prejudicial to our interests to allow the coins of another nation to pass in our territory, but, beyond directing the receiving Departments of the Government to refuse them, I have taken no steps in the matter,
Taken as, besides the mutual convenience which results from Hong Kong and Canton coins passing on each side of the Harbour, the result of prohibiting the importation of the latter (the number of which is but small when compared with that of the coins imported into China from Hong Kong) might be the taking of similar action by China with regard to the former, and the consequent loss to the Colony of the revenue derived therefrom.
Were Hong Kong in the position of Singapore with everything to gain and nothing to lose by prohibiting the importation of all coin other than its own, I should not hesitate to advise the adoption of measures similar to those recently taken by that Colony.
I have the honour to be
Your obedient servant
Hermen G. Mitchell-Jones
Treasurer of Hong Kong.
My
Canton
March 15, 1892
Dear Mitchell-Jones,
On receipt of your letter of the 2nd inst. I at once applied to the mint for the three sets of coins. They arrived yesterday afternoon and I send them along with this. The cost as you know is $5.55, together with 29¢ postage.
The mint is actively engaged and is likely to be so. But dollars and half dollars are made only in very small quantities. The demand for 10¢ and 5¢ is very small.