MAURI- TIUS.
Guy. 19/79
54
MAURITIUS.
Order in Council, 12 August 1876.--Proclaimed 1494 5 November 1876 and brought into operation from 1 January 1877, repeals all previous Orders in Council on the subject, and declares that the silver rupee of India shall be the only legal tender, except as therein- after directed, and provides that the British copper and bronze tokens shall be a legal tender of payment for any sum not exceeding half a rupee at the following
rates :-
Penny Halfpenny Farthing
Half farthing
-
rs. cts.
0 4
0 2
0 1 0 01
Ordinance 28 of 1876, which regulates the rupee, paper currency, and re-establishes the Board of Commis- sioners of the currency for the Colony.
Sec. 2. Authorises the Board to issue to the Receiver- General in exchange for silver rupees of India notes payable on demand for 5, 10, and 50 rupees respectively. Sec. 7. Notes of 10s. or 2 dollars, 11. or 5 dollars, 51. or 25 dollars issued under Ordinances No. 13 of 1855, No. 7 of 1861, and No. 10 of 1864 to cease to be a legal tender.
Estimated amount of coin in the Colony, Rs. 9,765,112.
Paper currency :—
8. d.
519 4 11
Government notes of 5 and 10 rupees of the issue of 1849 in circulation on 31 December 1879 Government notes of 10s., 11., and 51. of the issue of 1860 in cir- culation on 31 December 1878 4,557 0 0
£5,076 4 11
Government notes of 5, 10, and 50 rupees of the issue of 1876 in circulation 31 December 1879, Rs. 3,548,500. Accounts are kept in rupees and cents of a rupee.
55
STRAITS SETTLEMENTS.
Act 6 of 1847 (Indian) for establishing a copper cur- rency in the Settlements of Penang, Singapore, and Malacca. This Act establishes the cent weighing 144 grains troy, the half cent 72 grains, and the quarter cent 36 grains.
The cent is made a legal tender for 1·100 of a dollar, the half cent for 1·200 of a dollar, and the quarter cent for 1-400 of a dollar, but the extent to which the legal tender is confined is one dollar, that is payment exceed- ing one dollar cannot legally be made on cent, half cent, or quarter cent pieces.
It appears to have been the desire of the Indian Government to extend to the Straits Settlements the use of the Indian silver and copper coinage, but rupees and the Indian copper coins have never been current in the Straits Settlements, and the Indian Acts were re- pealed by Local Ordinance 4 of 1867, which preserves the copper coinage established by the Indian ́Act 6 of 1847, that is the cents, half cents, and quarter cents, and admits such copper or bronze coins as may be issued by Her Majesty's Mint or any branch thereof, representing the cent or 1·100, the half cent of 1·200, and the quarter cent or 1·400 part of a dollar as legal tender for sums up to one dollar.
The silver coinage is established by the same Local Ordinance of 1867, which makes the dollar issued from Her Majesty's Mint at Hong Kong, the silver dollar of Spain, Mexico, Peru, and Bolivar, and any other silver dollar to be specified by order of the Governor in Coun- cil, to be legal tender, of the same fineness and intrinsic value as the Hong Kong dollar, and if of not less than 415 grains troy weight, and not injured or defaced. (Under this law the Japanese yen or dollar has been admitted by an Order of the Governor in Council), and besides the dollar the Ordinance 4 of 1867 provides that such silver coins as may be issued from Her Majesty's Mint or any branch thereof, representing some fractional part of a dollar shall be legal tender for any sum not exceeding two dollars. Under this there are half dollars, 20 cents, 30 cents, and 5 cents silver pieces in circulation. Act 5 of 1867 to provide for conversion of all payments by or to the Government, and for the pay- ments of salaries of public officers in dollars and cents, and for keeping the public accounts in dollars and cents.
rupees
in
STRAITS SETTLE- MENTS. 355/28 1223
362/73 1232
41