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Chief Justice's decision of 1854
11.
Aut here I may observe that the manner in which the Colonial Government accounts are at present kept is that nothing could well be more inconvenient and complicated. The revenue, as has been observed, is almost all paid in dollars, but it is brought to account in terms of Sterling money.
The Estimates and appropriation accounts are made out in Sterling, but the Contracts for supplies and public works are all made in dollars; and the whole expenditure is paid from the Treasury in dollars, while charged in the accounts in Pounds, Shillings, and pence. I am not aware of any one advantage that is gained by all this trouble and confusion; and I therefore recommend that whether Her Majesty's Government decide to continue or withdraw the existing Proclamation, in either case permission be at once given to keep the accounts of the local Government in dollars and cents in the same way as the accounts of Foreign Banking and mercantile establishments in China are kept.
I find that both the Executive and Legislative Councils of the Colony have already unanimously recommended this change to Sir R. B. Lytton.
GR1178/1922/32(III) or related reference like 23940/57, N933 4 11 13669/59 should be checked for context.
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