The Hawaiian government recognized Simpson as acting consul, and daily meetings followed between 20 and 23 February. Kamehameha III agreed to reopen disputed cases but maintained that he would not overrule the courts or disregard due process. The competing land claims left room for argument on both sides, while the involvement of a Hawaiian minister and Britain's consul made their handling a diplomatic problem. On 25 February 1843, the king signed a conditional cession to Paulet. Its reservations protected any arrangement already reached by Hawaiian representatives abroad and otherwise placed the outcome before the British government after it received both sides' information. The cession left the ultimate settlement open while transferring authority under local pressure.
Chapter · 46:34-52:17
Failed negotiations led to a provisional cession
After several meetings failed to reconcile legal process with British demands, Kamehameha III provisionally ceded the islands pending a decision by Queen Victoria's government.