19
B.
The Minority's reply to His Excellency the Governor's Memo. of 10th November, 1907.
Questions.
ACTION AS REGARDS CHINA.
1. There is in any case a majority in favor of negotiation, on the lines I presume of the Minority Report?
2. Are the negotiations with Peking merely to urge the fulfilment of the vague undertaking contained in Art. II of the Mackay Treaty? or does the Committee suggest that we should urge that all Provincial Mints should be under central control, their output limited and their coinage uniform in weight, fineness and face value? or that a gold standard should be urged or any other proposals? Is it suggested that the Viceroy should be asked to withdraw any of the coins now in circulation-I assume not? Should he (as suggested) be asked to coin and issue dollars ?
PROHIBITION.--IMPORT, EXPORT
AND CIRCULATION.
3. Mr. ARMSTRONG agrees to prohibit import (but says nothing about export or circulation. does he agree regarding these?) except under permit which is provided in Section 6 (3) of the Draft Bill.
4. The practical difficulties in enforcing such legislation were hardly sufficiently debated. The proposal may be divided in 4 heads-are all equally practicable and equally useful? If so, which should be tried first, and with what initial modifications?
IMPORT OF SUBSIDIARY COIN.
5. In what way do these members who described the provisions of Section 6 as too drastic suggest that the restriction should bear less hardly otherwise than by reduction of penalties? Since the Majority recommend this course what modifications or tentative measures would the signatories of the Minority report suggest?
6. To what extent do the Majority consi- der that permits should at first be issued? Should there be a licence fee?
7. If it is true that Chinese subsidiary coins are largely imported by lenders or changers for discount profit would not a very heavy licence fee for import in bulk be justified and useful? Would such a fee be sufficient in itself to check over-large imports without resorting to pro- hibition at first?
Answers.
This question to be replied to by the "In-
dependents."
See memorandum attached.
Minority have nothing to say.
The
This is for the Majority to say.
Minority disagree "in toto" with pro- hibition at this stage.
See above answer.
If the Government should decide to enforce prohibition we believe only strong measures will make such a scheme effective, hence our ob- jection to it.
These questions to be replied to by the
Majority.
Even if the statemant is correct the Minority consider that it would not be advisable to impose such a fee. Heavy licence fees would only be shifting the burden off one shoulder on to the other. Money changers would take advantage of it.