class identity in Hong Kong.
Gave the highest authority to British Governor was another step to lower the class of Chinese in Hong Kong. The Letter Patent[5] made sure the British governors’ juridical status, executive power and other power[6]. British Governor had highest juridical status in Hong Kong because the articles indicated that the Chinese Governor had to unconditional obeyed British Governor’s order, so this was an expression of high concentration. British Governors had executive power. Letter Patent gave the power to British Governors, so that they had right to organize the Executive Council and the Legislative Council. The Letter Patent also made sure the other powers that British Governors could have. The most important one would be the military power. Military can protect one country or area’s safety, but also can ruin the safety. So, in most of country or areas, who has the highest position has the military power. British Governors owned the military power in Hong Kong made them had the highest position in Hong Kong. They did not need to afraid or concern about the local government would rebel to try to get a higher position in the government. Thurs, Britain could keep Hong Kong as their colony although Hong Kong had a distance to Britain. The secured of juridical status, executive power and other power raised the class of British in Hong Kong.
The final step of lower the class of Chinese in Hong Kong was to affirm the British had the undefeatable right in Hong Kong. The Letter Patent[7] declared that matter what decision made in Hong Kong, government in Britain could deny it, even though in the last second and all the Head Governors chose by Britain[8]. The British Government gave so many powers to British Governors in Hong Kong. It also was an affirmation of British Government’s power. Hong Kong was far away from British and it very close to Mainland, China. It was the main concern of British Government[9]. Because British borrowed Hong Kong from China[10], and Hong Kong was in a very special location in Asia, it closed to a lot of large countries, which was huge market to Britain. In order that the British afraid that Hong Kong would be independent if they did not centralize the power then they would lose the markets. British announced their highest authority in Hong Kong so that Hong Kong local government did not have ability to overturn the British because British controlled all the highest power like military or justice power in Hong Kong. Another reason to affirm British’s highest power in Hong Kong was to keep Hong Kong even though charter period ended. The affirmation of British’s highest power made sure that the authority of Britain was the ruling class in Hong Kong and it was undefeatable and irresistible fact in Hong Kong and the Chinese just ruled by British, therefor, British became the higher class in the Hong Kong and Chinese just the lower race than the British.
In summary, British used Letter Patent[11] to weaken the power of Chinese, instead to give the most power to British Governors in Hong Kong and the Britain had the highest authority in the land where they borrowed from China. All these articles just exploited the Chinese’s autonomy in Hong Kong and made the Chinese to become a lower class than the British. Letters Patent as a very important document to Hong Kong changed the government political system and the class.
[1] Fairweather, Wallace Cranston. “Hong Kong.” Foreign and Colonial Patent Laws. Buffalo, New York: W.S Hein, 2003. 10-11
[2] Hong Kong Letters Patent. London: United Kingdom Government,1917. Originally published in 1843.
[3] Ou, Zhijian, Shumin Peng, and Sixiang Cai. Gai Bian Xianggang Li Shi De 60 Pian Wen Xian. Xianggang: Zhonghua Shu Ju, 2011
[4] Ou, Zhijian, Shumin Peng, and Sixiang Cai. Gai Bian Xianggang Li Shi De 60 Pian Wen Xian. Xianggang: Zhonghua Shu Ju, 2011.
[5] Hong Kong Letters Patent. London: United Kingdom Government,1917. Originally published in 1843.
[6] Tsang, Steve Yui-Sang. A modern History of Hong Kong. London: I.B. Tauris, 2O04. Chapter 2
[7] Hong Kong Letters Patent. London: United Kingdom Government,1917. Originally published in 1843.
[8] Tsang, Steve Y.-S. Governing Hong Kong: Administrative Officers from the Nineteenth Century to the Handover to China, 1862-1997. London: I.B. Tauris, 2007.
[9] Zhang, Wei-Bin. Hong Kong: The Pearl Made of British Mastery and Chinese Doclile-diligence. New York: Nova Sincese
[10] Carroll, John M. Edge of Empires: Chinese Elites and British Colonials in Hong Kong. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press, 2005.
[11] Hong Kong Letters Patent. London: United Kingdom Government, 1917. Originally published in 1843
Bibliography
Primary Source
Hong Kong Letters Patent. London: United Kingdom Government, 1917. Originally published in 1843.
Secondary Sources
Tsang, Steve Yui-Sang. A Modern History of Hong Kong. London: I.B. Tauris, 2004.
Fairweather, Wallace Cranston. "Hong Kong." Foreign and Colonial Patent Laws. Buffalo, NY: W.S. Hein, 2003. 10-11.
Zhang, Wei-Bin. Hong Kong: The Pearl Made of British Mastery and Chinese Docile-diligence. New York: Nova Science, 2006.
Carroll, John M. Edge of Empires: Chinese Elites and British Colonials in Hong Kong. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press, 2005.
Ou, Zhijian, Shumin Peng, and Sixing Cai. Gai Bian Xianggang Li Shi De 60 Pian Wen Xian. Xianggang: Zhonghua Shu Ju, 2011.
Tsang, Steve Y.-S. Governing Hong Kong: Administrative Officers from the Nineteenth Century to the Handover to China, 1862-1997. London: I.B. Tauris, 2007.
Hong Kong Letters Patent. London: United Kingdom Government, 1917. Originally published in 1843.
Secondary Sources
Tsang, Steve Yui-Sang. A Modern History of Hong Kong. London: I.B. Tauris, 2004.
Fairweather, Wallace Cranston. "Hong Kong." Foreign and Colonial Patent Laws. Buffalo, NY: W.S. Hein, 2003. 10-11.
Zhang, Wei-Bin. Hong Kong: The Pearl Made of British Mastery and Chinese Docile-diligence. New York: Nova Science, 2006.
Carroll, John M. Edge of Empires: Chinese Elites and British Colonials in Hong Kong. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press, 2005.
Ou, Zhijian, Shumin Peng, and Sixing Cai. Gai Bian Xianggang Li Shi De 60 Pian Wen Xian. Xianggang: Zhonghua Shu Ju, 2011.
Tsang, Steve Y.-S. Governing Hong Kong: Administrative Officers from the Nineteenth Century to the Handover to China, 1862-1997. London: I.B. Tauris, 2007.
Primary source
-Letters Patent
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Queen Victoria announced Hong Kong Letters Patent in 1843, London, UK. After few times alterations, finally official issued to Hong Kong in 1917. This is a constitutional instrument of Hong Kong. During the time Hong Kong was the colony of Britain, the Hong Kong Letters Patent was announced to give a guideline to Hong Kong Government that how to rule the Hong Kong. Because Hong Kong is far away from British and it closed to the mainland, China, British Government afraid that Hong Kong would be independent, so The Hong Kong Latters Patent clarified the power of British had. There were 24 articles in the Hong Kong Letters Patent and it stated the executive, legislative and judicial organs in Hong Kong to the composition of government, powers and their general issues. The first article declared that should be a Governor and Commander-in-Chief in Hong Kong who are signed by British Government. Chinese didn’t get much power in the Hong Kong Government, therefor, Hong Kong fully as a British colony even though British is quiet far away from Hong Kong. This document relates to my to my topic because this is the print source of the original patent that I discussed in the paper, which is how the Letters Patent affected Chineses' class in Hong Kong.
Gallery
The man in the picture is Henry Pottinger who was the first governor was sent to Hong Kong and the one who established the Legislative council in Hong Kong. This picture showed the British ruled Hong Kong instead Chinese ruled themselves.
This is the certificate of authorization, which was gave to the Governor chosen by British. In the certificate of authorization, left side was English and right side was Chinese, so this was for both country to admit and at the right side of bottom, there were two signs, which one from Hong Kong and the other one from British. After signing this agreement, Governor became the highest ruling class in Hong Kong.
This one can showed the British was higher class than the Chinese in Hong Kong. This is a photo when British officer visited Hong Kong in 1900s. The people who carried the chair ware Chinese and so many guards around the officer.
This is a video showed the former Governors in Hong Kong. In the video, it talked about the how the Governors had authority and how's their daily life in Hong Kong. Lots of interviews to different people. It provides so many facts to my topic because it showed the strong power of Governors, but it also has some differences between the book i read in Chinese.
In 1st July,1997 Hong Kong officially returned to Mainland China. It was the end of Hong Kong as British colony.