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Anserial Government here are mostly confined to payments on account of the Naval, Military, and Consular Services.

The Toner Commissariat chest is supplied with Dollars by the sale of Bills on London or India, and by the importation of Specie. All pay and allowances although specified in Sterling are issued from the Commissariat Chest in dollars at 4/2", and almost all contracts entered into distinctly stipulate that payment is to be made by the Government in Dollars, and consequently under the decision of the Chief Justice they cannot be liquidated in any other Coin.

Occasionally it is stipulated that Contracts shall be paid for in London, especially in the case of Transports, and other Naval Contracts, but the price of Bills on London in the market at the current rate of exchange on the day is of course taken into account in the terms of the Contract.

The Home Government are rarely receivers of money here except from the Mint office to which we will presently allude, and occasionally for the sale of damaged Commissariat and Ordnance Stores when the condition of Sale is invariably that payment is to be made in dollars.

9. All these circumstances combined have gradually led to the total withdrawal of the Sovereign.

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