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DECREE
Peking Gazette, 5th October, 1908.
An Imperial Decree in response to a memorial of Prince Ching and other Ministers of the Government Council, and of Prince P'u-lun and other members of the Senate, who, in obedience to Our Commands, deliberated upon the subject of an uniform national currency.
A standard currency is the fundamental principle of public finance, and various countries have adopted a gold coin as their unit of value, with a subsidiary currency of silver and copper tokens. Under well-framed regulations such currencies have been found convenient and profitable. But it requires years of preparation to be ready for such a measure, which can by no means be attained at one step.
The finances of China are in confusion and the standardizing of the currency is an urgent necessity. If actual gold coin were to be taken as the standard unit, it would be difficult to raise the necessary amount; while if gold were merely taken nominally as the standard unit, ... grave
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