:
570
Australia and China, and the Mercantile Bank of India, and
had obtained from them the opinion I had anticipated and
26/6/06 idlovure 4
the only one which it was possible for them to give.
6.
This Government having decided to get rid of
its stores of subsidiary coinage by returing them to Eng-
land as bullion instead of selling them locally at the
market rate of discount, and thus avoid any further action
tending to depreciate the coins already in currency, I felt
justified in suggesting to His Majesty's Charge d'Affaires
at Peking that should an opportunity offer he might approach
the Wai Wu Pu with a view to instructions being issued to
the Viceroy at Canton which would result in some restric-
tions being put on the issue of subsidiary coins from the
mint there. This I did in the letter, of which a copy is
annexed. To this letter I have not yet received a reply.
7.
I further took the opportunity of the pre-
sence here of the Imperial Chinese High Commissioners from
Europe in Hongkong on the 9th. instant on their way to
Peking to present my view of the matter to Mr. Tso Pang
Hung, First Secretary to the Commissioners.
8.
I also suggested to Mr. H. Hunter, who had
taken the place of Mr. J. R. M. Smith as Chief Manager of
the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank, the advisability of sending
a gentleman from the Bank to Canton to put before the
Viceroy's